Fundamentals of Avian Biology: The Study of Birds, Fall Session (6 classes)

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Classroom Instruction:National Wildlife Federation
11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Thursdays, 7:00 – 9:00PM; Oct. 3, 10, 17; Dec. 5, 12, 19

Field Trips: October 12; December 14 (location TBD)

Dr. Chris Haney, Founder and President of Terra Mar Applied Science

Limit: 30 students. Don’t delay, this class will sell out quickly.
Fee: $250 members, $275 non-members

Register here.

Audubon Society of Northern Virginia is pleased to present this in-depth course about birds, designed for all skill levels. Experienced birders and novices will improve their understanding of birds and birding skills through classroom sessions and field trips.

Fundamentals of Avian Biology: Fall Session, will feature close scrutiny of the modern theory and field methods used to interpret the life of birds. Topics to be covered will encompass basic avian biology, life histories, evolution, behavior, ecology, geography, migration, and human socio-cultural relationships. Whenever appropriate, contrasting perspectives will be offered, including some controversial views, and distinctions made between different historical approaches of professional ornithology and birding. Classroom presentations will include PowerPoint slides, auditory or video supplements, and some participatory exercises.

Instructor: Dr. Chris Haney’s expertise straddles the fields of ornithology, including: marine science, climate change, wildlife biology, ecosystem management, and conservation policy. His projects and scholarly work have taken him to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Bahamas, Lesser Antilles, several countries of southern Africa, and the former Soviet Union. He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and technical notes, and over 150 reports, abstracts, and testimony. He has delivered more than 150 seminar, conference, and workshop presentations. Dr. Haney’s knowledge and enthusiasm in the classroom is contagious!
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This course is designed and presented at a university introductory level in two separate sections (Fall and Spring) with a total of 12, two-hour classroom sessions. The two sections are independent and field trips will focus on birds that are present during the season. The Spring Session will begin in late winter 2020, there is no prerequisite for this section. 

Birds, Blossoms, and the Bull Moose: A Natural History Hike of T.R.’s Memorial in the Potomac, Sep. 15th

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Theodore Roosevelt Island
Sunday, 15 September 2019
1-3 pm
Wear shoes that can handle mud
Free but registration required

Trek around Theodore Roosevelt Island, an 88-acre living memorial to the first president to make conservation a centerpiece of his presidency. Meet our 26th president — or rather a 17-ft. bronze statue of him — the rich Manhattanite who became known as the protector of more than 230 million acres of public land. Saunter around the island to sample its natural and not-so-natural history.  See the plants and critters that thrive on this 88-acre island in the Potomac River.

FMN quarterly chapter meeting Sept. 16th, Fairfax County recycling program

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Hidden Oaks Nature Center
7701 Royce St., Annadale VA
Monday, 16 September 2019
7:30 – 9 pm

Our chapter will have a brief meeting, enjoy some food and drink, and learn from a presentation on recycling in Fairfax County by Erica Carter, Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program, Recycling Coordinator.

There’s been a lot of talk about recycling these days – what can we recycle? Where does it go? Is China still buying? More importantly, what can you do to minimize the amount of waste that you and your family create? We’ll take a quick look at the current state of waste management in Fairfax County and answer everyone’s questions about what they can and cannot recycle.

Fairfax Master Naturalists earn one hour of continuing education credit for this event.

Celebrate the Diversity of the Piedmont: Virginia Native Plant Society Annual Conference

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Friday, Sept 27-Sunday, Sept 29, 2019 

Hikes, lectures, and classes are scheduled for all day Saturday and half day Sunday, with check-in, dinner, and speaker on Friday night.

One price for the whole weekend, to include meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. This year, it is based in Front Royal.

Go to the VNPS website here for everything you want to know, and to register.

Questions? Contact:

Email [email protected]

Phone: 540-837-1600

Love to feed birds? Take The Cornell Lab feeder course

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Learning who’s who at your feeders will help reveal the fascinating dramas that unfold outside your window.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s online course covers orioles, flickers, finches, hummingbirds, and much more!

