An Afternoon with Filmmaker and Naturalist Kathryn Pasternak, October 7th

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Tuesday, October 7, 2025
3:00pm – 4:30pm

Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library
Tysons-Pimmit Meeting Room 1, Tysons-Pimmit Meeting Room 2

Event is free
Registration is required – click here for more information and registration

 

Emmy award winning photographer and director, Kathryn Pasternak, will share her fascinating work before offering hands on tips to improve your own photography skills. Kathryn is a Fairfax County Master Naturalist and will explore ways you can contribute to your local scientific community through the app iNaturalist. Weather permitting, there may be a brief outdoors field trip to practice your new skills. Please bring a smartphone with camera. Adults.

Read more about presenter Kathryn Pasternak on her website.

 

Worm Composting Workshop,October 4th

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Saturday, October 4, 2025
2:00pm – 4:00 pm

Cost is $10.00 per person (non-refundable)

Green Acres Center
4401 Sideburn Rd., Fairfax VA, 22030

Register at: Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District: Worm Composting Workshop

At this workshop, you will learn tips and tricks for successfully composting with worms and build your own worm composter to take home. See the Northern Virginia Soil and Water District’s (NVSWD) worm composting bin in action and get all your composting questions answered. Each worm composter will include two stacking bins, worm bedding (a mix of compost, shredded paper, and coconut coir), and red wiggler worms. The completed bins will be roughly 15 inches long, 20 inches wide, and 20 inches tall in size. Please make sure you have a place to keep your worm bins inside when temperatures drop (a garage or basement will do). While we will have all the tools at the workshop to build your bin, please consider bringing a cordless drill and drill bits if you have them to speed up the process. You can also bring in a week’s-worth of kitchen trimmings to get your worm composter off to an immediate start! This workshop is co-sponsored by NVSWCD, Clean Fairfax Council, Pollinative, and the City of Fairfax.

This workshop is generously supported with funding from Clean Fairfax Council and City of Fairfax. Please note that workshop registration fees are non-refundable.

 

 

Fairfax County Park Authority graphic of National Public Lands Day

National Public Lands Day – Volunteer at a Fairfax County Park!

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Photo: Fairfax County Park Authority

Since 1994, National Public Lands Day (September 27, 2025) has mobilized volunteers of all ages to engage in a celebration of service and stewardship of America’s public lands. The event is the largest single-day national volunteer effort to preserve, restore, improve and enjoy America’s public lands.

The Fairfax County Park Authority invites you to help celebrate National Public Lands Day by taking part in any of a wide selection of service activities to protect the natural, cultural and recreational resources of the county’s treasured park system. There are a number of locations where you can sign up to help on September 27, ranging from trash cleanup to invasive plant removal.

To learn more, please visit the county’s page on National Public Lands Day or see below.

Who can participate? Anyone 8 and older

For specific park, time and activity, please see below. Each sign-up link provides further details about each location’s activities, including a site contact. You can also look up each activity through the Volunteer Fairfax site.

Location Volunteer Activity Date Time Check-in location VMS Sign-Up
Wakefield Trash cleanup, 20 volunteers Sept 27 9 – 11 a.m. Map Sign Up
Difficult Run SVP Trash cleanup and trimming overgrowth along trail, 10 volunteers Sept 27 9 – 11 a.m. Map Sign Up
Huntley Meadows Park Watershed Cleanup Sept 27 9 – 11 a.m. Map Sign Up
Colvin Run Mill Park Invasive pull Sept 27 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Map Sign Up
Hidden Oaks Invasive pull Sept 27 9 – 11 a.m. Map Sign Up
Laurel Hill Park Removal of vegetation obscuring rail box car feature along Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail (GCCCT) Sept 27 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Map Sign Up
Oakmont Park Invasive Management Area (IMA) site leader will host a Helping Our Lands Heal (HOLH) restoration project Sept 27 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Map Sign Up
Twin Lakes GC Invasive Management Area (IMA) workday Sept 27 9 – 11 a.m. Map Sign Up
Sully Historic Site Trail work, garden clean up & grounds clean up Sept 27 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Map Sign Up
Eakin Community Park Invasive Management Area (IMA) workday Sept 27 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Map Sign Up

 

Article Review: “Ospreys May Be in Trouble Again”, Article by Glenda C. Booth

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Photo: By Glenda Booth, Osprey and their young at the Belle Haven Marina platform nest on June 18, 2025. 

