Ana Dixon

Three Communities, One Garden: Service Takes Root

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The following success story was sent in by FMN Anna Dixon and we are glad she did.  Anna also contributed in large part to the successful outcome. Please follow this story of accomplishment to see how the three communities worked together to create a living testament to service at Antioch Baptist Church.

Anna’s story, “Saturday, August 22, three communities came together at Antioch Baptist Church [in Fairfax Station] around a deceptively simple objective: transform a roughly 20-by-20-foot shaded area beside the sanctuary into the foundation for a sensory garden featuring native and non-invasive plants. What resulted was far more than a landscaping project. Under the leadership of Kevin-Joseph Tann of Springfield’s Scout Troop 1145, approximately 42 volunteers contributed six and one-half hours of work, representing roughly $10,000 in donated labor. Their effort capped months of planning, coordination, design work, material acquisition, and volunteer preparation for Kevin’s Eagle Scout project. Antioch initially publicized the project as an opportunity to benefit its six generations through a perennial and native sensory garden while helping Kevin fulfill the service requirement for the Eagle Scout rank.

Sensory Garden, bare earth canvas – photo FMN Anna Dixon

The results (shown as the cover photo) demonstrates what can happen when three established Springfield District communities bring different strengths to the same piece of ground. For the Scouts, the project was leadership put into practice. Eagle projects are not simply volunteer workdays. The Scout must develop the concept, organize the work, marshal people and materials, and lead others in bringing the project to completion. Troop 1145 has longstanding Springfield roots and a history of Scouts undertaking substantial community-service projects. Kevin’s parents provided sustained support that made an undertaking of this scale possible, while Kevin carried the responsibility of moving the project from concept to execution.

For Antioch Baptist Church, the project fits squarely within both ministry and

Sensory Garden – God’s good Hand upon our good work (Nehemiah 2)

stewardship. Antioch describes itself as a six-generational church, serving people from age two to 102, and emphasizes service that makes an impact both within the church and in the surrounding community. Its Green Ministry has a complementary environmental mission: removing invasive vines, protecting native trees, reducing stormwater impacts, and establishing places where native plants and wildlife can thrive. A sensory garden that can be experienced by children, adults and seniors is therefore more than a beautification project. It advances a broader vision for how the church grounds can serve people while also functioning as healthier habitat.

The Fairfax Master Naturalist community also contributed through Virginia Certified Master Naturalist Anna Dixon, whose role remained intentionally supportive throughout the project. Drawing on Master Naturalist training and her work with Antioch’s Green Ministry, she assisted during the planning period and helped connect the garden’s design and plant choices with the broader objective of increasing native vegetation and ecological value on the church campus. What began as a shaded work area beneath mature trees quickly became an organized garden space. Volunteers removed and prepared soil, installed curved brick pathways, positioned plants, mulched beds and worked in multiple crews simultaneously. By the end  of the day, the geometry of the garden was clearly visible, with brick paths dividing planted beds while preserving access through the space. Just as important, the images show adults and young people working side by side, not as three separate organizations, but as one collaborative team. That may be the project’s most enduring feature. The Scouts supplied youth leadership and an organized volunteer force. Antioch supplied the place, purpose and community that will use and care for the garden. Master Naturalist principles helped keep the project tied to the larger ecological objective of favoring native plants and responsible stewardship. No one element alone would have produced the same result.

Sensory Garden, “Let us rise up and build” (Neh 2:18) – photo FMN Anna Dixon

The garden itself will now do something the work crews could not accomplish in a single day: grow. As plants establish, seasons change and the space matures, Antioch’s six generations will have an increasingly rich place to see, touch, smell and experience nature immediately outside the sanctuary. Native plants can also provide food and shelter for pollinators and other wildlife, extending the project’s benefit beyond the people who walk its paths. An Eagle Scout project is necessarily Kevin’s project. But this one also illustrates something larger: when youth leadership, a church committed to service, and people trained in environmental stewardship align around a tangible community need, a relatively small patch of ground can become common ground. Forty-two volunteers proved that on Saturday. Now the garden gets to tell the story.”

FYI – Hours towards any project worked with faith based communities may be recorded using S100: Faith Community Stewardship Projects — FMN.

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Jerry! (Mason Neck Volunteer Newsletter Spotlight)

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Photo: Courtesy of Jerry Nissley

 

Jerry Nissley has been volunteering at Mason Neck State Park since 2019, beginning as a paddle guide before expanding his role to include interpretive programs, field trips, special events, and welcoming visitors at the Visitor Center. A lifelong Northern Virginia resident, Jerry served five years in the U.S. Navy before earning a degree in Computer Information Systems and enjoying a 40-year career as an Aerospace Systems Architect.

