Sustainable Landscaping Webinar, October 8th

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Photos courtesy of PEC

Friday, October 8, 2021
12 – 1:30 pm
Webinar
Register here.

Join Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) during your Friday lunch hour for this free, informative webinar, including three presentations by guest speakers Jim McGlone (Virginia Department of Forestry), Tim Ohlwiler (Virginia Cooperative Extension), and David Wood (Chesapeake Stormwater Network).

Building a Garden Ecosystem – Jim McGlone
Learn about the role of plants and insects in your garden and how using native plants can change your garden into a self-sustaining low maintenance garden ecosystem that grows beautiful plants and attracts pollinators like butterflies.

Solutions to Challenging Soils and Locations – Tim Ohlwiler
Virginia gardeners often have problems with drought, high pH soils, compacted soils, sidewalks and other challenges with planting trees. Tim will talk about evaluating soils in difficult locations and then share some of his favorite trees for those challenging locations.

Build Your Own Rain Garden – David Wood
Looking for landscaping tips that can help attract birds and pollinators and maybe even treat a bit of stormwater runoff? David will discuss how to design and build your own backyard rain garden. Learn how to boost backyard habitat and reduce nuisance flooding on your property in an environmentally friendly way.

Wintering Waterbirds, October 20th

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Photo: Fred Siskind

Wednesday, October 20, 2021
7 pm
Zoom
Register here.

Join Friends of Dyke Marsh for Greg Butcher’s presentation on wintering waterbirds. Mr. Butcher will introduce the diversity of waterbirds that spend the winter in Northern Virginia and explain the difference between waterbirds and waterfowl. He will also review citizen science studies and conservation needs for birds and people along the Potomac River.

Mr. Butcher is Vice President of Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and Migratory Species Coordinator, the U.S. Forest Service’s International Programs.

Fundamentals of Avian Biology, the Study of Birds: Fall Session with Dr. Chris Haney, Oct. 4 – Nov. 15, 2021

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Dr. Chris Haney photo courtesy of ASNV

Mondays and Wednesdays, October 4 – November 15, 2021
7-8 pm
Field trips: October 16 (Rain Date: 23); November 6 (Rain Date: 13)
Where: VIRTUAL
Cost: $150 member/$175 non-member online only; $250 member/$275 non-member online and field trips
More information and register here.

Are you new to birding and want to learn more or just want to dig deeper into the subject? Then this Audubon Society of Northern Virginia class is for you.

This course is designed and presented at an introductory, university level in 6 parts, with each week’s worth of classroom instruction equaling 2 hours. Fundamentals of Avian Biology, Part 1 will feature the major underpinnings to ornithology within a context of U.S. national history. Topics covered in this class encompass: the origins and then separation of amateur from professional interest in birds; form and function in the avian body; avian flight mechanics, movement, and dispersal; bird distribution and biogeography; evolutionary relationships and naming systems for birds; and standardized field methods used to study birds. Whenever appropriate, contrasting perspectives are offered, including controversial views that arose from reliance on different theories or applications. Instructional presentations will include PowerPoint slides, auditory or video supplements, and some in-class participatory exercises.

Taking Nature Black, Re-entry Roundtable, September 14th

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Tuesday, September 14, 2021
2-3:30 pm
Register here.

Join Audubon Naturalist Society for this FREE 90-minute roundtable hosted by ANS’s Taking Nature Black Conference, with sponsorship from the U.S. Forest Service’s Office of Urban and Community Forestry.

This discussion will help elevate holistic strategies that connect the green movement with second chance/re-entry programs, services, and advocacy with a focus on social supports, social and economic justice, recidivism, and prevention.

Expanding career opportunities for the re-entry community is a way to extend healing to this community and to our land.

FMN Quarterly Chapter Meeting, September 20th

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Monday, September 20, 2021
7-9 pm
Zoom
Email [email protected] for the link

Fairfax Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists will hold their Quarterly Chapter Meeting in a remote format on Monday, September 20 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. We’re not quite ready to hold in-person meetings yet with our county maintaining a substantial level of COVID transmission per the CDC. Keep your fingers crossed for December.

