FMN’s – Opportunity to Join The Living with Black Bears Team in Fairfax County

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Photo: Courtesy of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Black Bear and cubs
For those in the FMN Chapter who may be interested in joining the Living with Black Bears Team in Fairfax County, below is information on upcoming training sessions.

DWR is hosting virtual Part 1 and Part 2 Living with Black Bears training for our chapter.  These training sessions are for new or current members interested in the Living with Black Bears project, those members who were unable to attend the original Part 1 and Part 2 Living with Black Bears training sessions, or those Living with Black Bear project members that are looking to refresh their knowledge. The training is broken into two parts.

For Part 1 training, please watch this prerecorded Bear 101 presentation hosted by DWR Region 2 District Wildlife Biologist Sarah Peltier before June 19, 2026.  The video link is https://youtu.be/T4tgRx4kswg.

For Part 2 training, please register for a live virtual Part 2 training with DWR Black Bear Project co-lead Katie Martin using this link https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/244215 . This training will be held on Monday, June 22, 2026. at 6:00 pm. This training will be hosted on the virtual meeting platform, Teams (it’s like Zoom), and you will receive a meeting link via email the morning of the training. The Part 2 training will NOT be recorded.  If you can not attend this Part 2 training, we will offer another virtual Part 2 training in winter 2027, date TBD.

If you have any questions about these trainings, please reach out to Wildlife Education Coordinator, Courtney Hallacher at courtney.hallacher@dwr.virginia.gov.

Fairfax County Park Authority Will Host Wetlands Awareness Day at Huntley Meadows Park on May 3rd

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Photo: by FMN John Eppler, Canada Goose

 

Sunday, May 3, 2026
12:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

Free but registration is requested.

Huntley Meadows Park

Huntley Meadows Park is located at 3701 Lockheed Blvd. in Alexandria. For more information, visit the Huntley Meadows Park website or call 703-768-2525.

The Fairfax County Park Authority will host Wetlands Awareness Day on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at Huntley Meadows Park from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. This free community event celebrates the ecological importance of the county’s premier wetland sanctuary with live animal encounters and educational activities.

Event Highlights
  • Live Wildlife: Up-close encounters with live raptors, reptiles, and amphibians.
  • Guided Exploration: Stroll forested paths and immersive 1/2-mile boardwalk trails to spot local flora and fauna.
  • Interactive Learning: Hands-on exhibits and displays focused on wetland conservation and biodiversity.
  • Registration: Admission is free, though online registration is recommended to secure a spot.
Logistics & Transportation

Due to high attendance, the main parking lot at Lockheed Boulevard often reaches capacity.

  • Free Shuttle Service: Shuttles run every 15 minutes from 
    Groveton Elementary School starting at 11:30 AM.
  • Last Shuttle: The final departure to the park is at 3:30 PM, with the last return shuttle leaving at 4:15 PM.
  • ADA Parking: Pull up to the main park entrance for direction from staff to designated ADA spots.

Unintended Consequences

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Many of our Fairfax County parks, NoVA Parks, and even our local state park (Mason Neck) have active Trail Steward Programs. They vary in responsibilities from physical trail maintenance to passive monitoring and reporting on trail conditions and nature interpretation for park visitors.

Photo – FMN Jerry Nissley

Trail Stewardship is one way to provide a greatly valued service to your favorite park. Our parks appreciate the efforts of their volunteers and most parks REALLY appreciate VMN/FMN volunteers because they have gone through training in conservation of natural resources and they tend to have a genuine passion for nature.

FMNs interested in Trail Steward or Trail Monitoring programs in the Fairfax County Park system can simply call your local park or search the Volunteer Fairfax opportunities site. For NoVA Parks, there are a few existing programs and you may contact Rachel Doody, Park Manager Potomac Overlook Regional Park & Winkler Botanical Preserve – rdoody@nvrpa.org for more details. For Mason Neck, please call the park and ask for the Volunteer Coordinator. A few stalwart FMN even volunteer as trail crews on segments of the Appalachian Trail via the Appalachian Trail Club. And yes, FMN has service codes for each opportunity.

So you may be wondering why this article is titled, Unintented

Huntley Meadows Mushrooms – photo FMN Jerry Nissley

Consequences? Primarily, because I find that for every intentional action taken  volunteering with nature projects there are potential unintentional consequences that manifest by developing a deeper appreciation of  a specific “place”. Volunteering at one or two parks on a consistent basis, experiencing seasonal change, immersed in multiple ecosystems, the volunteer learns the phenological cycles of the park – the heart beat. For example, Fall reveals the glorious pallet of natural colors, and up sprout fungi – nature’s decomposer. The pulse slows.

