Stream Monitoring Citizen Science & Training Opportunities, April and May

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Photo: by FMN J. Quinn, Pohick Creek

Below is a list of the stream monitoring workshops and training opportunities located throughout the county:

Cub Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: April 9, 1:00-3:30pm
Where: Cub Run Stream Valley Park, Centreville

This spot is known for the beautiful Virginia bluebells that bloom at our stream site each spring. Participants often see a lot of mayflies too! Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

Sugarland Run Monitoring Workshop

When: Saturday, April 15, 9:30am-12:00pm
Where: Sugarland Run Stream Valley Park, Herndon

This stream site is known for the large number of Great Blue Herons that visit the site as well as a large number of crayfish found in our collection nets. Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

Difficult Run Monitoring Workshop

When: Thursday, May 4, 4:00-6:30pm
Where: Difficult Run Stream Valley Park, Great Falls

This long-standing stream site has changed greatly in width, depth, and streambed composition since NVSWCD first began monitoring the site. You never quite know what you’ll find! Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

Horsepen Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Wednesday, May 17, 4:00-6:30pm
Where: Horsepen Run Stream Valley Park, Herndon

This site has faced challenges in recent years including erosion and invasive bamboo. Join the NVSWCD as participants monitor Horsepen Run to assess stream health and learn about the environmental impacts on this stream. Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.  Resceduled from the original workshop date in March.

Wolftrap Creek Monitoring Workshop

When: Saturday, May 20, 9:30am-12:00pm
Where: Wolftrap Creek Stream Valley Park, Vienna

This stream site is one of NVSWCD’s newer sites, with easy stream access and often used as a site for VASOS field certification workshops. Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

More Training and Stream Monitoring Opportunities

PocketMacros App – macroinvertebrate ID on Android and Apple

Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) is very excited to contribute their stream data to state and national datasets. If you’d like to see data from all the NVSWCD regional stream monitoring team’s active sites, you can find NVSWCD organization on the Clean Water Hub.

Science Saturday: Box Turtles, May 13th

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Image: Courtesy of The Clifton Institute

Saturday, May 13, 2023
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Cost: Free

Registration is REQUIRED.

The Clifton Institue
6712 Blantyre Road
Warrenton, Virginia 20187

In 2022, a research project was started to study what habitats Box Turtles use at different times of year so that participants and other landowners can know what the best time of year is to mow fields and do other land management practices that might disrupt or even kill Box Turtles. On this second installment of Science Saturdays, participants will help get the 2023 season started by looking for turtles that were radio-tagged last year and potentially finding new turtles to tag. This is a special opportunity to tag along with our staff researchers and see how field science is done.

 

Fairfax County is expanding the Early Detection, Rapid Response (EDRR) Program

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Photo: Courtesy of Fairfax County Park Authority, Wavyleaf Basket Grass

In an effort to combat newly arriving and not yet established invasive species, Fairfax is hoping to find
people willing to survey parks and map certain invasive species (and when practical remove them).
Surveyors would begin by joining workdays led by FCPA staff and experienced EDRR volunteers before
having the opportunity to go out on their own or in small groups to their local parks. Some of the species
currently being actively hunted are Wavyleaf Basket Grass, Incised Fumewort, Two horned water
chestnut and Leatherleaf Mahonia to name a few. The whole list is here:
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/invasive-management-area/early-detection

You don’t need to be able to recognize all of them, generally a park survey just involves looking for 1 or
2 species that have been reported in an area and recording their presence on EDDMaps or iNaturalist.
Several work dates have been scheduled: From 1:00 to 3:00 on April 10, 11, 17 & 18 at locations to be
determined.

Contact: Jas Darby: [email protected] for more information.

To sign up for one of the dates use this link:
https://volunteer.fairfaxcounty.gov/custom/1380/opp_details/179794

FMN’s can log hours under Citizen Science programs for FCPA [C109] if your time is spent mapping or under Invasive Plant Management [S108] for time spent removing invasive plants.

CITY NATURE CHALLENGE WASHINGTON DC METRO AREA, April 28th – May1st

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Logo: Courtesy of the CITY NATURE CHALLENGE WASHINGTON DC METRO AREA

WELCOME TO CITY NATURE CHALLENGE 2023!

Friday April 28 – Monday May 1, 2023

Do you like observing nature? Make your observations count! The City Nature Challenge is an adventure in metropolitan areas worldwide to discover and identify wildlife. You will be looking for signs of life in parks, neighborhoods, and backyards to see what plants and animals share our environment. Join the City Nature Challenge and become a citizen scientist!

Everyone in the Washington DC metropolitan area with access to a camera and the internet can observe wildlife for the Challenge. Anyone worldwide can help with identifying your finds!

Please review this helpful Resource Sheet on the 2023 CNC for important resources and events!

Where: DC Metro Area City Nature Challenge – Area inside the bright green line on this map.

DC Metro Area City Nature Challenge – Area inside the bright green line on this map.

 

 

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens needs our help!

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Photo: Courtesy of MEADOWLARK BOTANICAL GARDENS

Address: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct,
Vienna VA 22182

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens need people to help with the native plant garden.

Just bring a willingness to participate and learn! They have volunteers ranging from little to no experience in gardening to former professionals. There is no expectation or requirement on hours, but they hope to have volunteers participate at least once or twice a month for a few hours. Many volunteers come once a week in a very regular fashion.