After retiring, Jerry became a certified Virginia Master Naturalist in 2019 and now serves on the board of the Fairfax Chapter. In addition to volunteering at Mason Neck, he shares his passion for nature through educational programs with the Fairfax County Park Authority, homeschool groups, elementary schools, and community events. His interactive “Turtle Talk” program has introduced countless children and families to the fascinating world of Woodland Box Turtles.

When he’s not volunteering, Jerry enjoys kayaking, fishing, native pollinator gardening, and spending time with his wife of 47 years, their three daughters, and eight grandchildren. We are grateful for Jerry’s dedication, enthusiasm, and the wealth of knowledge he brings to Mason Neck State Park. (Pictured enjoying one of his favorite hobbies—kayaking on a local waterway.)

FMN Milestones – January through June 2026

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As many read in the recent VMN Newsletter, the VMN State Program office recognizes volunteers who complete 250, 500, 1,000, 2,500, and 5,000 hours of service. These are cumulative volunteer hours starting when a volunteer joins the program. Volunteers may start recording hours as soon as they are accepted into the program… even while in training.

An FMN cub reporter extracted the names of 14 FMN volunteers who achieved these milestones between January and June 2026. These FMN names are listed below as an extra thank you for service hour to our Chapter.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, VMN logo – photo FMN Jerry Nissley

The list is based on hours recorded in our Better Impact volunteer management system.

250 hours:

Bev Horton, Noel Kaplan, Steve Maceda, Dan Schulke, Andreas Seiter, Darlene Thom

500 hours:

Sylvia Bocskor, Kerry Gilpin, Monica Hoffman, Rob Shapiro, Kristina Watts

1000 hours:

Barbara Heubner, Kat Ochs Dyer, Karen Young

FMN Jerry Nissley

FCPA 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards

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At its meeting on June 24, the Fairfax County Park Authority Board approved a resolution honoring 21 individuals as 2026 Outstanding Volunteers. These peer-nominated individuals were recognized for their dedication to their community and their invaluable service to the Fairfax County park system: (Three of the awardees are FMN)
* Avril Garland, Accotink Stream Valley Park, IMA Site Leader
* Jerry Nissley, Huntley Meadows Park, Educational Program and Special Event Assistant
* Carol Tretkoff, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Resource Naturalist

FCPA 2026 Outstanding Volunteers – photo FCPA

The announcement continued by saying, “More than 10,770 volunteers contributed to the operation, preservation and conservation of Fairfax County parks in Fiscal Year 2026. They contributed 115,718 hours of volunteer service and their work is valued at over $3.98 million. The Park Authority could not function without the support and commitment of our volunteer force.
“Each year, our volunteers remind us of the extraordinary power of people coming together with purpose. Their commitment to restoring habitats, supporting programs, and caring for our parks creates a community where nature thrives and neighbors feel connected. Their impact reaches far beyond the work they do; it inspires all of us to imagine what’s possible when we serve something larger than ourselves,” said Park Authority Executive Director Jai Cole.
The Park Authority’s outstanding volunteers were honored at a special evening of music and celebration with a Volunteer Appreciation Night on Thursday, July 16, as part of the Government Center’s Evenings on the Ellipse Summer Concert Series.”

FMN Avril Garland up to her elbows in Still Grass – photo courtesy of Avril Garland

As mentioned above, Avril was recognized for her efforts in the IMA program. IMA is the Invasive Management Area program under Fairfax County Park’s Resource Division. Individuals (and teams) are assigned specific areas to maintain within the park system and Avril has worked significant hours along the Accotink Stream Trail system. The photo shows her hard at work pulling stilt grass around the stream pathways. #WOW

Carol started at Hidden Oaks Nature Center (HONC) in March (2025) when she moved from Prince William

FMN Carol Tretkoff down in the weeds – photo FMN Kristina Watts

County.  Lucky for HONC, she now lives only about 10 minutes away. She has for the most part battled against the invasive plants found in the park; to name a few, English ivy, oriental bittersweet, wineberry, honeysuckle, stilt grass, and barberry.

For Fairfax County Parks, Jerry volunteers primarily at Huntley Meadows where he leads group nature programs, is a trail monitor, special events assistant, and animal caretaker (their turtle of course).

FMN Jerry Nissley with his grandson at Huntley Meadows – photo FMN Jerry Nissley

As an aside, he also presents ‘Turtle Talk’, an interactive roadshow program all about Woodland Box Turtles. Turtle Talk, which blossomed from his FMN cohort final project in 2019, visited three elementary schools, a homeschool group, a nature expo, and the Vienna Farmer’s Market this spring! Their little turtle legs are tired.

