Virtual Symposium on Innovative Park Stewardship, March 25th

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Photo by Kit Sheffield, The floodplain at Riverbend Park gets a different mix of species from the upland areas.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025
11:00am – 1:30pm

Virtual

Webinar is free but registration is required.

Discover how communities across Northern Virginia are transforming their parks through powerful community-government collaborations.

This program is presented by Northern Virginia Bird Alliance and co-sponsored by Earth Sangha and Plant Nova Natives.

Discover how communities across Northern Virginia are transforming their parks through powerful community-government collaborations. Four distinguished park stewardship leaders will share their success stories, practical insights, and answer your questions about creating effective partnership models. Our speakers include representatives from Friends of Mason Neck, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Upton Hills Regional Park, and Riverbend Park.

This virtual symposium is a component of our Stretch Our Parks initiative, dedicated to enhancing the ecological value of Northern Virginia’s parks for birds and other wildlife. Following the success of our Habitat Restoration and Expansion Symposium last October, we developed this program in direct response to participants’ requests for deeper insights into park stewardship models.

Why Attend?

  • Learn proven strategies for public/private partnerships
  • Engage directly with experienced park stewardship leaders
  • Network with fellow park advocates and environmental professionals
  • Gain practical tools to implement in your community

Detergents and Stream Environments

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Feature photo:  Stream Bubbles along the Turquoise (Glade) Trail stream in Reston. Bubbles and soap films are made of a thin layer of water, sandwiched between two layers of soap molecules.

Article and photos by FMN Stephen Tzikas

During your outdoor activities, you may have seen soap suds in a trail stream.  While there is some environmental concern about them, their science is interesting.

My first professional exposure to detergents was with my first career project in 1985, at an environmental closure of the General Aniline & Film (GAF) plant in Linden, NJ.  I had the task, among other things, of testing, classifying, and preparing various detergents and surfactants for proper disposal.  The company, founded in 1886, had its origins as the German IG Farben firm whose assets were seized as enemy property in 1941.  When I see suds in a stream, I always remember the project at GAF.

Detergents are used for many purposes, but they can easily get

Surface Tension at the Turquoise Trail stream in Reston. Detergents lower the surface tension of the water, making it hard for aquatic insects like water striders to float on the surface.  They can leave fish and other critters starved for air. Detergent binds up oxygen to form bubbles.

into freshwater ecosystems.  Detergents are organic compounds, which have both polar and non-polar characteristics. There are two kinds of detergents: phosphate detergents and surfactant detergents. Detergents that contain phosphates are caustic, and surfactant detergents are toxic. Surfactant detergents are used to enhance wetting, foaming, dispersing and emulsifying properties. Phosphate detergents are used to soften hard water and help suspend dirt in water. Detergents, including biodegradable ones, can be poisonous to aquatic life. They can destroy the external mucus layers that protect the fish from bacteria and parasites. Most fish will die when detergent concentrations approach 15 parts per million, and concentrations as low as 5 ppm will kill fish eggs. Surfactant detergents can affect the breeding ability of aquatic organisms. Detergents also lower the surface tension of the water, which impacts some aquatic life.  Phosphate detergents can lead to freshwater algal blooms that release toxins and deplete oxygen.

Soaps and detergents are made from long molecules that contain a head and a tail. The diagram below represents a surfactant molecule. The head of the molecule is attracted to water (hydrophilic) and the tail is attracted to grease and dirt (hydrophobic). When the detergent molecules meet grease on clothes, the tails are drawn into the grease but the heads still remain in the water. The attractive forces between the head groups and the water are so strong that the grease is lifted away. The blob of grease is now surrounded by detergent molecules and washed away. The detergent molecules also help to make the washing process more effective by reducing the surface tension of the water.

How Detergents Work (Snapshot excerpted by author from https://molview.org with a search on sodium o-dodecylbenzenesulfonate.) The long chain of the sodium o-dodecylbenzene-sulfonate molecule is “grease-loving” while the cyclic part is “water-loving.”