In many cases there is a fear that they do not know enough to begin assisting at the gardens and that is simply not the case. Their team is here to help all volunteers get more comfortable working in the gardens.

You can find the online information as well as the inquiry form here.

If you are interested in more of a single, group day approach, that will require a bit of coordination with the lead horticulturist, Charlies Bruce, to coordinate the details of the day/time. If that is something you are more interested in then they can connect you with Charlie soon!

Thanks,
Jeff Hill
(703)-255-3631 ext. 102

Fairfax County Spring Watershed Cleanup 2023, March – April – May

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Photo courtesy The Nature Conservancy

Registration for the annual Fairfax County Spring Watershed Cleanup in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Fairfax County Park Authority is now available at www.nature.org/fairfaxcleanup.  This year’s cleanup will take place over several dates at 15 Fairfax County Park locations. An estimated 600 volunteers are needed to help clean up plastic bottles, cans and other debris!

Event capacity is limited. Please follow instructions about registering groups in the detail section of the registration pages via Eventbrite. (specific Eventbrite links for each event below. Click on the event to be taken to the registration page).

You can view park locations, dates, times, and number of volunteers needed here.

Saturday, March 25, 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 25, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

Sunday, April 9, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 23, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, April 29

Friday, May 5, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

Sunday, May 7, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

A confirmation email with additional details will be sent to registered volunteers about 3-5 days before the scheduled cleanup. If you have questions between now and then, please let me know.

If the sites reach capacity, we encourage you to find additional opportunities to volunteer and connect with nature at

Please feel free to pass along to other organizations, friends and family!

Kindest regards,

Lindsey Hosier

Stewardship and Volunteer Program Assistant
[email protected]
765-717-3755 (mobile, text available)
434-951-0572 (office)

 

The Nature Conservancy
Virginia Field Office
652 Peter Jefferson Parkway
Suite 190
Charlottesville, VA 22911
nature.org

Photo: Fairfax County Park Authority

Animal Care Volunteer Needed at Hidden Oaks

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Photo: Hidden Oaks, Fairfax County Park Authority

Hidden Oaks Nature Center (HONC) has an opportunity for animal lovers!

A volunteer or two are needed to help with the care of exhibit animals on Saturdays. Animals in the exhibits include turtles, toads, snakes and other small critters.

The job could be shared by 2 volunteers.  They would split up the month, each doing at least 2 Saturdays.   Because there is training involved in this volunteer opportunity, HONC is asking for a 6-month commitment.

Adults only please.  If interested, contact Avery Gunther ([email protected]) or Janet Siddle ([email protected]).

Record your hours in Better Impact as S182: FCPA Nature Center Animal Care.  In the Description field, note that you worked at Hidden Oaks Nature Center.

Science Saturday: Kestrel Watch, April 29th

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Image: Courtesy of The Clifton Institute

Saturday, April 29, 2023
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

The Clifton Institue
6712 Blantyre Road
Warrenton, Virginia 20187

Cost: Free
Registration is REQUIRED.

In what The Clifton Institute hopes will become a regular occurrence, they are inviting the public to participate in one of their ongoing research projects. This time you’ll help them track American Kestrels that have been outfitted with GPS transmitters, collect vegetation data in different types of fields, and visit ink-pad tracks to see what kinds of rodents have been visiting. This is a great opportunity to see what it’s like to do field research and to learn about some fascinating native species. Participants will start at the Clifton Institute and then drive to a few nearby properties where kestrels are known to hang out. From Clifton, it is encouraged but not required to carpool in as few cars as possible. They are looking forward to a beautiful day in the field with you!

2023 City Nature Challenge Brainstorming Event! March 9th

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Logo: Courtesy of City Nature Challenge DC

Thursday, March 9, 2023
6:00 – 7:00 pm

Virtual meeting

Registration and additional information.

Fairfax Master Naturalists!
The 2023 City Nature Challenge will take place from April 28th to May 7th this year. Master Naturalists are invited to contribute their knowledge and engagement skills to engage as many people as possible with nature observation. If you’ve been thinking about how to make your own observations count, are considering leading a small group of resident observers, or supporting a local classroom, inspiring friends and neighbors to try out iNaturalist, or you’d like to use the City Nature Challenge to bring attention to biodiversity in your favorite park or neighborhood, then this meeting is for you! Join this meeting to brainstorm new activities and share past adventures, on Thursday, March 9th from 6:00 – 7:00 pm.

City Nature Challenge activities will qualify for service hours: C260 City Nature Challenge – Capital Nature

 

Tree Rescue Time

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Cover photo: Jerry Nissley

Plant NOVA Trees needs help with their Tree Rescuers Program. At this time, they need volunteers to distribute door hangers designed to inform residents about invasive plant species that cause tree failure. Flyers could be handed out at your local HOA meeting, Friends Of group, or Neighborhood Citizens meeting. At the link below there are also short videos that could be shown at your organization’s meeting or the link could be sent to your constituency.
Interested volunteers may learn more about the program here:
At the bottom of their page click the ‘Contact Us Here’ link. In the comment field tell them you would like to distribute flyers.
Time spent distributing flyers or any general support to Native Nova Trees is approved for certification hours:
S861 Plant NoVA Trees – – VA Department of Forestry