Winter bares the bones of the forest and marks a period of rest for much of the flora and fauna. Reserving energy, blood flow slows to sustain itself through the cold. Spring ushers in an explosion of  new life to wetlands, meadows, and forests showing us ephemeral plants, the migratory patterns of birds, micro-fauna, and the treasures found in vernal pools. The pulse quickens.

Thunderstorm over Barnyard Run, Huntley Meadows – photo FMN Jerry Nissley

Summer displays lush growth and the ability of nature to flourish through heat and harsh environmental events. The beat is strong.

I am fortunate, and at times blessed, to participate in various Stewardship and Educational programs at Mason Neck and, admittedly my favorite park, Huntley Meadows. Each park offers beauty, serenity, solitude, and an inner satisfaction that reaches new heights of appreciation as more time is spent understanding the heart beat of each.

Mason Neck offers Trail Steward programs that include clearing trails and reporting large trail obstructions to park staff in addition to the more casual Trail Monitoring.

Bumble bee and clear wing hummingbird moth – photo FMN Jerry Nissley

Huntley Meadows offers Trail Monitoring, designed more as an interpretative trail service for visitors. We count visitors, report trail conditions, answer ad hoc visitor questions, and provide interpretation of nature within the park. Huntley is a unique FCPA park, in that it has three ecosystems – hardwood deciduous forest, meadows, and a non-tidal, hemi-marsh wetland. The boardwalk snakes its way around and through the wetland with additional trails that lead through the forest and around the meadows.

Green Heron ready to strike at Huntley Meadows – photo FMN Jerry Nissley

Being there on average six or seven times a month all year long provides such insight into the various macro- and micro-cycles of a living park land.

For example, my most recent trail monitoring report to the park included visitor engagement and general observations:

Miscellaneous Discussions: 

  • General discussion on the resurrection of a fallen owl’s nest (replaced by WRL with a cool basket) and the rescue of two owlets.
  • Frog discussion with a group inquiring about different species at HMP
  • Eagle vs Osprey discussion – aerial conflict, nesting, feeding at HMP
  • New beaver dam in barnyard creek watershed – new family in town??
  • Consistency of otter scat on the boardwalk (they eat freshwater mussels and clams, so shell fragments our found mixed in).

River Otter lounging at Huntley Meadows – photo FMN Jerry Nissley

Daily Observations:
Air still; sunny; warm; 81°

– Birds: Downey wood peckers; mallards; wood ducks; ravens; Canada geese; great horned owlet on nest; black vultures; pileated WP; red shouldered hawk; Cooper’s hawk; Osprey; Bald Eagle
– Mammals: muskrats
– Arthropods: blue azure butterflies on trail; damselflies; giant centipede
– Herps: snappers; painted turtles; several species of frogs; spotted turtle; black rat snake; northern water snake
– Fish – spawning carp
– Plants: aquatic grasses, cattails emerging; spring beauties have sprung; Sweet Cicely; May apple in flower; cinnamon ferns unrolling; dogwood.

Kane’s Creek, Mason Neck State Park – photo FMN Jerry Nissley

What is the adage we all learned in our VMN cohorts?
“Awareness leads to knowledge, knowledge leads to understanding, understanding leads to appreciation, and appreciation leads to conservation.” 

Give Stewardship a try. Reap the rewards of unintended consequences.

Service Opportunity – Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

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Photos: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens-transplanting

 

The Natives Team at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, which includes several Fairfax Master Naturalists, has gotten off to a great start this spring, in spite of the crazy up-and-down weather.  Projects we have worked on include:
1.  Transplanting into pots native seedlings that were grown from seeds collected last year in the gardens.  We will be transplanting the seedlings into the ground later this year.

Photos Meadowlark Botanical Gardens-transplanting

2.  Creating a new trail that will connect existing native areas and allow for managing invasives in the surrounding woods.

Photos Meadowlark Botanical Gardens-trails

3.  Planting American chestnut trees, sourced through the Virginia Department of Forestry’s chestnut research and reintroduction program, which is cross-breeding chestnut trees for blight resistance in the hopes of bringing back a species that once dominated the forests of eastern North America.