This complete article by Glenda C. Booth appeared in the July 17th edition of the Alexandria Gazette Packet:                       https://www.alexandriagazette.com/news/2025/jul/17/ospreys-may-be-in-trouble-again/

Glenda C. Booth’s article, “Ospreys in Northern Virginia,” is a well-crafted and engaging piece that combines local wildlife reporting with broader environmental concerns. Ms. Booth effectively relates scientific insights and on-the-ground observations from concerned community members to illustrate the troubling decline in osprey populations across Northern Virginia.  She describes the breeding observations at nesting sites like Dyke Marsh and Porto Vecchio. She also mentions potential stressors to breeding success —such as fish shortages, climate change, habitat loss, and commercial menhaden harvesting. The article makes complex ecological issues understandable. Ms. Booth’s article is informative and timely. It surely raises awareness about the challenges ospreys face and the broader environmental implications behind their struggles.

Birding Occoquan Bay, September 30th

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Photo: Rusty Moran, Occoquan Bay

Tuesday, September 30, 2025
9:00AM – 3:00PM

Transportation is provided.
Fee: $35 for Reston Association members and $45 for non-members
Participants will depart the Walker Nature Center:  View Facility 

Registration required-Link: Register on webtrac.

 

On Tuesday, September 30th, Occoquan Bayhas scheduled a trip to the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge to search for fall migrants.  The refuge’s grasslands, freshwater tidal marshes and bottomland forests are home to many interesting year-round residents.  There will be approximately 2-3 miles of walking on gently-rolling, unpaved surfaces.

 

The trip will be led by one of WNC’s naturalists and is open to Reston residents and non-residents.  Cost, which includes bus transportation and any park fees, is $35 for Reston Association members and $45 for non-members.  Participants will depart the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) at 9:00 am and are scheduled to return by around 3:00 pm.  The time spent birding is eligible for FMN CEUs.

 

Register by September 27th.  If you are familiar with the reston.org WebTrac system, you can register there (search on the keyword “birding”).  Otherwise, you can contact the Walker Nature Center directly at naturecenter@reston.org or 703-476-9689.

Hidden Oaks Migratory Bird Count – 2025

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Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale is looking for volunteers to help with their fall migratory bird counts. The surveys occur every Saturday at 8am beginning on September 20th, running through and including November 22nd. Each will last an hour. The goal is to get a sense of what migratory birds stop by Hidden Oaks as they head their way south, so the center can make educated decisions for an interpretive plan. No prior birding experience is required, but some knowledge of identification is recommended. We’re hoping to recruit some participants eager to learn, and some experienced individuals who feel confident leading surveys.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering should contact Eren Edwards at (Megan.edwards@fairfaxcounty.gov) directly, for a short in-person conversation on expectations.

Service hours can be recorded using:
C106: FCPA Citizen Science Programs — Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA)

The link to the sign-up genius has more information. Sign up genius link:

Dates are listed on the BI calendar, but please use SignUpGenius to register.

Cover photo: red headed woodpecker – FMN Jerry Nissley

VDoF Acorn and Seed Collection – 2025

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The VA Department of Forestry (VDoF) Acorn and Seed Collection Program was established to sustain the native tree population in Virginia by collecting native acorns, raising trees on farms, and reforesting areas that may have been destroyed by fire or disease. This year VDoF has again partnered with Potomac Conservancy’s Tomorrow Tree’s Program, Fairfax Tree Stewards, and Virginia Master Naturalists to improve the quality of the collection. VDoF’s Community Forester for Fairfax, provided training to the above coalition, designed to help identify correct seed types and collection methods. Please check-out VDoF’s sustainability program for details and a chart of acorn types collected.