Enroll in Feeder Birds: Identification and Behavior.

Try Nest Quest Go to help the Cornell Lab

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In the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s new crowdsourcing project, you’re invited to delve into decades of handwritten nest data cards and the valuable information they hold.

You can help them digitize these cards while taking a trip back in time and peeking into the stories inside birds’ nests.

Just sign up for the project via Zooniverse—even a few minutes is really helpful. Our current project is on American Kestrels, with more species lined up for the future (we can even send you notifications about new projects).

Check out Nest Quest Go and start on your first nest card!

Wildlife Corridors and Crashes: Research and Efforts to Facilitate Safe Wildlife Movement across Roads

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Webinar Details

Wednesday, August 28, 2019, 12:00 pm
Meeting Number: 306-718-517
Link to Join: Join Webinar
Link for recordings of this and past webinars: VMN Continuing Education Webinar page

Description

As wildlife move across the landscape or through our waterways, they increasingly find their habitat shrinking or carved up by human development and infrastructure. The road network was built with a focus on providing safe and efficient transport, with little regard for ecology. Roads not only threaten the viability of certain species’ populations, but also pose a substantial risk to driver safety. Virginia is consistently among the 10 states with the highest number of deer-vehicle collisions, with more than 60,000 reported each year.

Today, the transportation and scientific communities increasingly seek to reconnect fragmented habitat and avoid further disruption to wildlife movement. It is now more widely recognized that prioritizing wildlife corridor protection and helping wildlife move safely through the landscape is a benefit to both wildlife populations and drivers.

This webinar focuses on three road ecology efforts underway in the Commonwealth:

  • Wildlife crossing research conducted by the Virginia Transportation Research Council (the research division on VDOT)
  • A newly established Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Collaborative that seeks to implement solutions to address driver safety and habitat connectivity, and
  • The development of wildlife corridor legislation to identify corridors in the Commonwealth and encourage the implementation of measures to ensure safe wildlife passage across roadways.

Presenters

Misty Boos received a Master of Environmental Planning degree from the University of Tasmania in 2006 and a BS in Sociology with emphasis on Environmental Studies from Southern Oregon University. She has extensive experience in the non-profit sector working on research projects and in the field for many environmental organizations. She has been an active participant and leader for Wild Virginia outings and completed training as a Virginia Master Naturalist.

Bridget Donaldson is an associate principal research scientist at the Virginia Transportation Research Council. She holds a BS in Ecological and Populational Biology from the University of Colorado and an MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee. While her research covers a variety of environmental topics, ranging from climate change to roadkill composting, she has been involved in the research and implementation of measures to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions for over 15 years.

Edible Landscaping Plants with Fairfax Food Council, Sep. 10th

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Daniels Run Peace Church
3729 Old Lee Hwy., Fairfax VA
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
6:30- 8 pm

Are you trying to figure out how to grow food without upsetting your HOA or subtracting from the beauty of your existing landscaping? Do you want a garden that delights all five of your senses? Permaculture farmer, Cory Suter, will lead a tour of Daniels Run’s edible landscaping and then discuss selecting edible perennials for challenging conditions such as shade, clay soil, and hungry deer. He will introduce dozens of successful edible landscaping plants for Fairfax County, including beautiful evergreens, and deciduous plants with multi-season interest that produce food.
Hosted by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth. Registration is required. Learn more and register here.

2019 4th Annual Farm to Table Dinner for Environmental Education, Aug. 24th

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Windy Knoll Farm
11602 Kettle Run Rd, Nokesville, VA 20181
Saturday, 24 August 2019
3-7 pm

The Prince William Environmental Excellence Foundation will be hosting their 4th annual Farm to Table fundraiser dinner to support environmental education. Windy Knoll Farm is a working farm in addition to being an event center that hosts a variety of the education programs that the Foundation funds for county residents. The event will run from 3 – 7 p.m. The meal will be served from 4:00-5:30 with the ability to eat anytime within that time frame. Tickets for the meal are; $35 for adults, $15 for children ages 13 – 18, and free for children 12 and under. Following meal time, a live auction and speaker on rural development, Chris Price PWC Planning Director, will commence. In addition to the meal and live auction, there will also be a silent auction, photo sessions, opportunities to meet local artisan & farm sponsors, view vendor displays, farm hayride tours, and antique equipment displays.