Photos Meadowlark Botanical Gardens-planting

Several other projects are in the works, and we could use some help!  Most of the team usually volunteers on Tuesday mornings, but volunteers would also be welcome on other weekday mornings.  If you would like to join us, please reach out to Meadowlark’s volunteer coordinator, Emma Werthmann at
ewerthmann@nvrpa.org and tell her you are interested in the Natives Team.

Fairfax County Spring Watershed Cleanups, Various Dates April – May

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Photo: Courtesy of Fairfax County Spring Watershed Clean-up

Join The Nature Conservancy and Fairfax County Park Authority to remove trash from these parks in your watershed.

Saturday, April 4

Sign up: Ossian Hall Park—10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Annandale

Saturday, April 11

Sign up: Merrybrook Run Stream Valley Park—9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Herndon
Sign up: Sully Historic Site—9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Chantilly

Sunday, April 19

Sign up: Lake Accotink Park (second clean up)—9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Springfield

Saturday, May 9

Sign up: Frying Pan Farm—9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Herndon

Saturday, May 23

Huntley Meadows Park—9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Alexandria

Spring 2026 Tree Rescuer Extravaganza!

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Photo: Courtesy of Fairfax Prism

March 21-April 12, 2026

JOIN volunteers at any of these tree rescues to learn about invasive plants and what you can do to help!

What to Know Before You Go

What to Wear: Long-sleeved shirts and long pants to protect against thorns, sturdy shoes, a hat.

What to Bring: Water. See instructions for each event about tools. If you have them, bring clippers, loppers, and/or small saws. If you don’t, most event leaders will have some extra tools you can borrow.

Sign Up: Please use the registration form or link on the calendar to let the event leaders know you are coming. Children must be over age 11 to actively participate.

 

Would you rather help in other ways?

Volunteer to help organize? Please fill out the interest form.

Donate money to support the work of the PRISM or adopt parks? Please see this page. 

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS!

 

 

 

DWR Living with Coyotes

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The Department of Wildlife Resources in cooperation with VMN, is offering to train Master Naturalists via a statewide program on “Living with Coyotes”.

Recordings: As with all of our VMN CE Webinar Series, this session was  recorded and posted on the CE Webinar Series page of our website. Viewing the recorded session counts as VMN CE, not as the required train-the-trainer session for VMN volunteers who want to do public presentations and outreach about coyotes using the DWR materials. Those volunteers must attend the live webinar, and in-person training at Maymont.

Description:
Trained participants will work with the Furbearer Biologist from the DWR to develop educational programming about coyotes and how to sustainably co-exist with them. Trained volunteers will decide when and where to present the material to reach the desired audience. Possible opportunities include talks for homeowners’ associations, realtors, community groups such as Ruritans, garden clubs, libraries, and government groups such as boards of supervisors.  Volunteers can also present information in a tabling/booth format at local events and festivals.

To Volunteer:
Attend the required live training with Leah Card from DWR and provide her with your name and contact information in order to be on the list of trained volunteers prepared to give Living with Eastern Coyote presentations. There will be three live trainings offered in 2026. Additional trainings will be scheduled in subsequent years according to need and presenter availability.

Reporting Service:
When reporting FMN hours to this activity, please report to E301: DWR Living with Coyotes so that we can track this service separately from other VMN education and outreach. In the Description field, include details about who you presented to and please mention the word “coyote”. In the Direct Contacts section, include the number of people with whom you directly spoke. If the service was not a presentation and instead was something like writing an article for a newsletter on the topic, you may put the circulation number for the newsletter as Indirect Contacts. In the Impacts field, include any observational or written evaluation information.

Links and Materials:
* DWR will provide educational materials to the volunteers who are trained after the live trainings

* Questions? Contact Leah Card, DWR Furbearer Biologist and lead for this activity, Leah.card@dwr.virginia.gov, 804-801-4108 or Krista Weatherford, Maymont Foundation and local lead for this activity in the Richmond area at kweatherford@maymont.org, 804-358-7166 ext 325

Featured image courtesy of Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

Grasses for the Masses

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Photo: Courtesy of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation – Grasses
When:

Jan. 24, 2026. 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Additional dates:

Grasses For The Masses – Jan. 25, 2026. 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Grasses For The Masses – Feb. 7, 2026. 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Grasses For The Masses – Feb. 8, 2026. 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where:

Mason Neck State Park, 7301 High Point Rd., Lorton, VA 22079. Visitor Center


Other Details:

Standard parking or admission fee applies: No.
Extra fee: $25 cash only.
Registration required: Yes.
Children welcome: Yes.
Phone: 703-339-2385
Email Address: MasonNeck@dcr.virginia.gov

 

You can help restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia’s rivers by participating in Mason Neck’s Grasses for the Masses program.

