The Future of Climate Change: What Three Generations of Climate Scientists Revealed, Webinar, February 18th

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Photo: SERC

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
7 pm
Register here.

In 1987, the Smithsonian launched a futuristic experiment that would transform how we think about climate change. Inside small experimental chambers, a few scientists doubled the amount of carbon dioxide to see how wetland plants would cope. Today, that project is the world’s longest-running experiment on plants and rising carbon dioxide. And its home, the Global Change Research Wetland, now has six long-term experiments simulating different future climate scenarios, from higher carbon dioxide and hotter temps to sea level rise.

Join Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) for a special panel with three generations of climate scientists at the Smithsonian. Meet Bert Drake, creator of the 1980s experiment that began it all; Pat Megonigal, the current director of the Global Change Research Wetland; and Jaxine Wolfe, a technician studying wetland “blue carbon” around the globe. Find out what we know for certain, what mysteries remain, and why wetlands may be one of Earth’s greatest hopes for resisting and withstanding climate change. Part of SERC’s 60th anniversary webinar series.

Community Associations and Environmental Leadership

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Photo and article by Plant NOVA Natives

Community associations are familiar local institutions. They serve residents by enacting and enforcing community rules, managing any common areas, and enhancing the neighborhood’s quality of life. In addition, in recent years, a number of community associations in Northern Virginia have chosen to expand stewardship of their lands to the native flora and fauna inhabiting them. Those organizations who have reached this pivot point came to realize that the two seemingly unrelated goals of supporting ecosystem health and maintaining property values are in fact mutually reinforcing.

This is good news, as community associations are positioned to play a transformative role in ecosystem rejuvenation and health, acting on their common land and inspiring residents to do the same on theirs. Some local HOAs own very large swaths of natural spaces, including environmentally sensitive riparian borders that protect streams and rivers across our region. They therefore have the necessary control to make both small and big decisions that can determine the future of the birds and butterflies of Northern Virginia. As an example of a project that can make a big difference, seven HOAs participated last year in a mini-grant program for invasive plant removal, supplementing professional services with volunteer help to rescue their trees.

Whether your community association manages acres of common land or none at all, there are a number of ways to lead in the environmental stewardship space. The following ideas reflect what is actually being done in various community associations across Northern Virginia. Many of these projects require little or no budget.

  • Develop a natural landscaping policy for your common land.
  • Set voluntary standards for landscaping on residential properties and provide residents with resources to choose native plants. Approximately 300 species of Virginia native plants are available for sale, which provide plenty of choices, whether you are looking for a natural look or a conventional landscaping plan.
  • Use your newsletter or NextDoor.com to raise awareness.
  • Host presentations at community meetings on the benefits of invasive plant removals and native plant landscaping.
  • Develop a plan to control invasive plants on your own property.
  • To keep invasive plants from spreading back from adjacent land, encourage residents to remove invasives on their own properties and to volunteer to control invasives in your local park. Adopt the roadside right of way to combat invasives there. (VDOT has a relatively straightforward permitting process for this.)
  • Organize native tree plantings – see examples here.
  • Join an alliance for political action. Loudoun communities can engage with the Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance that currently represents 50 community associations and 210,000 residents in that county. Fairfax communities can engage with the Fairfax Invasive Removal Alliance that currently represents 40 community associations and 150,000 residents there.

For details about these ideas as well as many others, see the community association page on the Plant NOVA Natives website.

Community associations are reinventing themselves as we write this. As stand-alone organizations, their members can help draft and implement stewardship plans and monitor results. As alliance members, they can use their significant political clout to advocate for sustainable development and ecosystem protection. As trusted partners in the greater community, they can help reinstate the biodiversity of our region. As always, we thrive together.

Seed Cleaning at Earth Sangha, Various Dates

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Photo: Earth Sangha

Earth Sangha Office at 5101-i Backlick Road, Annandale VA 22003
Sundays 2/2, 2/9, 2/16 & 2/23 and Mondays 2/3, 2/10, & 2/24
9 am – 12 pm
Register here to volunteer.

After a busy year of seed collecting, it’s time to go inside for some seed cleaning! Take a seat around the table and help Earth Sangha clean stems and chaff from the seeds their staff has collected from wild local eco-type plants (with permission!). The seeds will be sown, grown at their nursery, and the new plants will eventually make their way to restoration sites and private lands. These events will take place inside and can result in dust/allergens so if you have a sensitive respiratory system it may be a good idea to bring a mask.

If you have any questions about volunteering at the office, contact Maddie at [email protected] or call 703.859.2951.