“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.” (James Bryant Conant)

From Concerts to Conservation: Enhancing Wildlife Habitat at Wolf Trap

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Photo: by FMN Kathy Stewart, Blue Bird Box at Wolf Trap

Many readers may be familiar with Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (that’s its official name!) in Vienna, Virginia.  Perhaps, you’ve attended concerts while picnicking on the grounds and enjoying the bucolic setting.  But, Wolf Trap is not only an entertainment venue but also a full-fledged Park in its own right, with several miles of hiking trails, pollinator gardens, a Woodland Garden and Wildlife sanctuary, and a robust monthly schedule of nature-oriented activities, facilitated by the Friends of Wolf Trap. The Friends also monitor the bluebird nestboxes and Purple Martin gourds following recommended practices, and report the data on Nestwatch.

Wolf Trap’s 16 bluebird boxes and 12 Purple Martin gourds are occupied most of the season.  “Real estate” is in short supply, like everywhere else, and these dwellings are in high demand!  Thirty-eight Bluebirds have fledged this season so far, and the gourds currently cradle 59 Purple Martin eggs.  The usual assortment of chickadees, tree swallows and house wrens vie for the nestboxes, also, with eggs and hatchlings in progress and fledglings already on the wing.  It’s a lively and diverse neighborhood!

But, like many neighborhoods, it’s nearing the end of its lifecycle and could use some “sprucing up.” Many of the nestboxes are severely weathered, in poor repair, and lack noel guards and snake baffles.  It’s been my dream for some time to improve the comfort, safety and security of the nestboxes, but where to acquire the funds and labor?

An opportunity presented itself recently to make this dream a reality.  A Virginia Bluebird Society member was offering free, Scout-constructed, bluebird nestboxes with noel guards and snake baffles for the asking!  As the leader of the Wolf Trap Bluebird Trail, this was too enticing to pass up.  Soon, I was transporting new boxes and snake baffles to my home.

The plan is to replace the weathered boxes in the Fall after the nesting season is over.  As it turned out, the new boxes arrived just in the nick of time when Box #16 disappeared from the meadow (affectionately called “The Dimple”) in front of the entrance to the Filene Center.  Grounds maintenance had been cleaning up the Dimple with heavy equipment, and it’s likely the box was knocked off the pole and swept up in the debris.  Replacing Box #16 was a great opportunity to learn what will be entailed when we replace the remaining boxes using a team of Fairfax Master Naturalists, Scouts and other interested persons later this year.

Wolf Trap in the last few years has really stepped up its game in terms of improving its buildings and adding facilities that serve all types of patrons.  It seems only fitting that the nestboxes show the same pride of place, and now they will!  Wolf Trap is truly a place where not only performers and patrons, but nature itself, comes out to play — and that includes, of course, the cavity-dwelling Bluebirds, Purple Martins, and others.

Photo: by FMN Kathy Stewart, Blue Bird Box at Wolf Trap 2


Kathy Stewart
Certified Fairfax Master Naturalist
Board Member, Friends of Wolf Trap

Women of Influence in Fairfax City

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In April 2026, FMN Katy Johnson was awarded the 2026  Woman of Influence Award by the City of Fairfax. She credits her involvement with FMN and her advocacy for the remaining wild spaces in Fairfax City for this recognition. Even though she intentionally kept the two separate her active involvement with Virginia Master Naturalist opportunities and FMN education were key factors.

FMN Katy Johnson, Women of Influence announcement, Fairfax City

An FMN since 2021, Katy has recorded a major portion of her volunteer hours under the Habitat Creation and Restoration Category with the City of Fairfax Stewardship code; and the Native Plants and Invasive Removal category with the PRISM code; her remaining hours are spread over other conservation efforts in parks and her communities of interest. She is also the Fairfax County Park Authority liaison for the FMN chapter.

Ashby Pond Rescue – A Success Story
As an example of her active conservation in the field, recall in 2024 Katy was influential in an effort to save native plants and turtles from the reconstruction (draining) of Ashby Pond in Fairfax City. (Ashby Pond  link).
As a follow-on to the success of this project, she reported that on April 11th, 2026 approximately 30 of the rescued turtles were returned to the pond. They came home to a potential buffet of fish that were stocked for a fishing Derby. Even though those fish were likely too big for the turtles, they can always dream. In addition to the returning turtles, the pond and banks were restored with native vegetation.
Katy reiterated that many volunteers from FMN and Fairfax City were involved in the rescue, restoration, and return – please know that each of their efforts were truly appreciated and the turtles were saved because of the willingness of people to speak and act on their behalf!
She also expressed thanks to Satishi Ito, Fairfax City’s Public Works Manager, for being willing to listen to citizen concerns and for making this success story even possible. And many thanks to Dr. Todd Rimkus, Biology and Biochemical Research Area professor at Marymount University, for providing the turtle expertise to do so.

