Ducks and Waterfowl Identification with Greg Butcher, February 2nd

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Photo: Duck Box by FMN Jerry Nissley

Thursday, February 2, 2023
7:00 – 8:30 PM

Virtual Event

ASNV Members ($10.00 + $2.05 Fee)
Non-ASNV Members ($15.00 + $2.33 Fee)
Click here for Registration and Tickets.

 

Join Greg Butcher, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) board member and recently retired migratory species coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, for an introduction to waterfowl identification. Get to know many of the species that winter in the open waters of our region. You’ll learn how to tell a Bufflehead from a Hooded Merganser, and, you’ll learn the features (and hear the call) of the beautiful Tundra Swans that winter in Northern Virginia. Strategies will include identification by shape and color pattern. After the presentation, you will have an opportunity to test your identification skills with a Kahoot!

This event will be helpful for those participating in the Winter Waterfowl Count on Feb 11-12 but is open to anyone who would like to know how to identify winter waterfowl!

There is an optional field trip for a limited number of participants , but we encourage you to do your own independent field trips to see winter waterfowl! Some good locations to see waterfowl in NoVa are Huntley Meadows, Dyke Marsh and Mason Neck State Park.

Winter Waterfowl Count, February 11th and 12th

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Photo: Huntley Meadows ducks by FMN Ana Ka’ahanui

Saturday and Sunday, February 11-12, 2023
7:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Where: To be Announced
Members: FREE
Non-members: FREE

Registration required.

The Winter Waterfowl Count is a citizen science effort organized by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia to track data about winter waterfowl. This survey complements the Christmas Bird Count, and the data is shared openly with the public. When it started in 2008, ASNV volunteers covered the Potomac River from Algonkian Regional Park in Loudoun County to Quantico Marine Base in Prince William County, as well as many inland bodies of water. In 2020 ASNV expanded the survey by to include areas along the Potomac River in King George and Westmoreland Counties down to the mouth of the Potomac River where it empties into Chesapeake Bay. See the results from last year’s count here.

Although we expect many veterans from past years to return, we can always use new volunteers. Beginners are welcome but we strongly encourage them to attend the Duck and Waterfowl Identification webinar on February 2 and participate in the field trip on February 4. Each volunteer will be assigned to a team led by an experienced birder. Each team determines the start time, which will vary between 7 and 8:30am. End times may also vary depending on assigned survey locations.

This count is organized by Larry Cartwight. The deadline to register is Thursday, February 9 at 9:00 PM so that you can be assigned to a team in time for the count on Saturday morning.

Larry Cartwright is an avid birder and leads several avian related surveys in Northern Virginia. He lectures on birds and birding for the Lifetime Learning Institute at Northern Virginia Community College. His lecture topics have included the evolution of birds from feathered theropod dinosaurs and birding in the Alaskan tundra. Larry has received several awards from scientific and conservation organizations, including the Virginia Society of Ornithology’s Jackson M. Abbott Conservation Award for 2013.

For FMN’s: Record service hours under ASNV– C036: ASNV Waterfowl Count – Audubon Society of Northern Virginia.  Please include project details in the notes section when entering service hours.

Green Breakfast Events – Medicines from the Soil, presented by Dan Schwartz, Soil Scientist at NVSWCD, January 14th

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Image: Courtesy of the NVSWCD

Saturday, January 14, 2023
9:00AM

Virtual Event

Did you know that many (if not most) of our medically important antibiotics are derived from soil organisms? With antibiotic-resistant “super bugs” becoming an increasingly common and worrying problem, researchers are digging through the soil again in the hopes of discovering the next blockbuster antibacterial. Please join us for the January Green Breakfast, Medicines from the Soil, with guest speaker Dan Schwartz to learn more about these exciting advances in soil science!

Dan Schwartz holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Maryland and Virginia Tech, respectively. Since 2003, Dan has worked as a soil scientist for the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD). His first years with the District were spent outdoors doing field work to update the Fairfax County soils map. Since then, his work responsibilities broadened to include outreach and education, technical consultation to county agencies, soil and stormwater research, erosion and drainage assistance to Fairfax County homeowners, and implementation of the District’s residential cost-share programs.

No registration is required, you can join the webinar here

Address questions to [email protected]

To receive updates about Green Breakfast speakers or join an upcoming virtual Green Breakfast, please register for the Green Breakfast newsletter. Please direct questions to NVSWCD.

You can view the Green Breakfast YouTube playlist here.

Geology of the Piedmont Driving Tour, February 25th

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Image: Courtesy of the Clifton Institute

Saturday, February 25,2023
9:00 am – 4:00 pm

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road
Warrenton, Virginia 20187

Cost: $30 ($25 for Friends of the Clifton Institute)

Registration is REQUIRED

 

Come dig a little deeper into Fauquier County (and beyond) in the 2nd annual Geology Tour guided by The Clifton Institute’s Habitat Specialist, Andrew Eberly! Hitch a ride on the edge of the North American plate as it sails across the globe and watch neighboring continents come crashing in then break free again as mountains and oceans rise and fall. Visit rocks over a billion years old, born when the continents were plantless deserts. Hear stories of buried volcanoes and look for clues written in everyday rocks about landscapes of the long distant past. The forests of Northern Virginia are hiding a rich and varied display of geologic forces. This is an opportunity to practice a new way of reading the landscape and glimpse what lies beneath the trees and soil. For those who attended last year, the tour will be visiting new sites this year. Participants will also be travelling by individual cars (with the opportunity to carpool) instead of by van. Please bring your own picnic lunch, but snacks, hot drinks, and plenty of rocks to smash open will be provided!

