Fall/winter service opportunities at Hidden Oaks Nature Center

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Hidden Oaks Nature Center

7701 Royce Street, Annandale VA

Flying Squirrels Gliding in Tonight

Saturday, 8 December 2018

6:30-8:30 pm

Assist a naturalist in calling in these amazing night gliders and looking for flying squirrels at roosting boxes near the nature center. Teach families how to encourage flying squirrels to visit their yards. Contact Fiona Davies, [email protected]. Record hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs. In the contacts field, record the number of people attending the program.

Office for Children Outdoor Play in Fall/Winter

Saturday, 15 December 2018

8am-1pm

Assist naturalists in educating up to 50 child care professionals in sharing nature with preschoolers and outdoor play during fall and winter. Contact Suzanne Holland, [email protected]. Record hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs. In the contacts field, record the number of people attending the program.

Visitor Information Desk

First and third Saturdays of the month, 12-5 pm

Greet visitors and orient them to the exhibits, park and programs. Answer natural history questions for the public.  Contact Fiona Davies, [email protected].  Record hours as E111: FCPA Nature Center Visitor Information Desk. In the contacts field, record the number of people you talk to.

Ongoing Needs
Assist naturalists in leading scout merit badge classes.  Scout programs are typically held on weekends.  Programs are generally held inside the nature center and frequently include a trail walk.  Sample topics include Environmental Science, Mammal Study, Reptile & Amphibian, Sustainability.

Join Clifton Institute Christmas bird count, 16 December

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Clifton Institute invites you to the Plains Christmas Bird Count, to be held on Sunday, December 16th. Bird watchers of all skill levels are welcome!

The count will cover a 7.5 mile radius circle in northern Fauquier County and western Prince William county. We have a great variety of habitats in the count circle and always turn up a good diversity of species. Last year, we found 92 species, including Short-eared Owl and Cackling Goose.

Start times vary by sector leaders. Most meet around 7 am at various locations within the circle, ranging from Haymarket to Warrenton.  We will have food and hot drinks at compilation, which will be held at the Clifton Institute, north of Warrenton, just after sundown. Please contact Bert Harris directly ([email protected]) if you’d like to join!

Be a high school science fair judge starting Dec. 12th

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Every year thousands of kids do Science Fair projects. Judges are needed to evaluate the projects done by our own Fairfax County high school students, and to give them an opportunity to practice their presentation skills. This is an opportunity to get to know a younger generation and to hear and challenge their thinking.

Judging typically occurs on a school day afternoon or evening, or on a Saturday morning. Judges work in groups according to their chosen fields within science, and judges are provided with the criteria to use in evaluating student work. Each judge is assigned to evaluate 8 to 12 specific projects, and each project is assigned to 2 or 3 judges. All the participating students with their projects are stationed in a large room until they have had the opportunity to present their project to their judges. Groups of judges meet afterwards to compare their evaluations of the projects and to identify those that should receive awards and be forwarded on to the countywide science fair. First time judges work with experienced judges to become familiar with the process, and some schools can even provide childcare for their judges!

About two dozen Fairfax County high schools will be having science fairs this winter, starting at Lee High School on Wednesday December 12, and continuing at other schools through February. The typical time commitment is four hours. This is a great opportunity to get to know teens who are working hard to gain skills and understand the world.  You will be impressed with how many of them care about good environmental stewardship.

Let’s encourage them!

Contact Cathy Greulich [email protected] to match your availability with the location and dates of the science fairs at the various high schools, or contact your local high school to find their date and time.

(Fairfax Master Naturalists, record your hours as service project E152.)

Volunteers needed for the 2019 Mason Bee Monitoring Project

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Kate LeCroy, graduate student at the University of Virginia, is recruiting participants for

Horn face mason bee

her 2019 Mason Bee Monitoring Project.  She is looking for people across all of Virginia to join in monitoring efforts for March – May 2019. Fill out this interest form to be considered for the 2019 Monitoring Project, and feel free to share with friends, fellow Virginia Master Naturalists, and neighbors: https://goo.gl/forms/cg4DTkALU4YpuYd22

Kate produced a video to share the data she has so far from the 2017 monitoring, as well as outline the timeline for getting the rest of the data for our projects. You can listen to and watch the webinar recording here in a video: https://video.vt.edu/media/VMN+CE+WebinarA+Mason+Bee+Project+Update/1_7c7dqr9a

You can contact Kate at [email protected].

(Fairfax Master Naturalists,  record your hours as C252: Native Blue Orchard Bee Monitoring Campaign.)

