See your feathered friends prepare for winter

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Photo by Ana Ka’ahanui

Bring the kids to Green Spring Gardens for the “Family Fun: Bird Walk” on Saturday, November 10, 2018.

Wander through the autumn gardens where birds are making their preparations for the cold winter ahead. Bring field glasses, if you have them, and Green Spring will provide a bird search sheet. Warm up with some hot cider and talk with your guide about the birds you see and hear.

This event runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m., and the cost is $10 per person. The program is designed for family members age five to adult, and children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Register here

Green Spring Gardens is located at 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA. For more information, call 703-642-5173 or visit Green Spring Gardens.

Saving the Earth one person at a time: Volunteer to staff a table for Plant NOVA Natives

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Please sign up here to talk about the value of planting native plants with visitors to the Mount Vernon District Environment Expo: Saving the Earth One Person at a Time.

November 10, 2018
7:15 – 11:15 am

Post this lovely flyer where people might see it: enviroexpoposter-flyer-final

Mark Your Ballot: Goldenrods or Asters?

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0.jpgWhile humans are bustling about on election campaigns, the rest of the world’s citizens are frenetically preparing for winter. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators seek out the last of the flowering plants. In the Mid-Atlantic area, goldenrods and asters provide that critical food source (just as red maples fill that need at the other end of the growing season, when bees start to emerge in the spring before anything else is blooming.)

If you pause for a minute in front of blooming goldenrods and asters, you will be astonished at the number of bees foraging for nectar and pollen, including many of the hundreds of species of native bees and the non-native honeybees. If the sun is shining and the temperature is high enough, you will also be treated to the sight of butterflies and skippers flitting from flower to flower. Look very closely at the goldenrod flowers and you will find a whole world of tiny beetles and other creatures hiding between the blossoms.

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There are many species of goldenrods and asters, all very easy to grow. They come in different sizes, and asters come in different colors. Some self-seed exuberantly, some are more contained. You can find out the details by consulting the Plant NOVA Natives online search app. Late autumn is not too late to plant, as the roots will continue to grow even as the tops die back.

Cast your ballot on our Bloom Time Table page by clicking here to choose your favorite. Or vote instead on the Plant NOVA Natives Facebook page. Polls close at 7 pm on November 6, of course! We know who the insects are voting for: there is nothing elective for them about native plants, upon which they are completely dependent. To help you choose, check out the “campaign ads” on this short video.

Marion Lobstein presents the Flora of Virginia App

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Photo: Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Sunday, November 11, 2018
1 – 4 PM

Green Spring Gardens
4603 Green Spring Road
Alexandria, VA 22312

Everything wonderful from the print version of Flora of Virginia can now fit in your pocket and make you feel like a pro in the woods. The app, for Android and iOS devices, features an easy-to-use Graphic Key, in addition to the traditional dichotomous keys. Species descriptions include photographs, and many include a botanical illustration.

Marion Blois Lobstein is Professor Emeritus of NVCC, where she taught botany, general biology, microbiology, and other courses over her thirty-seven-year teaching career.  For many years she conducted tours and taught classes for the Smithsonian Resident Associates Program.  Her academic degrees Include a BSEd (Biology) from W. Carolina Univ., MAT from UNC-Chapel Hill, and MS in Biology from George Mason Univ.  She is co-author of Finding Wildflowers in the Washington-Baltimore Area.  Marion serves on the Board of Directors of the Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project and is a former Board Member of the Foundation of the State Arboretum. Marion is a founding and active member of the Virginia Native Plant Society.

Virginia Native Plant Society  programs are free and open to the public. Prior to the talk, VPNS will conduct the business of their annual meeting, voting for chapter officers and approving the 2019 budget.

 

 

Clifton Institute hikes: Birds and mosses, 27 and 28 October

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Fourth Saturday Bird Walk

Saturday, October 27 at 8:00AM

Novice and experienced birders will enjoy these guided 1-2 mile hikes to look for the many species of birds that can be found on the field station. As fall migration proceeds, we’ll see different species of birds every week. Help us find that Bicknell’s Thrush that must be passing through!

