Every Acre Counts: Conserving Habitat for Birds, Webinar, November 19th

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Tuesday, November 19, 2024
4 –  5 pm
Zoom link provided upon registration.
Free. Register here.

American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has conserved millions of acres of habitat for birds like the Swainson’s Thrush, Golden-winged Warbler, and the rare Cundinamarca Antpitta over the past 30 years. But there is much more to be done: Habitat loss is the most urgent threat facing wild birds today.

Habitat conservation is essential for bird conservation — and the good news is, you can help, whether it’s working in your own neighborhood or supporting establishment of a reserve that spans thousands of acres.

Join ABC to explore how they’re conserving land for birds, from one acre to 10,000 — and how you can, too. You’ll learn ways to minimize pesticide use in backyards and about how ABC is helping to do the same on agricultural land. Looking farther afield, you’ll find out how ABC is improving critical bird habitat with landowners and public land managers in the Great Lakes, and their efforts to establish reserves with partners in Bolivia that benefit Endangered resident birds, such as the Red-fronted Macaw and Palkachupa Cotinga.

You’ll discover how every bird-friendly action, whether big or small, can make an impact on the habitat birds need to thrive. Join them and get inspired to take bold action for birds!

You’ll hear from ABC experts and partners, including:
• Edward Hardy Kern, Director of Government Relations, Birds and Pesticides Campaign
• Jayme Strange, Northern Forests Conservation Delivery Network Coordinator
• Marcelo Tognelli, International Project Officer

If you can’t make the webinar live, RSVP now and they’ll send you a recording to enjoy when the time is right for you.

Birds, Bugs and Berries: Providing Habitat for Birds and Other Wildlife, December 8th

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Sunday, December 8, 2024
2 pm buffet; 2:45 presentation
Gunston Hall’s Ann Mason Room, 10709 Gunston Road, Lorton, VA
Friends of Mason Neck members $15/nonmembers $20
Register here.

It’s time for the Friends of Mason Neck State Park’s annual Swanfall holiday celebration. It’s an opportunity to socialize with members and friends while enjoying a delicious buffet and a
fascinating talk.

At 2:45 PM, we’ll enjoy “Birds, Bugs and Berries: Providing Habitat for Birds and Other Wildlife” presented by Alonso Abugattas. Alonso is the Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County, and he is best known as the Capital Naturalist, creator of the Capital Naturalist Facebook group with 24,000 members, and the Capital Naturalist You Tube channel. Alonso has had numerous mentions and appearances on television, radio, podcasts and the press, including appearances on Animal Planet, and makes presentations throughout the region.

Watch Now: Video on How to Protect Northern Virginia Birds

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Photo: Purple Martins, Keith Kingdon/Audubon Photography Awards

From the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

Over 100 million birds migrate through northern Virginia each spring, and 160 million migrate through each fall. Their journeys are perilous because they can be attracted to and disoriented by brightly lit buildings and crash into them or waste precious energy flying around the lights.

Birds that live here risk colliding with glass and other reflective surfaces, and light pollution disrupts their feeding, sleeping and reproduction, as well as that of the plants and insects on which they depend. NVBA has established a partnership with Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, DarkSky Virginia, DarkSky NOVA, Nature Forward, the Friends of Dyke Marsh and the Friends of Little Hunting Creek to initiate a Bird Safe NOVA campaign. Check out the recording of their recent webinar here. 

Project FeederWatch Workshop with Greg Butcher, November 21st

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Picture Photo: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pamela Brown – Audubon Photography Awards

Thursday, November 21, 2024
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Free Virtual Event

REGISTRATION IS REQIRED.

From the comfort of your home, you simply count the winter birds that visit your feeders and report your data to Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

This FREE workshop will cover a bit of Project FeederWatch history, its purpose, tips for identifying birds, and the protocols to be followed while counting.

Greg Butcher, formerly on the Board of NVBA, served as the Migratory Species Coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service’s International Programs, and also worked at the National Audubon Society, American Birding Association, Partners in Flight, and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He also served as editor of Birder’s World magazine. He now leads birding tours around the world and volunteers on the NVBA Conservation Committee.

Birds in Watercolor: Northern Flicker with Ronna Fujisawa, November 14th

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Image: Northern Flicker, courtesy Ronna Fujisawa

Thursday, November 14, 2024
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
This is a virtual art class.

Registration is required.

Members: $25 (Non-members: $35) Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

The Northern Flicker is a woodpecker. Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Flickers appear brownish overall with a white rump patch that’s conspicuous in flight and often visible when perched. The undersides of the wing and tail feathers are bright yellow, for eastern birds, or red, in western birds. With a closer look you’ll see the brown plumage is richly patterned with black spots, bars, and crescents.

In this class, students will paint a fun close-up of a Northern Flicker, learning how to mix neutral colors, as well as techniques of layering colors to create various feather patterns. Your instructor, Ronna Fujisawa of Salty Water Art, will be your guide through the step-by-step process of painting.

This is an online class open to all levels of watercolor painters. Beginners are welcome!

The suggested materials for this class:

  • Watercolor suggested colors: Cobalt Blue, Paynes Gray, Naples Yellow, Sap Green, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber or other brown. Optional – Rich Green Gold or green gold, Transparent Pyrrol Orange. Ronna uses Daniel Smith brand tube watercolor paint.