Earth Sangha needs you, Nov. 10th and beyond

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Native Planting

Marie Butler Leven Preserve
1501 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101
Saturday, 10 November 2018
10am – 1pm

Volunteers are needed to help plant over 70 native trees and shrubs, and a few flats of native grasses and forbs. Please bring your own reusable water bottle and we’ll provide tools, gloves, snacks, and water refills. The group will meet in the parking lot and walk to the planting site together. If you arrive late, please call Matt at 703-859-2951. Click here for more information.

Nursery Workdays

Earth Sangha’s fall nursery workdays are Sundays, Mondays, and Thursday, from 9am to Noon. The last nursery workday scheduled for the Fall is Monday, November 19th. They may need volunteers for a day or two in December and will announce those dates separately. Click here for more information.

Meadow planting & Accotink Gorge walking tour, Nov. 10th

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Accotink Gorge
7245 Fullerton Road, Springfield
Saturday, 10 November 2018
9am-1pm and 1:30-4:30 pm

Join Friends of Accotink Creek at this great volunteer opportunity! Bring trowels and shovels to help install a native meadow at a Fairfax County maintenance facility. Afterward take a walking tour of the adjacent scenic Accotink Gorge and spend some time along the way cutting back the alien invasive Chinese wisteria vines that are engulfing this biological gem. We recommend sturdy work shoes, long pants, and long sleeves. Water and work gloves will be available. Free event. RSVP and see this and other volunteer and educational opportunities by visiting the Friends of Accotink Creek calendar.

Stream monitoring, attend and learn Nov. 11th and Dec. 1st

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Accotink Creek Stream Monitoring Workshop

Rutherford Park, 4743 Guinea Road, Fairfax VA

Sunday,  11 November 2018

10 am-12:30pm

Join the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) and discover aquatic life at Rutherford Park! Sampling will take place at Long Branch, a tributary to Accotink Creek. This official NVSWCD stream monitoring workshop covers watershed health, what macroinvertebrates tell us about stream quality, and what you can do to prevent pollution in your local stream. Registration is limited. RSVP to Ashley Palmer.

Broad Run Stream Monitoring Session

Bristow, VA

Saturday, 1 December 2018, 10:30am-12:30pm

Join a stream monitor at this adopted outdoors science lab to learn more about water quality for more awareness in Prince William County. Registration is limited. RSVP to Sonnie Cuffey.

Spotted Skunk Survey

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Photo by Emily Thorne, VT.

Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) populations are believed to have declined throughout much of their range in the eastern United States since the 1940s. Hypothesized declines have been attributed to habitat loss or change, increased competition with sympatric carnivore species, or diseases.

Lack of information regarding the spatial distribution and habitat associations of the eastern spotted skunk in Virginia dictates the need for increased ecological study regarding this species of concern. To better understand the current distribution of spotted skunks in Virginia, we aim to determine the species’ range boundaries and habitat associations throughout Virginia using baited remote-sensing cameras.

Eastern spotted skunk populations are not currently managed in the Commonwealth though the species has been rare or largely absent over the last few decades from areas where it was once abundant. Outcomes of this project will directly assist in the development of long-term, large scale monitoring as well as effective management and conservation assessments.

Participating volunteers will set up and monitor baited camera traps at sites with appropriate permissions and permits.

Interested VMN volunteers and chapters should contact Emily Thorne, the project leader. This season’s monitoring will begin in the winter (approximately February) and continue at least through April 2019. Camera stations will be established by February and checked at least once per week throughout the project.

A project proposal form that explains volunteer expectations and resources needed, a training webinar, project protocols, and other resources are all available on the Spotted Skunk Survey project page.

Fall service opportunities at Riverbend Park 

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For questions or to volunteer, contact Valeria Espinoza at [email protected] or 703-759-9018.

Record your hours as S109: FCPA Habitat and Parkland Management.

Thursday, Nov. 8, 1pm-TBD  Grass Seed Collection Training

Learn how to collect native grass seeds.  Once trained, you can do this at your convenience.  Other training dates/times available. 

Saturday, Nov. 10, 9-11am   Trail Work Day

Join master naturalist Scott Schroth on a hands-on trail restoration and erosion control project.  

Saturday, Nov. 17, 9-11am   Fall Tree Planting and Restoration

Assist in planting over 400 trees and shrubs, building cages, and removing invasives to help restore sections of the forest.

Trash Cleanup at Marumsco Creek, November 17th

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On Saturday, 17 November 2018, partner with the Prince William County Parks & Recreation Department, Department of Public Works, and the Prince William Soil & Water Conservation District on a trash cleanup in the Woodbridge district. We’ll focus on Marumsco Creek, where it flows through Jefferson Park and Veteran’s Park. The cleanup will be part of a larger public outreach event on Plastics Pollution Prevention and Cleanup, with educational exhibits setup at Veterans Park. Learn more by visiting the event webpage and registering for the cleanup at Veteran’s Park and/or Jefferson Park.