All proceeds from the event go towards the implementation of beyond the walls of the classroom environmental and agricultural education for the Prince William County Community. This mission is achieved through educational programs: Farm Field Days, Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE’s), Arbor Day activities, Water Quality Monitoring, and Adopt-A-Stream, to name a few. Your support of the Foundation and the community enable them to provide these outreach programs.

Purchase your tickets early and bring a friend or neighbor to a dinner that highlights the wonderful agricultural products produced in Prince William County. All ticket sales for this event are final. If you are unable to attend this wonderful event we ask that you consider making a tax exempt donation through this site to help us expand the learning environment of Prince William County youth. Register for the event here.

For the event menu or more information about the event, visit their website.

Join Nature’s Notebook Pest Patrol citizen science work

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

Nature’s Notebook is seeking observers to report their sightings of insect pest species that cause harm to forest and agricultural trees. Your observations as part of this campaign will help validate and improve the USA-NPN’s Pheno Forecasts, which help managers know when these species are active and susceptible to treatment.

JOIN US!

You can contribute by reporting observations of key pest species over the course of the year. The campaign focuses on 13 species that are considered to be insect pests.

Learn more about these species on the species profile pages and Pheno Forecast pages linked below. You’ll find a phenophase photo guide linked at the bottom of each species profile page to help you with identification of key life cycle events, such as active caterpillars and active adults. Each Pheno Forecast page shows maps of which locations have reached key life cycle event stages this year, and gives information on why managers care about that species.

Species Profile (overview of protocol) Phenophase Photo Guide (ID tips and photos of life cycle stages) Pheno Forecast (and why you should observe this species)
Leaf-feeding insects
Bagworm Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis Photo Guide  Forecast
Eastern tent caterpillar Malacosoma americanum Photo Guide  Forecast
Gypsy moth Lymantria dispar Photo Guide  Forecast
Winter moth Operophtera brumata Photo Guide  Forecast
Sap-feeding insects
Hemlock woolly adelgid Adelges tsugae Photo Guide Forecast
Magnolia scale Neolecanium cornuparvum Photo Guide Forecast
Pine needle scale Chionaspis pinifoliae Photo Guide Forecast
Spotted lanternfly* Lycorma delicatula Photo Guide There is currently no forecast available for this species, but your observations can help researchers to develop one!
Wood-feeding insects
Asian longhorned beetle* Anoplophora glabripennis Photo Guide  Forecast
Bronze birch borer Agrilus anxius Photo Guide  Forecast
Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Photo Guide  Forecast
Lilac (aka ash) borer Podosesia syringae Photo Guide  Forecast
Fruit-feeding insects
Apple maggot Rhagoletis pomonella Photo Guide  Forecast

*If you see these species, please report them immediately to USDA APHIS via the reporting forms for Asian longhorned beetle and Spotted lanternfly

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

1. Select one (or more) species to track from the list of species. To see which species are available in your state, go to The Plants and Animals page, and filter for your state and Pest Patrol Campaign (under the Animal Types dropdown in the Advanced section).

2. Join Nature’s Notebook. If you haven’t already, create a Nature’s Notebook account. See our specifics of observing if you need more details on getting started.

3. Sign up to receive Pest Patrol messaging (in the right sidebar of this page – you may need to scroll back up to see it). You will receive information about how to identify species and phenophases, as well as results of your efforts. You will also receive notifications when your area is approaching the time to look for the activity of pest life cycle stages of interest.

4. Take observations. We invite you to look for pests approximately two to three times a week once you receive the message that your area is approaching the activity period. We encourage you to continue to observe your pest species until it is no longer active.

5. Report your observations. As you collect data during the season, log in to your Nature’s Notebook account and enter the observation data you recorded. You can also use our smartphone apps to submit your observations!