  • 9″ x 12” or larger Arches Cold Press 140-pound watercolor paper

  • #2, #6, #12 round brushes, 1” oval wash brush

  • Graphite transfer paper for tracing (waxed surface)

  • Artist tape and board to tape paper down on all four sides for even borders (not on table)

  • Print-out of the attached photo in color to fit size of your watercolor paper (scroll down for photo, right click to save so you can print it)

  • Pencil to draw or trace, white eraser, water, paper towels

  • Computer or tablet for watching the class

Ronna Fujisawa is an avid bird watercolor artist residing in Portland, Oregon. Salt Water Art is her educational practice consisting of classes on how to paint birds and in watercolor and watercolor plein air workshops. For more information or questions, contact [email protected].

 

Nightjar Webinar, October 29th

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Tuesday, October 29, 2024
4 pm
Register here.

There was a time when woods across central and southeastern North America were filled with the mysterious nighttime song of the Whip-poor-will. Often heard but not seen, this bird’s evocative call now evokes sadness and nostalgia for many, especially as its song slowly disappears across its range.

The Whip-poor-will is a member of the nightjar family, birds known for their haunting songs and nocturnal habits. Like the Whip-poor-will, other nightjars like the Chuck-will’s-widow and the Common Nighthawk are also declining due to habitat loss and pesticide use, among other human-caused threats.

Join American Bird Conservancy for this free webinar to learn more about these enigmatic birds, their conservation status, and what ABC and our partners are doing to ensure a future for species in decline.

Winter Sparrow Identification *VIRTUAL*, November 14th

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Image: Courtesy The Clifton Institute, Winter Sparrow Workshop

Thursday, November 14, 2024
6:00 – 7:00 PM

This is a virtual event

ASNV Members-$10.00 (Non-members $15.00)

Click here for registration details.

A Clifton Institue Presentation

Get ready for winter by brushing up on sparrow identification! Every season brings its own challenges for birdwatching. In winter, similar-looking sparrows can be hard to tell apart and birding by ear becomes more difficult as birds sing less and call more. Join Executive Director and expert birder Bert Harris to learn some tips for identifying winter sparrows. Bert will walk you through the field marks of each species and use his years of birding experience to help you learn how to identify sparrows. Then in the second section of the program Bert will show sparrow photos to help you practice and test your new skills.

This program is intended for beginning and intermediate birders. We will send a Zoom link closer to the date.

Dam It: Partnering With Beavers to Restore the Planet, October 22nd

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Photo Credit: Ellyne Geurts, via iNaturalist, North American beaver, Castor canadensis.

Tuesday, Oct 22, 2024
7:00pm – 8:30pm

Webinar – Advance Registration Required 

 

Webinar presented by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Can we learn to embrace the much-maligned beaver? In his book “Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter,” environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb reveals that our modern conception of a healthy ecosystem is wrong, distorted by the fur trade that once eliminated millions of beavers from North America’s waterways. The consequences were profound: Ponds drained, wetlands dried up and species from salmon to swans lost vital habitat. Today, a growing coalition of “Beaver Believers”—including scientists, farmers and passionate citizens—recognizes that ecosystems with beavers are far healthier than those without them. From the Nevada deserts to the Scottish Highlands, Believers are hard at work restoring these industrious rodents to their former haunts. In his talk on Oct. 22, Ben will discuss the history and biology of this world-changing species; how beavers can help us fight drought, flooding, wildfire and climate change; and how we can coexist with this challenging but vital rodent.

This webinar will be recorded! Closed captions will be available during the live event and on the recording. By signing up on Zoom, you’ll be able to join live and receive a link to the recording approximately 1 week after the live webinar.

Sign up on Zoom to watch live or on-demand

View more Life on a Sustainable Planet webinars

2024 Virginia Bluebird Society’s Biennial Conference, November 1st – 2nd

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Photo: By Susan Cato, Bluebird at nest box

Friday & Saturday, November 1- 2, 2024
Friday 6:00PM – 10:00PM, Saturday 8:00AM – 4:00PM

Virginia Crossings Conference Center & Hotel
Glen Allen, VA.

Registration and Conference details

The Virginia Bluebird Society is celebrating its biennial conference on November 1st and 2nd.  Whether you are an experienced Bluebird landlord or just beginning and don’t know where to start, there will be sessions for you!

Topics include Nest Box Monitoring 101, nature photography, birding with children, nature journaling and so much more!  There will be a silent auction and fun merchandise to purchase.  

Keynote Speaker Mynra Pearman, biologist, author and nature photographer, will be sharing her expertise. Learn more about Myrna at: https://www.myrnapearman.com/ 

The conference will take place at Virginia Crossings in Glen Allen, Virginia. Registration opens September 9 on the Virginia Bluebird Society website. Contact [email protected]  for more information.

 

Invitation to Participate in Save the Night! Light Pollution Awareness & Dark Skies Day, November 17th

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Photo: Fairfax County Park Authority – Dark Sky Celebration

Sunday, November 17, 2024
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Vienna Community Center
120 Cherry Street
Southeast Vienna, VA, 22180

DarkSky NOVA and Dark Sky Friends are hosting a Save the Night!

Join this family-friendly afternoon dedicated to exploring the effects of light pollution and how it impacts our lives and health.

Engage with astronomers, peer through telescopes, and immerse yourself in the planetarium experience. Discover how artificial light at night affects your health and that of birds, plants, insects and animals.

Light pollution, the excessive or misdirected artificial light that brightens our night skies, is a growing environmental issue with serious consequences. Discover the different forms of light pollution—such as skyglow, glare, and light trespass—and learn how they interfere with our ability to see stars and our everyday lives.

In addition to dimming our night skies, light pollution has far-reaching effects on human health, wildlife behavior, and energy consumption.

Learn how you can be part of the solution and how to stop light pollution!

Find out how you can help reduce light pollution and protect our night environment!