Mt Vernon collection Bin – photo Jerry Nissley

In an effort to expand collection sites, we are pleased that Supervisor Storck has offered space at the Mt. Vernon Government Center to host an Acorn Collection Bin. Mt. Vernon’s Potomac Corridor is rich with heritage oak trees in prime maturity that are producing quality seeds, so this bin is a welcome addition to the network.

A link to the complete list of collection locations and a signup sheet is shown at the bottom of the article.

VDoF seed collection season is approximately 1 Sep through 15 Oct.
Collection bags, sized for 5 or 10 lbs, are available on location in limited supply. Brown paper bags are also accepted in the Collection Bin.
Collection requirements:
1. Please DO NOT collect acorns in plastic bags. Acorns will mildew and spoil.
2. Please separate different acorn types into separate bags and include a leaf from the tree to help with positive identification.
3. Please label the bag with type of acorn, collection date, and collection site (zip code at least)

Links:

drop-off site locations: https://tomorrows-trees.org/find-a-dropoff/
Collection bin Locations:
  1. Fairfax City Composting Center – City Hall (open 1 Sep)
  2. Herrity VDoF office (open later in Sep)
  3. Hidden Oaks Nature Center (open Sep 1)
  4. Mt Vernon District Governmental Center (open Sep 1)
  5. Potomac Overlook Park (open Sep 1)
  6. Vienna Community Center (open Sep 1)
  7. Walker Nature Center (open by Sep 5)
  8. Winkler Botanical Preserve (open Sep 1)
Here is the sign-up link for volunteering at our sites (you can sign up as Bin monitor AND driver or just pick one for a given week until Oct 15th.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4CAEAA29A1FFC70-58162477-tomorrows

Tomorrow’s Trees: https://tomorrows-trees.org/

Acorn and Nut Collection : Virginia Department of Forestry

Projects | Fairfax Tree Stewards

 

 

National Public Lands Day Volunteer Opportunity at Marine Corps Base Quantico, September 27th

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Photo: by Mike Fox, Monarch on milkweed

Saturday, September 27, 2025
9:00am to 4:00pm
In-person volunteer event
27175 Telegraph Rd
Stafford , VA 22554
United States

Registration and sign-up details: Check out: https://www.neefusa.org/npld/marine-corps-base-quantico/restoring-monarch-habitat-and-inspiring-conservation-mcb-quanticoA sign-up link is available here: https://shorturl.at/wnUGO. Note that the morning shift (9:00am-12:00n) is behind the gate, and at least two weeks advance notice is necessary to secure a base pass. The afternoon shift (1:00pm-4:00pm) is not behind a gate, and anyone can join up until the day.  For more information, please contact Alex Antram, Marine Corps Base Quantico, at aantram@vt.edu or 210-410-2394.

Join a hands-on community conservation project to transform underused land into vibrant meadows that support Monarch butterflies and other vital pollinators. At Marine Corps Base Quantico, you will be restoring critical habitat by planting two high-visibility meadows filled with milkweed and native wildflowers — essential stopover sites for migrating Monarchs, a species recently proposed for protection under the Endangered Species Act. This is more than just a planting project — it’s a chance to build something lasting. Volunteers will dig in on a variety of activities, including planting, harvesting and propagating seeds, constructing a rainwater catchment system with storage, and helping create a living classroom with interpretive signs. These signs will show how military and urban spaces can be reimagined as thriving biodiversity hotspots. The big kickoff is September 27, marking the start of a long-term, self-sustaining effort that protects an important indicator species while educating the public and fostering a culture of environmental stewardship across the installation.