For more information and registration details please click here.

NVSWCD Seeking Spring 2023 Environmental Outreach Intern

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Image: Courtesy of the NVSWCD

This spring internship position will support the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District’s (NVSWCD) award-winning spring outreach programs. NVSWCD programs reach thousands of people and have a deep impact on many youth and adults. The spring intern will support the volunteer stream monitoring and storm drain labeling programs, represent NVSWCD at outreach events and programs, participate in field trips and other youth education, and gain hands-on experience in the field of environmental science. In addition, the intern will support the development of outreach and informational material for delivery through social media (Facebook and Instagram), webinars, and printed material.

This part-time internship runs late-January through late-June, 20 hours per week. For more information on this role, please see the full position description. Interested applicants should email their resume, cover letter, and 2-3 references to [email protected] by Friday, January 13, 2023.

ASNV – Now Hiring Volunteer Coordinator, deadline January 9th

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The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) is now accepting applications for a Volunteer Coordinator. This will be a part-time, temporary position for one year, with a possibility to renew for a second year. The Volunteer Coordinator will play a critical role assisting with planning, recruiting, and implementing various volunteer programs and projects for ASNV. This position is also an opportunity to learn more about birds and wildlife, connect with other people who share a passion for nature, and utilize a range of skills to make an impact in our community. Please view the full job listing here for additional information. Deadline January 9, 2023.

ASNV Outreach Volunteer Orientation and Training, February 18th

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Photo: Danny Brown

Saturday, February 18, 2023
1 pm – 3 pm
National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20191
Limited to 30 participants
Apply here.

Do you enjoy speaking to people about your passion for birds and the environment? The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) is currently seeking new volunteers to help them with representing ASNV at community events, leading nature walks for a general public audience, and delivering presentations to audiences of children and/or adults.

Please join them for this volunteer orientation and training if you are interested in helping them and the birds this Spring. Speakers include ASNV board members Stacey Remick-Simkins, Libby Lyons, and Greg Butcher. They will provide information on ASNV’s history and plans for the future, and on what we can do to help birds in Northern Virginia.

After the brief presentations, participants will be split up into three groups to dig deeper into the different forms of volunteering at community events, nature walks, or presentations, with each group engaging in interactive training. The groups will rotate so each participant will have a chance to learn about each kind of volunteer activity.

Experienced volunteers will provide new volunteers support after the training session. Before striking out on their own, new volunteers will have the chance to shadow experienced volunteers, to make sure they are comfortable before they take the lead in an activity such as leading a nature walk.

 

Audubon Afternoon with Forensic Ornithologist Carla Dove, January 22, 2023

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Photo: Carla Dove

Sunday, January 22, 2023
2:30 – 4:30 pm
National Wildlife Federation
11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Ste. 100, Reston
Register here.

Join Audubon Society of Northern Virginia for their semi-annual live Audubon Afternoon.

They’ll gather informally starting at 2:30 so you have the opportunity to reconnect with everyone. They welcome any food and drink you would like to share during the informal portion of the program. At 3 PM, they’ll have a presentation by Forensic Ornithologist Dr. Carla Dove, a scientist with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Carla does specialized research in the microscopic identification of feathers. Her current research involves establishing techniques in this newly developing field within Ornithology, which applies forensic methodologies to determine species of birds from fragmentary evidence using microscopy, whole feather comparisons with museum specimens and DNA “barcoding.”

The Audubon Afternoon is free, and everyone is welcome to attend. Registration is requested, so they have an idea of how many people will attend but is not required.

All About the Wildlife Center of Virginia, Webinar with Ed Clark on January 19th

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Photo: Ed Clark

Thursday, January 19, 2023
7 – 8 pm
Audubon Society of Northern Virginia members $15/Nonmembers $25
Register here.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV) is the leading teaching and research hospital for wildlife and conservation medicine. It trains veterinary students and professionals from every vet school in the U.S. and Canada and from nearly 40 other countries worldwide. The Center was named Conservation Organization of the Year for the entire U.S. in 2007. It produces the Emmy-nominated, weekly series “Untamed,” that appears on PBS affiliates nationwide. Ed Clark will introduce WCV and its important work and update you on new initiatives underway to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Wetland Dynamics through the Seasons, March 1st

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 Photo: Mason Neck Wetlands by Stephen Tzikas

Wednesday, March 1, 2023
7:00 pm
Online Zoom program

Join the Friends of Dyke Marsh (FODM) on March 1, 7 p.m., for an online Zoom program, when Dr. Colin Rees, a zoologist and biodiversity expert, will discuss nature’s dynamics throughout the seasons in a freshwater tidal marsh. He is the author of Nature’s Calendar, a book that explores the ecological connections and adaptations of wetland organisms. Register in advance at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMudOqgqzkvG93aDK-7mOekcoGc1vAgqc3I. This will also be FODM’s annual meeting at which we will elect 2023 officers and members of the Board of Directors.