Meet Virginia’s Salamanders with Leeanna Pletcher, February 27th

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Photo: Courtesy of Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, Spotted Salamander

Thursday, February 27, 2025
7:00pm – 8:00pm EST

Virtual Event

Tickets $10.00 Members of the NVBS; $29.00 Non-NVBA Members (General Public)

Registration here.

Presentation of the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA)

Spotted Salamander by Judy Gallagher

This talk will cover the common species in Northern Virginia as well as the diversity and biology of these elusive creatures.

Leeanna Pletcher is a Park Naturalist Aide for Arlington County Parks and Recreation where she teaches about amphibians and reptiles. She has studied the population and health of Ambystomid salamanders in vernal pools in Virginia. She is a member of the Virginia Herpetological Society.

Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds, January, 30th

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Image Courtesy of the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

Thursday, January 30, 2025
7:00pm – 8pm EST

Virtual Event

Tickets $15.00 Members of the NVBS; $25.00 Non-NVBA Members (General Public)

Registration here.

Presentation of the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA)

Birds are visible, vocal sentinels that alert us to environmental harms through their declining numbers or their failure to thrive. In her new book Feather Trails—A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds, Sophie Osborn shares her personal experiences reintroducing endangered Peregrine Falcons, Hawaiian Crows, and California Condors to the wild. While immersing readers in the triumphs and tribulations of being a wildlife biologist, Sophie explores the threats that imperiled these birds, and reveals that what harmed them threatens us, too. She will discuss what led to the endangerment of these three captivating species, recount the efforts of biologists to recover their populations, and read a few excerpts from her book that describe what it was like to work with these magnificent birds.

Sophie A. H. Osborn is an award-winning environmental writer and wildlife biologist whose work has included the study and conservation of more than a dozen bird species in the Americas. She contributed to reintroduction efforts for several endangered birds and served as the field manager for the California Condor Recovery Program in Arizona for four years. Her books include Condors in Canyon Country, which won the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award for Nature and the Environment. She has written articles for BirdWatching, Wyoming Wildlife, and Sojourns magazines. Sophie’s writings are also available on her website and her “Words for Birds ” Substack blog.

Virginia Osprey Festival, April 12th

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Saturday, April 12, 2025
9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Town Hill
Colonial Avenue &, Washington Ave,
Colonial Beach, VA 22443

Photo: Courtesy of the National Park Service, Osprey

Virginia Osprey Festival in Colonial Beach

The 7th Annual Virginia Osprey Festival in Colonial Beach, hosted by the Virginia Osprey Foundation will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 9 am to 4 pm on Town Hill in Colonial Beach. The festival offers expert speakers including keynote speaker, Mark Smith! Mark Smith Photography – Glad I’m not a fish! (msmithphotos.com)

The festival weekend kicks off on Friday, April 11, with the 2nd Friday Art Walk in Downtown Colonial Beach where you can enjoy beautiful artwork by local artists with an emphasis on wildlife art. Enjoy live bands at the various food establishments throughout the Downtown area. On Saturday morning, the festival will offer, artisan vendors, food trucks, many exhibitors including, VIMS, Center for Conservation Biology, George Washington Birthplace National monument, Stratford Hall and many others. A nestlings’ corner with activities for our young attendees, and a critter corner featuring live raptors are favorites for young and old alike. After the festival, on Sunday, off site bird walks at several of our parks will be led by our Master Naturalists and a “Fly like an Osprey” kite flying day on the banks of the Potomac River will be held by Colonial Beach Parks and Recreation. Join us for a fun filled weekend!

Green Spring Gardens – Volunteers Needed

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Green Spring Gardens, a Fairfax County Park Authority park, is looking for additional volunteers starting with the upcoming season.

Green Spring provides field trips for kids from PreK-4th grade on weekdays in the spring and fall. Field trips include fascinating topics like Metamorphosis and More, Soil Secrets, Fantastic Flora and Fauna, Virginia Ecosystems and others. Volunteers lead nature walks or attend stations that focus on topics such as Botany Lab, Water Cycle Station, Food Web, Animal Adaptations, Soil Lab, and more. FMN volunteers can log at least 2 hours per field trip. Any necessary training will be provided.

Green Spring Gardens will host field trip information sessions and trainings on February 18, 19 and 20 from 10-12:30 at Green Spring Gardens. It is only necessary to attend one session, but you are welcome to come to as many as you’d like.
Volunteers can log hours in Better Impact using code E110 FCPA Educational Nature Programs – Fairfax County Park Authority.

Please contact Pam Smith at [email protected] to learn more about the various opportunities and sign up for February training.