Moss Identification and Biology

Sunday, October 28, 2:00PM – 4:00PM

The Clifton Institute is home to a diverse community of mosses and liverworts. Join moss expert Dr. Ralph Pope as we explore the field station and learn about these often overlooked plants. Ralph is the author of Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts: A Field Guide to Common Bryophytes of the Northeast and he is an experienced field trip leader. Bring your hand lens!

The Big Sit! October 13th

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Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area, Lorton VA

Saturday, 13 October 2018

8 am – 4pm

Sponsored by the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV)

The Big Sit! is like a Big Day or a bird-a-thon—participants tally bird species seen or heard within a given time period. The difference lies in the limited area from which you make your observations. It’s called the Big Sit for a good reason—it’s like a tailgate party for birders. Bring a chair and your binoculars. Snacks will be provided. You also may go with us on a guided bird walk or participate in a kid-friendly activity. This event is FREE of charge and open to the public.

Look for the ASNV group at the assigned count circle by the pollinator garden located at the Mustang Loop Trail parking lot (intersection of Gunston and Harley Roads). In addition to recording all birds seen and heard, they’ll note any butterfly species. A bird walk at 8:30 a.m. will start at the count circle.

Review of Virginia Department of Forestry website

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Photo:  Barbara J. Saffir (c)

By Janet Quinn

Want to see beautiful fall-tinged leaves without the crowds? Read on!

While on a wandering web surf, I chanced upon the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) website. The dramatic photo headlining the “Wildfire Situation Report” link caught my eye, and I was hooked.

Under the Current News and Events tab is a Most Requested Information and Services tab. It provides links to contact my local forester, shop for seedlings, or learn about being a wildland firefighter. My favorite, however, is the amazing link to Fall Foliage in Virgina.

Having just spent a weekend near Shenandoah National Park where I saw more rain than colorful leaves, I was eager to learn where and when I might find fall hues. The October 6th Weekly Fall Foliage report had my answers. Well written and informative, its poetic language spoke of “nature’s big wardrobe change,” discussed the impact of weather on leaf color and which trees will change first. It even provided a review of colorful wildflowers to see. The next section is a chart of Virginia Trees and Colors, which appealed to the naturalist in me, and then, best of all, a guide to the first ever VDOF Fall Foliage Driving Tours. The described routes are “off the beaten path,” avoid traffic, and still provide beautiful views of autumn’s trees.

The foliage section of the website provides even more, including up-to-the-minute phone hotlines, places to visit, and a scientific description of why leaves change color.

This gem of a website deserves to be discovered. Give it a try!

Janet is a graduate of the Fall 2015 Fairfax Master Naturalist cohort.

Want to review a resource? We’d love to hear from you. Instructions for submission await your click and commitment.

Walker Nature Center Bird Walk, October 14th

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Bright Pond, Bright Pond Lane, Reston VA

Sunday, 14 October 2018

9 am – 12 pm

Learn about local Reston birds during this early morning bird walk. For more information and to see other upcoming Walker Nature Center events, please visit the event calendar. Free event.

2018 Waste and Recycling Symposium, October 17th

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NOVA Community College, Annandale Campus, Ernst Center (CE) Theater and Forum

8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, Virginia 22003

Tuesday, 17 October 2018

9 am – 3:30 pm

This symposium focuses on waste and recycling efforts and is sponsored by Northern Virginia Community College and the Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program. You’ll see films, collaborate with others in forum discussions, and enjoy environmental exhibitors. Learn more and register. Free event.

Build You Own Tumbling Composter, November 10th

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City of Falls Church Community Center

223 Little Falls St.
Falls Church, VA 22046

Saturday, 10 November 2018

1:30-4:30pm

Start with a pile of lumber, a recycled pickle barrel, and assorted screws and bolts, but leave with a fully functioning tumbler composter! Staff from the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and the City of Falls Church will guide you through the construction steps. All lumber will be pre-cut and all tools and materials will be provided. The cost is $80 and registration is limited to 12 people, although you may bring helpers to assist with construction. Please RSVP to Dan Schwartz: [email protected] or (703) 324-1422.