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

Wolf Trap National Park Service Opportunity – 2026

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Logo: Friends of Wolf Trap

 

Wolf Trap National Park has six (6) open volunteer Service positions to be Nature Event Planners for calendar 2026.

The National Park Service at Wolf Trap National Park (not to be confused with the Wolf Trap Foundation – the non-profit that runs the entertainment side of the Park) hosts ten (10) nature events each calendar year. The events are typically 90 mins long and occur on the first Sunday of each month and are typically led by a volunteer nature subject matter expert. Prior events have featured nature hikes; subject matter experts focused on birds, flowers, reptiles, insects, and mushrooms; children’s events around art in nature, bats, fireflies and more.

The Friends of Wolf Trap (FOWT) coordinate these events for the Park and will lend support and training for the volunteers.
With support from FOWT, duties would involve:

1) Selecting the topic (it could be simply a hike or a focus on a natural resource, such as reptiles, mushrooms, trees, etc.);
2) Securing a subject-matter expert (e.g., an FMN or a representative of an organization with applicable expertise);
3) Preparing and posting the Eventbrite description;
4) Sharing the Eventbrite link with Wolf Trap National Park and other “partner” organizations to drive interest and attract registrants;
5) Monitoring Eventbrite registration activity up to the date of the event;
6) Securing volunteer support in proportion to the number of registrants expected to attend. Generally, about half of Eventbrite registrants actually attend – the weather being a determining factor. Volunteer support is usually found among the FOWT members and the FMN community for handling sign-in, directing parking, answering miscellaneous questions, providing general natural resource knowledge, interacting with the participants, and ensuring safety.
7) Identifying and securing any logistical support needed by the presenter (e.g., a microphone, table and chair, covered shelter, etc., most of which are available through the Park)
8) Seeking FOWT approval for modest expenditures, if needed. (E.g., a speaking fee for an expert or a contribution to a featured organization).
Wolf Trap National Park and FOWT will provide support, suggestions and oversight, as desired, to those who volunteer for this Service assignment. A schedule that allocates monthly assignments among those who volunteer, will be developed to help ensure a manageable, meaningful experience for each volunteer. Two (2) volunteers will be assigned to each event. Volunteers will be assigned to three (3) events per year.

Volunteers will log 5-10 FMN service hours per person for each of the events they manage. The FMN Service Code is S168 – National Park Service Stewardship Projects.
This project can be done largely from home. Presence on the day of the event is helpful but not required. A year’s commitment is requested.
Please Contact Kathy Stewart: 703-403-4923; bugssite@aol.com with questions or to apply to volunteer for this Service project.

 

AERO Opportunities: Want to Get More Involved with Wildlife? Learn About Getting Licensed in 2026

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Photo: Provided by A.E.R.O Animal Education and Rescue Organization

 

AERO Opportunities: Want to Get More Involved with Wildlife? Learn About Getting Licensed in 2026

Community Outreach – S213: DWR Stewardship Projects — Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR)

 AERO education events are eligible for Continuing Education hours as well.

Hello A.E.R.O. Volunteers & Friends,
If you’ve been thinking, “I’d love to help more” or “I wish I could work more directly with wildlife,” this is your chance. The 2026 licensing cycle with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is coming up soon, and it is time to reach out specifically to those of you who do not currently hold a wildlife rehabilitation license but might be interested in taking that next step.

Why Get Licensed?

Having a DWR wildlife permit allows you to:

  •   Help with hands-on wildlife care
  •   Transport/rescue injured or orphaned animals more independently
  •   Assist rehabbers in their homes or facilities
  •   Participate in hands-on trainings and free A.E.R.O. classes in 2026 at a deeper level

For many volunteer roles with A.E.R.O. – especially transport, caregiving, and in-depth training opportunities – it is strongly preferred that you hold at least a Category IV (Care Provider / Wildlife Hospital Aide) license.


Interested in Apprenticing or Getting a New License?

If you are interested in:

  •   Getting more involved
  •   Becoming permitted to work with wildlife, or
  •   Starting as an apprentice under a sponsor

  Please reply to this email and let me know. 

I’ll help you figure out which path and category makes the most sense for you.

To become an apprentice, you will need: 

  •   A formal agreement with a sponsor (Olivia)
  •   A room dedicated exclusively to wildlife care
  •   A setup that meets the state’s facility requirements (I can send you the DWR checklist)
  •   Completion of 6 hours of Continuing Education (CE)

Don’t worry if that sounds like a lot — A.E.R.O. Volunteers will walk you through each step, connect you to trainings, and help you meet the requirements.