We’re going to change things up this meeting. Instead of focusing on plants or animals, we’re going to lean towards geology and learn about historic shoreline change on the Potomac River, including substantial wrecks and ruins that are now fisheries habitat. OK, we may learn a little about local fish. Our speaker, Wayne Young, has an MS in Natural Resources, is a member of the Coastal Conservation Association, and is the author of four books about fishing reefs and maritime disasters on the Chesapeake and Potomac.

Sea Turtle Rehabilitation at the National Aquarium: The Conservation Impact from Massachusetts to Florida, August 17th

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Photo: naushad mohamed on Unsplash

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center webinar
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
7 pm
Register here.

Discover what goes into rescuing endangered sea turtles, with Animal Rescue Director Jenn Dittmar of the National Aquarium! All seven of the world’s sea turtle species are either threatened or endangered, though some are common, seasonal visitors to the mid-Atlantic and New England during warmer months. The National Aquarium has been rehabilitating sick and injured sea turtles for 30 years. But the conservation impact of this program reaches far beyond the waters of Maryland. The average sea turtle patient at the National Aquarium will travel more than 1,400 miles during rehabilitation – from the spot where it was stranded to its eventual release. In our August webinar, Dittmar will reveal the complex, team effort to conserve critically endangered sea turtles.

FLAP Pollinator Garden Work Days and Tours

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Photo courtesy of FLAP

Lake Accotink Park
7500 Accotink Park Road
Springfield, VA

Friends of Lake Accotink Park invite you to help with their pollinator garden or learn how to create your own.

CARING FOR THE POLLINATOR GARDEN
WHEN: 2nd Sunday of every month TIME: 10:30am
WHERE: Lake Accotink Park Margaret Kinder Pollinator Garden – Adjacent to the Marina.
ACTIVITY: Work alongside their experts as they care for the pollinator plants, watering, clean-up . They’ll provide the tools, gloves or you can bring your own. Register at:

https://volunteer.fairfaxcounty.gov/custom/1380/#/opp_details/186905

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/caring-for-the-pollinator-garden-at-lake-accotink-park-tickets-158892889911

EXPLORING THE POLLINATOR GARDEN
WHEN: 2nd Sunday of every month TIME: 10:30am
WHERE: Lake Accotink Park Margaret Kinder Pollinator Garden – Adjacent to the Marina.
ACTIVITY: Their experts will guide you through the pollinators and pollinator plants, starting and maintaining your own (any size) pollinator garden.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/exploring-the-pollinator-garden-at-lake-accotink-park-tickets-15889197316

Audubon Afternoon: Mt. Cuba Native Plant Trial Gardens, September 26th

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Sunday, September 26, 2021
3-4:30 pm
Online
Register here.

Join Audubon Society of Northern Virginia for their fall Audubon Afternoon! Their guest speaker will be Sam Hoadley, Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center. You’ll learn about the amazing native plant trial gardens at Mt. Cuba, how they evaluate plants and related cultivars for horticultural and ecological value. Sam will highlight the ecosystem services that native plants provide.

Butterfly Identification Workshop, September 16th

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Photo: Comma and Question Mark, Gary Meyers

Butterfly Identification Workshop, September 16, 2021
7-8:30 pm
Online.
Register here.

The sight of butterflies fluttering around on a warm day is one of the most iconic signs of our warm weather months. These beautiful insects usually only live for a few weeks as adults, but they make quite an impression while they are in their full glory. There is a large variety of butterfly species in our area. Dr. Larsen will focus on identifying the 20 most common butterflies in Northern Virginia. Participants will then be able to sign up for our new fall butterfly count!

Elise Larsen is a post-doctoral associate at the Ries Lab of Butterfly Infomatics. Her interests include ecology, population dynamics, phenology, and disturbance. She is especially fascinated by butterfly dynamics, currently focusing on traits such as color and lifespan.

NVCT’s Changemakers: Today’s Weather, Tomorrow’s Climate, July 28th

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Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Noon
Register here.

Northern Virginia Conservation Trust‘s Changemakers series returns with Jason Samenow of the Washington Posts’ Capital Weather Gang along with NVCT board member John Hopewell as they lead a discussion and Q & A on Today’s Weather, Tomorrow’s Climate. 
 
Join the webinar as these meteorological wizards discuss our region’s unpredictable and increasingly severe weather and how NVCT’s work protecting natural areas is critical to helping Northern Virginia adapt to our changing climate.Jason