Volunteers in the program grow wild celery, an important underwater grass, in their homes and then plant their grasses at the park to help bolster underwater grass populations.

Combined with efforts to reduce pollution in the Bay, the grasses restoration program helps to improve the Bay’s filtering system and overall health.

To participate in the program all you need to do is to attend an orientation at the park and pick up your supplies. There is a $25 cost for the Grasses Kit, which can be paid in cash on the orientation day. All supplies must be returned to the park on Planting Day.

There is a maximum of 10 people per orientation. Registration is required. Please call the Visitor center to register, or email Ranger Meg  at meg.doppee@dcr.virginia.gov

Please call the Visitor Center at 703-339-2385 or email MasonNeck@dcr.virginia.gov if you have any questions or would like to participate but cannot make an orientation time.

 

For FMN members:

Check BI Calendar for dates. However, please call the Park to register.

FMN hours may be recorded using – ‘C015: Grasses for the Masses – DCR’

Spring Bird Counts Opportunity at Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Saturdays in February – May

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Photo: Luke High 2022 Northern Mockingbird, Virginia

Saturdays, February 14th through May 9th, 2026

Times: February 14th through March 7th will be conducted from 8:00-9:15AM, March 14th through May 9th will be conducted from 9:00-10:15AM

Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale

 

Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale is looking for FMN volunteers to lead and participate in their Spring migratory bird counts. The Spring counts will be taking place weekly every Saturday morning at Hidden Oaks Nature Center from February 14th through May 9th. Due to daylight savings, all counts from February 14th through March 7th will be conducted from 8:00-9:15AM and all counts from March 14th through May 9th will be conducted an hour ‘later’ from 9:00-10:15AM. The goal is to get a sense of what migratory birds stop by Hidden Oaks in Spring and to help the Nature Center shape their interpretive plan. No prior birding experience is required to participate, but some knowledge of identification is recommended. In addition to finding participants eager to learn, Hidden Oaks would like to find some more experienced individuals to lead some of the surveys. Further details can be found in the description of the sign-up genius link below. The more eyes we have looking for birds, the better!

Hidden Oaks Nature Center: HONC Spring Migratory Bird Count 2026

Anyone who is interested in leading counts should contact Eren Edwards at (erenedwardsete@gmail.com) directly, so that she may speak with them and do a short in-person training so that they know what to expect.

FOR FMN’s:

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

 

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

Become a FrogWatch Monitor in 2026, A Citizen Science Opportunity

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FrogWatch is a great citizen science program opportunity for Fairfax Master naturalists. The FrogWatch volunteers currently work with Huntley Meadows (and historically with Fairfax Co. Parks) to have participants track frog populations throughout the calling season.

FrogWatch USA 2026
Southern Maryland (and surrounding DMV) Chapter

FrogWatch is a citizen science program that tracks frog populations throughout the United States. Learn more about the FrogWatch chapter here. Participants will choose a monitoring site that is easily accessible and close to where they live or work to listen to frogs that are calling throughout the warmer months. There are four indoor trainings to help orient people with the frogs that are in Southern Maryland/DMV area and their calls. Content is the same, so chose one training that fits your schedule. You can either attend in person or through TEAMS; a video link will be provided in a reminder email a week before the training.

If you have any questions, please contact Matt Neff or Kim Curren.
To register please click here: https://forms.gle/1nn1dW4Sa3X3rsGb7


2026 Trainings:

When Where Partnering Organization
Sat., Feb. 7th from 11 – 12:30pm Virtual – Teams Calvert Marine Museum
Weds., Feb. 11th from 7 – 8:30pm Virtual – Zoom Natural History Society of MD
Sun., Feb. 15th from 2 – 2:30pm Kings Landing Park Calvert Co. Parks and Rec.
Weds., Feb. 18th from 6:30 – 8pm Flag Ponds Park Calvert Co. Parks and Rec.

If you have any questions, Matt Neff be happy to answer them!

Matt Neff | Curator of Estuarine Biology
Calvert Marine Museum
14200 Solomons Island Road S
P.O. Box 97
Solomons, MD 20688
410-326-2042, ext. 8074