Conservation in action! Congratulations to Katy and all our volunteers that contribute on a daily basis to the conservation of natural resources in Virginia, Fairfax County, and our surrounding communities.

Living with Black Bears Project Wins National Award!

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Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs (ANROSP) 2025 Award for Outstanding Volunteer Project Presented to Virginia Master Naturalist Program: Living with Black Bears in Virginia

The “Living with Black Bears” project, a partnership between VMN and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, received the 2025 Outstanding Volunteer Project Award from the Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs (ANROSP). ANROSP is a professional organization for Master Naturalist-type programs, and the Virginia Master Naturalist program was one of the founding program members in 2006. The Outstanding Volunteer Project Award recognizes a volunteer service project that promotes natural resource management and provides natural resource education. The award was given in October at the 2025 ANROSP annual conference in Destin, Florida.

The Living with Black Bears project addresses the serious concern of human-bear conflicts in Virginia, aiming to alleviate negative interactions through spreading awareness and education. It also aims to strengthen the partnership between the VMN program and DWR by modeling how VMN volunteers can effective assist DWR in its mission. In the project, trained VMN volunteers give presentations and conduct outreach to share a common message about behaviors Virginians can adopt to reduce conflict with bears.

From when the project was piloted in 2022 through July 2025, VMN volunteers have given 70 presentations to community groups, tabled at 83 different community events, and made more than 53,000 direct contacts. Evaluation results from the sit-down presentations indicate that attendees are learning more about bears and plan to adopt some new behaviors, such as leashing their dogs and taking down their bird feeders when bears are active.

Congratulations to all the following VMN volunteers, Peter Mecca, Marilyn Parks, Sarah Mayhew, Jo Doumbia, and Gerald R Warren, who have been part of this project and to Courtney Hallacher of DWR, who coordinates the effort! If your chapter is not currently participating in the project and would like to, contact the VMN State Office.

Congratulations Margaret E. Fisher – A 2025 Environmental Excellence Awardee

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Photo: Fairfax County Government

Today, Fairfax County announced the winners of the 2025 Environmental Excellence Awards, recognizing outstanding individuals, organizations and businesses that have made remarkable contributions to environmental stewardship and sustainability.

This year’s winners include a senior planner advancing climate resilience, a wastewater director restoring ecosystems, a Fairfax County Public Schools team fostering environmental literacy, a dedicated advocate for habitat restoration, a grassroots partnership promoting sustainability in underserved communities, and a business championing circular fashion and textile waste reduction.

“These winners exemplify how individual and collective action can positively transform our community,” said Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “Their achievements inspire all of us to continue working together to protect and enhance our natural environment for future generations.”

The Environmental Excellence Awards are presented annually to recognize county residents, county employees, businesses and organizations who have dedicated their time and expertise to preserving the health and beauty of Fairfax County’s natural resources. The awards are administered by the Environmental Quality Advisory Council with support from the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC). A committee of the council selects awardees from a pool of nominations.

Individual County Resident Category

Margaret E. Fisher is a dedicated environmental advocate whose efforts range from certifying her property as a Wildlife Sanctuary to leading impactful initiatives across Fairfax County. Through her “Bee Safe Neighborhood” initiative and roles as a Fairfax Master Naturalist and Outreach Director for Plant NOVA Natives, she has inspired hundreds to protect biodiversity, restore ecosystems, and adopt pesticide-free practices. Her collaborations with groups like the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions demonstrate her commitment to habitat restoration, environmental education, and creating lasting community impact.

So well deserved, Margaret! Congratulations!

High School Fairfax Master Naturalist Makes a Big Impact at Hidden Oaks …and volunteering makes a big impact on her

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Photo: By Kristina Watts, Juliet Phillips building the scarecrow hut

Photos and Article by Kristina Watts, Hidden Oaks Nature Center Site Manager (and FMN)

During the last two weeks of summer vacation, Juliet Phillips has spent her mornings helping kids with nature crafts, supervising science experiments, playing instructional games on the nature trail, and reading stories out loud at snack time. After camp, she checks in to see if there is any other work that can be done to finish up the projects she’s working on here at Hidden Oaks. I’d say this is a typical volunteer day, but the truth is there is no “typical” day for her, given the variety of activities she’s involved in.

Photo: By Kristina Watts, Juliet Phillips presenting the snake enrichment board she constructed to Hidden Treasures Pirate Camp (with Jackie the eastern rat snake).