Green Spring Gardens
4603 Green Spring Road
Alexandria, VA 22312
703-642-5173
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/green-spring

Cover Photo – curtesy of FCPA

Winter Symposium & Central Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association Short Course Homes and Habitats, February 12th and 13th

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Image: Courtesy of the Winter Symposium & CVNLA Short Course

 

Wednesday, February 12 & Thursday, February 13, 2025
9:00 am – 3:55 pm

In-Person OR Virtually, via Zoom

Click here for more session information and ticket/registration details.

Presented by Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Central Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, and Virginia Cooperative Extension

Explore the intricate relationships that exist between ecosystems, communities, and humankind, focusing on the importance of the reciprocal relationships between plants, animals, and humans. Learn how, as gardeners and landscape professionals, can steward the land to support our natural ecosystems, foster biodiversity and build resiliency in our changing climate.

Join the sessions on Wednesday, February 12 and Thursday, February 13 to hear a variety of engaging experts including Silvermoon LaRose (Assistant Director of the Tomaquag Museum), Jared Rosenbaum (author of Wild Plant Culture: A Guide to Restoring Native Edible and Medicinal Plant Communities), James Golden (author of The View from Federal Twist: a New Way of Thinking about Gardens, Nature and Ourselves), Jared Barnes, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Horticulture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX), Robert Shaut (Casey Trees), Kasey Yturralde (USDA Forest Service), Jessie Ward (Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories) and many more.

 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 SESSIONS

OHKEHTEAU UNNEHTONGQUATASH, PLANT STORIES
Silvermoon LaRose, Tomaguag Museum

WILD PLANT CULUTRE: RESTORING NATIVE EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL PLANT COMMUNITIES

Jared Rosenbaum,Wild Ridge Plants, LLC

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: MICRO PLANTINGS FOR MACRO IMPACT

Dr. Jared Barnes, Stephen F Austin State University

PLANTING TREES IN A CHANGING CLIMATE: ADAPTING TO SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SHIFTS
Robert Shaut, Casey Trees

THE VIEWFROM FEDERAL TWIST: A NEWWAY OF THINKING ABOUT GARDENS, NATURE, AND OURSELVES

James Golden, Author

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13 SESSIONS

CULTURAL CONTROL: AN IPM TOOL FOR PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Jessie Ward, Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories

SUPPORTING RESILIENT FORESTS AND COMMUNITIES IN A TIME OF CHANGE
Kasey Yturralde, USDA Forest Service

A CELEBRATION OF ECCENTRICITIES – FAMOUS PLANT PEOPLE AND THEIR PLANTS
Tony Avent, Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plant Delights Nursery

TINY HOMES FOR TINY INSECTS – ADVANCES IN INSECT GALL DEVELOPMENT
Sarah Melissa Witiak, Virginia State Universit

CHASING THE BLOOM IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS

Don Hyatt, American Rhododendron Society

 

The Phenomenon of Tree Suds

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Photo: Suds ring on exposed tree root.

Photos and article by FMN Stephen Tzikas

Recently I noticed my Hornbeam tree was oozing suds.  These bubbles appeared near the base of the tree while it was raining.

Foamy suds at tree base.

The chemical reactions occurring in a tree that “foams” is very similar to what occurs when creating soap.  A few factors can account for this.  Sometimes tree sap can be soap-like, and hence the bubbles.  In other cases, previously settled air pollutants and plant materials interact forming a soap. These air pollutants and other nearby contaminants, might be a mix of ingredients that include salts, chemicals, and acids.  When wetted with rain water, they can combine forming rudimentary soaps.

Yet other times the foam seems to ooze from a specific spot on the trunk.  This could be an indication of a bacterial disease called slime flux or foamy canker.  If a tree had been infected, the bacteria could break down the tree tissue forming alcohol and carbon dioxide.  As the carbon dioxide escapes, it forms bubbles.

Tree suds are not restricted to Hornbeam trees.  They can form on any tree if the conditions are right.  Often oak, hickory, and poplar trees exhibit suds more frequently because of their large diameters and deep bark ridges.  These suds are harmless.

 

Five Lessons We Can Learn from Plants, March 13th

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Image: Courtesy of the Clifton Institute

Thursday, March 13, 2025
7:00 – 8:00 PM

This is a virtual event

This is a free seminar.

Registration is required. Click here for registration details.

A Clifton Institue Presentation

As pet owners, bird watchers, and animals ourselves, we are very familiar with how animal bodies work and what animals need to survive. It’s easy to overlook the plants that are quietly living their lives around us all the time. But there’s a lot we can learn by paying attention to plants. In this Zoom presentation, Co-Director and plant enthusiast Eleanor Harris, Ph.D., will share some of the life lessons we can learn from plants, some of the mind-boggling ways they are different from animals, and some things we all have in common. Consider this a little Botany 101 to kickstart your relationship with plants before the growing season really gets going.