Habitat Installation — September 27, 2025 — Join us for one or both sessions
Be part of something big! Installing two new 1,200 ft² pollinator meadows:

  1. Mainside Pollinator Garden (Expansion), 9am-12pm
    Near family housing and in collaboration with the Quantico Spouses’ Garden Club, this site is part of a long-term vision to convert 2–3 acres of invasive-dominated hillside into vibrant, native habitat for butterflies, bees, and more.
  2. Westside Meadow Plot, 1-4pm
    Right next to Quantico’s Natural Resources offices and game check station, this highly visible site will replace a monoculture lawn with a beautiful native wildscape, fully accessible to the public!

At both locations, volunteers will:
Clear brush
Till the soil
Plant native milkweed (Common and Butterfly Weed)
Add a colorful mix of supporting wildflowers.
Seeds will come from both purchased stock and on-base collections from last year’s NPLD.

Infrastructure Support — September 27, 2025, 9am-12pm
Volunteers are building more than just gardens—they are building community infrastructure. Volunteers will help construct a tool storage shed with a built-in rainwater catchment system at the Main side Pollinator Garden. Right now, there’s no water access or on-site storage, adding over 30 minutes of transport time to every volunteer session. Your help here will:

Reduce future volunteer workload
Model water conservation
Ensure the garden thrives long-term

Seed Collection & Propagation — Fall 2025 through Spring 2026

Want to keep the momentum going? After NPLD, volunteers will collect milkweed seeds from 12 known wild patches across MCB Quantico (September 28–October 4). Then in March 2026, volunteers will then stratify and start growing them indoors for spring planting.

This hands-on work ensures future plantings succeed—and that volunteers don’t have to rely solely on purchased seed. It’s a huge step toward sustainability and ecological resilience.

Whether you’re planting flowers, swinging a hammer, or collecting seeds—there’s a role for everyone. Come make a lasting difference for pollinators, the environment, and the Quantico community!

Volunteers Needed for Reston Bioblitz – Saturday September 13th

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Image: Courtesy of the Reston Association Environmental Team

On Saturday, September 13, join us for the Reston Bioblitz 2025 – a biodiversity survey to find and identify as many plant and animal species as possible in a 24 hour period. 

Why: Reston has more than 1,300 acres of open space, home to a large number of species. Reston is also undergoing great change with redevelopment and densification. Help us document Reston’s biodiversity so we can improve baseline data to help in future conservation decision-making and action.

 Who: Scientists, naturalists and volunteers of all experience levels

Adults (16 & older) can participate in this citizen science challenge. An iNaturalist training will be provided. We are looking for:

  • Experienced iNaturalist app users.
  • Digital photographers (cell phone or DSLR).
  • Locals with familiarity of Reston’s natural areas and trails.
  • Adults (16 & older) with an interest in citizen science.

 When: Saturday, September 13, 2025

 Where: Reston-wide

Teams will be sent to designated natural areas. Individuals can report species anywhere in Reston, even your own backyard! Download the iNaturalist app and join the Reston BioBlitz 2025 project at Reston Bioblitz 2025 · iNaturalist.

Turtles, Snakes + A Reptile Discovery Walk & Learn @Wolf Trap National Park, September 7th

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Photo: By Ron Grimes, Common Ribbon snake, March 2025

 

Sunday, September 7, 2025
10:00AM – 11:30AM EDT

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
1551 Trap Road Vienna, VA 22182

Event is FREE but Registration is required.

Registration: Please RSVP only if you plan to attend. If your plans change, PLEASE cancel your tickets 2 days in advance so others can participate.

Join a Park Ranger who will introduce you to some “animal ambassadors” plus lead an adventure through the trails of Wolf Trap National Park to discover the reptiles & and more- hiding in plain sight!

What to expect:

  • Meet several “animal ambassadors” including male and female box turtles, a small snapping turtle, and Eastern Gartner snake, Eastern Rat Snake
  • A gentle hike along the trails at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
  • Identification tips and cool facts about native species
  • How to become a wildlife watcher in your own backyard
  • Fun for all ages—no science background needed!