Juliet is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School. She became a Fairfax Master Naturalist during the spring of her sophomore year. She remembers taking the Basic Training class during track season – she busily rushed from school to practice to class each week. She became a Fairfax Master Naturalist because she was looking for ways to broaden her knowledge about nature in the local area, and to ways to volunteer. Her mother heard about the Basic Training class from a friend who is an FMN, and upon researching the program, Juliet realized that it was perfect for her.

Juliet started volunteering at Hidden Oaks Nature Center soon after joining FMN. She was happy to find opportunities here because of our flexible hours (weekends are a must for a busy student) and volunteer activities specifically for teens. She started with our teen stewardship projects and habitat management (invasive species removal) workdays, and now also has a bi-weekly animal care shift. She also helps out at interpretive/educational programs. Because of her hardworking attitude and overall capability, she has become an important part of our HONC team.

Photo: By Kristina Watts, Juliet Phillips building the scarecrow hut

She first exhibited her detail-orientedness and ability to work independently when asked to install bird strike decals during a teen workday. Her leadership ability was solidly demonstrated on another teen workday when our task was to rebuild the scarecrow hut (a representation of a Native American structure). She creatively took on the engineering design and gently directed the other volunteers. She used her Eagle Scout training to teach the others how to do rope lashings to hold the structure together. The hut – which usually needs to be rebuilt annually – is holding up remarkably well and has been used in dozens of field trip demonstrations.

This summer, in addition to her animal care shifts and a few weeks as a volunteer camp assistant, she has enthusiastically volunteered to take on some individual tasks to improve visitor experience here at Hidden Oaks. She designed and built a snake exercise board to provide our Animal Ambassador snakes with enrichment and a place to demonstrate their climbing skills during programs. She’s currently working on constructing a bamboo xylophone/chime structure for Nature Playce, to add a musical element to the natural play area. Again, putting her scouting skills to use, a future activity is helping us organize a volunteer opportunity for scouts to tie together the Nature Playce fence splits and posts to stabilize the fence and prevent guests from moving the stacked pieces.

Photo: By Kristina Watts, Juliet Phillips helping to protect oak saplings from deer browse

Over the past year, Juliet has been figuring out where she wants to go to college and what she wants to study. She knew she wanted to pursue a degree in the environmental science realm, but it was difficult to parse out the differences between the natural world-related programs (e.g., environmental science, environmental studies, conservation biology, forestry, etc.). The training she’s received as an FMN has been helpful in that
she’s been able to explore various aspects of environmental science, and to get a foundation in all of them. Volunteering at HONC has helped her realize what she likes and what she doesn’t want to do long-term. As of now, her path is leading her toward a major in wildlife biology.

Juliet’s favorite part of volunteering is being able to say she’s made a positive impact on her community at the end of the day. We at HONC are appreciative for all of the contributions from all of our volunteers, and are proud and grateful for the accomplishments that Juliet has made here at the park. If there are any other youth in your life that have a passion for nature, look for volunteer opportunities at Hidden Oaks or any of the other Fairfax nature centers.

Culmore Summer Adventures

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Under the leadership of FMN Jo Doumbia, FMN has supported the Culmore Teen Center and Second Story programs since 2023.
The 2025 summer program just wrapped up and Jo would like to thank the ten FMN volunteers that directly supported their outdoor activities.

Huntley Meadows view from Observation Tower – photo Jerry Nissley

This year FMN directly supported four rewarding outdoor nature programs: 1. A guided tour at Huntley Meadows Park teaching the composition and benefits of wetland environments with Sarah Mayhew, Donna Stauffer, Brian Kiviat, and Jerry Nissley. 2. A day of fishing and fun at Lake Fairfax with Rob Shapiro. 3. An always wild and exciting kayak river adventure at Riverbend Park guided by Kim Munshower, Jonathan Eskew, and Rob Warren. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn about our region’s geology, history, and river systems. 4. And last but not least, a relaxing morning of Forest Bathing at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts led by our free agent for nature, Ana Ka’ahanui, assisted by Wendy Cohen. Forest Bathing (shinrin-yoku) is the practice of spending time in nature, immersing oneself in the forest atmosphere through all sensory engagement.

Jo also sends out a hearty thank you to FCPA for generously providing access and resources at Huntley Meadows, Riverbend, and Lake Fairfax.

Please read more about the summer program, Culmore Teen Center, and efforts in Fairfax County by Second Story in the article by Annandale Today.

Cover photo – Clear wing hummingbird moth on milkweed in Huntley Meadows wetland – photo Jerry Nissley