License Categories (Quick Overview)

Here are the main volunteer-related categories:

  •   Category I – Apprentice: For beginners under sponsorship
  •   Category II – Rehabilitator: For experienced rehabbers handling most species
  •   Category IV – Care Provider / Wildlife Hospital Aide: For assisting at permitted facilities
  •   Category V – Student / Intern: For short-term training or school-related experience

If you’re not sure where you fit, just reach out — A.E.R.O. Volunteers can talk through your interests, time, and space at home.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you’re curious, even if you’re not 100% sure yet, please email me back and say you’re interested in learning more.
We’re happy to support you in moving from “helper” to permitted wildlife caregiver or apprentice in 2026. Our animals – and our rehab team – always need more good people.

Thank you for all you already do for A.E.R.O. and Virginia’s wildlife.

 — Olivia

EMAIL: olivia@aeroanimalrescue.org

President, A.E.R.O

Animal Education and Rescue Organization

Spotted Lanternfly – The Fight Continues

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It is increasingly hard nowadays to avoid running into a Spotted Lanternfly (SLF). They are in our parks, backyards, and favorite public spaces.

However, efforts to stomp, squash, and smash the spread of this nuisance invader has a stalwart champion in FMN Susan Laume. Via a pilot program under Fairfax County’s Urban and Community Forestry Division (UCFD) and with support from FCPA’s Natural Resources IMA group, she and the Laurel Hill Park Volunteer Team (FMNS Kathy Stewart, Aurora Boughi, and others) have been vacuuming SLFs at Laurel Hill Park.

Yes vacuuming – an innovative, environmentally safe, and non-toxic tool in the toolbox to help control the invasion. Given the good initial results and positive feedback, UCFD is planning to add vacuums to the county library’s equipment rental program.

In addition to Susan’s habitat management work, she also contributes articles to the Connection Newspaper. Please read more about the SLF and the county’s management program in her Connection article from this summer. Scroll down to page 10 looking for, what else, “Stomp, Squish, Slap, Smash”.

Service hours removing invasive insects may be recorded under one of two FMN codes. S109 for service in County parks; S256 for non-park sites.
S109: FCPA Habitat and Insect Management – – Fairfax County Park Authority.
S256: Fairfax County Habitat and Insect Management — Fairfax County

Acknowledgements:

Cover photo credit: Stephen Ausmus, USDA

Who Wants to Talk Trees, Birds, Bugs & Beyond?

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Photo by 2y.kang on Unsplash

The our Speaker’s Bureau list has been yielding presenters for Arbor Row, but lately the offering has dried up —and we don’t want this wonderful nature-immersion program for seniors to stall.

They would love hearing about birds, trees, butterflies, gardens—pretty much anything with wings, petals, fur, or chlorophyll.

Do you have a favorite bird?

A funny backyard wildlife story?

A go-to native plant you can’t stop recommending.

A secret superpower for spotting foxes, frogs, or fungi.

If you said yes to any of the above… congratulations, you’re speaker material! No podiums, no pressure—just a friendly chat with a group of seniors who genuinely enjoy learning something new each month.

Presentations can be short, friendly, and conversational—perfect for an audience that loves learning and connecting.

Not sure what to talk about? We’ve built a menu of fun topics—birds, trees, pollinators, nature journaling, seasonal changes, backyard habitats, and more. Pick one you love and make it your own.

Offer a new one not included here:

Birds & Wildlife
● Backyard birds of Fairfax County
● Bird songs 101: recognizing calls in your neighborhood – introduce Merlin App
● Pollinators and why they matter (bees, butterflies, and moths)
● Urban wildlife: foxes, deer, squirrels, and other neighbors – cool/fun facts
● How to create wildlife-friendly habitats at home (just an idea as they will not be able to do so)

Trees & Forests
● Native trees of Northern Virginia
● How to identify common trees by leaves, bark, and shape – possible around their site. Do not know whether they have trees planted
● The importance of old trees and forest edges
● Invasive vines & plants: how they affect our local trees –
● Seasonal changes in our forests
● The story of Fairfax Tree Rescuers PRISM

Gardening & Native Plants
● Easy native plants for small yards and patios
● Shade vs. sun gardens: choosing the right plants
● Container gardening with natives

Environmental Stewardship
● How climate change is affecting our local ecosystems
● Everyday actions seniors can take to support nature
● How to recognize and report invasive species
● Citizen science opportunities for all ages

Nature Appreciation & Well-Being
● Nature journaling for relaxation and memory
● The healing power of spending time outdoors
● Mindful walks: slowing down to truly see nature
● Photography in your backyard or local parks.

If you’ve ever thought, “I could talk about that,” this is your moment. Let’s not let the program fizzle—let’s make it flourish!

Your voice, your stories, and your curiosity can brighten someone’s day.

If you’re interested (or even just curious), let the members of the outreach committee know:
Marilyn Parks MARILYNANNEPARKS@gmail.com, Kelly Gilbert kellyjo.gilbert@gmail.com, and/or Jo Doumbia 120411tigre@gmail.com
Arbor Row is waiting—and they can’t wait to learn from you!