Emerging stream concerns include another type of foamy substance.  This is a group of manufactured compounds known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS have broad uses in commercial products such as food packaging, nonstick coatings, and firefighting foam. Conventional wastewater treatment plants do not effectively remove PFAS. The PFAS concentration lifetime advisory is 70ng/L for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA).

In Fairfax County, the storm drainage system is separate from the sanitary sewer system. Storm drains convey stormwater runoff directly to local streams. Car wash water may contain oils, greases, detergents and other materials that pollute water and harm wildlife that live in streams. In Fairfax County, commercial car washes must be equipped with water recycling systems and discharged to the sanitary sewer system.  Individual residential car washing is exempt from this regulation. You can help by washing cars in an area away from storm drains. Use the minimum amount of detergent necessary, and use products that are biodegradable, phosphate-free, water-based, and pH neutral.

What About the Turtles?

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During construction projects in Northern Virginia that include deforestation, the sites are required to have perimeter erosion control measures, often black plastic silt fence, often reinforced with chain link. Most of the displaced wildlife can escape by climbing, jumping, or flying out, but what about the turtles? Eastern box turtles often get barricaded in where they exhaust themselves trying to escape, desiccate in the sun, or get eaten by roving predators.

Tanya Finch, a Virginia Master Naturalist with the Banshee Reeks chapter, started What About

Photo: Tanya Finch

the Turtles? (formerly Tanya’s Turtle Project) in 2021. They work with construction contractors to gain access to construction sites and have volunteers walk the perimeter in search of critters that need a helping hand. They work with A.E.R.O. Animal Rescue for any injured wildlife and K2C Wildlife for assistance with venomous snakes we may encounter. They give presentations to local community groups on their important work, and how everyone can get involved.

In 2024, they saved 177 creatures including multiple species of turtles, 2 species of snakes, and a great blue heron from construction sites. This is thanks to including aquatic turtles in our efforts, rather than just terrestrial box turtles. If you see new construction sites, please email Tanya at [email protected] the location so she can see about coordinating a site walk.

Interested in volunteering? Check out their website at https://www.whatabouttheturtles.org/.

30,000 Miles in Search of Godwits with Bruce Beehar, March 18th

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Photo: Hudsonian Godwit – David Seidensticker/Audubon Photography Awards

Tuesday, March 18, 2025
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Virtual
FEE: $15 member; $25 non-member

REGISTRATION

Event Sponsored by the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA)

Between 2019 and 2022, the speaker completed five field trips in search of Hudsonian Godwits. Beehler visited stop-over sites through the Great Plains; visited breeding habitat in western Alaska, Churchill, Manitoba, and the High Arctic of western Canada; and did field surveys at a famous autumn staging site in James Bay. In all, Beehler traveled solo by car more than 30,000 miles, encountering Hudsonian Godwits in 10 states and provinces. He also spent time with Marbled and Bar-tailed Godwits, and 33 additional shorebird species. Moreover, Beehler accompanied various shorebird fieldworkers as they studied godwits and other species in remote and iconic field sites. In this illustrated lecture, Beehler will recount the highlights of his more than five months in the field, from Nome and Point Barrow to Tuktoyaktuk, Moosonee, and Monomoy Island.

Bruce Beehler is an ornithologist, conservationist, and naturalist. He is currently a Research Associate in the Division of Birds at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and a Scientific Affiliate of the American Bird Conservancy. Beehler has spent much of his scientific career studying and conserving birds and their forest habitats. After conducting doctoral fieldwork in Papua New Guinea, Beehler worked for ten years at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, followed by stints at the Wildlife Conservation Society, U.S. Department of State, Conservation International, and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.

Ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed with Joanie Millward, March 11th

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PHOTO: Osprey, Doug German/Audubon Photography Awards

Tuesday, March 11, 2025
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Virtual
 FREE

TICKETS

Ospreys are a fish-eating bird of prey that can be found all over the world. Did you know that the osprey is one of the greatest environmental success stories? Osprey numbers crashed in the early 1950s to 1970s, when pesticides poisoned the birds and thinned their eggshells. Along the coast between New York City and Boston, for example, about 90% of breeding pairs disappeared. Osprey studies provided key support for wider legal arguments against the use of persistent pesticides. Learn more about their history, the challenges this species faces today in the Chesapeake Watershed and how you can help.

Joanie Millward is the founder and Executive Director of the Virginia Osprey Foundation. The Virginia Osprey Foundation based in Colonial Beach, VA is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation, protection, and stewardship of the majestic Osprey species and their fragile habitats throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia Osprey Foundation’s mission is to foster a sustainable environment where Ospreys thrive, inspiring a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife.

You’re Invited! Lahr Native Plant Symposium, March 29th

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Photo: Courtesy of Plant NOVA Natives: Aromatic Aster, Muhly Grass, Rough Goldenrod

Saturday, March 29th, 2025
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

PAY WHAT YOU CAN REGISTRATION (The suggested registration cost is $95 (or $76 for FONA members), but please pay what you can to attend starting at $50.)

U.S. National Arboretum
Washington, D.C.

 

Dear Native Plant Enthusiast,

I am thrilled to invite you to the 38th Annual Lahr Native Plant Symposium, taking place on Saturday, March 29th, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

This all-day event will feature engaging presentations by seven local experts, including horticulturists, scientists, and master naturalists.

Highlights of the symposium include:

  • Discovering how a historic estate is being reimagined with native plants.
  • Exploring research on the benefits of planting straight species versus cultivars.
  • Understanding the environmental impacts of proper backyard stormwater management.
  • A live demonstration of plant-pressing and its role in agricultural research and education.
  • Insights on encouraging native pollinators in your garden.

Engaging with the concept of ethical local foraging to support native landscapes.Your ticket also includes access to the Friends of the National Arboretum Native Plant Sale, where you’ll find local native plant vendors and artisans. Free lunch and snacks will be provided, with gluten-free and vegan options available.

For the full schedule of presentations and additional details, visit our ticketing page here:  38th Annual Lahr Native Plant Symposium

Please feel free to share this invitation with friends and fellow plant enthusiasts and reach out with any questions. I hope to see you there!

Best regards,

Molly Patton
she/her/hers (what is this?)
Public Horticulture and Engagement Unit
U.S. National Arboretum
Washington, DC
(207)415-1286

One Way to Support the Virginia Master Naturalist Program – Virginia Tech’s Giving Day, February 19th to 20th

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Photo Courtesy of the Virginia Master Naturalist Program

Article by FMN Debbie McDonald

As a member of our Fairfax Master Naturalist Chapter, and the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech, I am excited to share an easy and incredible program to support our Virginia Master Naturalist program statewide.  You were a big part of this last year, Virginia Tech’s Giving Day.  When we donate to Virginia Master Naturalists through this event, ALL donations go directly to VMN and provide important added funding for programs and activities.  You will hear more about it from Michelle Prysby, but it is not too early to begin planting the seeds so we are ready to grow our participation in this event.

What is Giving Day?  A 24 hour period to show support for programs connected to Virginia Tech that you are interested in and care about

How is VMN connected to this? Our program is housed in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation with the College of Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE) at Virginia Tech

When is Giving Day?  February 19, Noon (EST) to February 20, Noon (EST)

How can each of us participate?  Close to February 19, special links will be made available to you that will allow you to donate directly to the VMN/CNRE Giving Day funds

What is a suggested donation?   A minimum $5.00, tax deductible donation is all that is asked

Throughout the 24 hour period, there are “challenges,” which when met, can add matching dollars to what we as an organization contribute.

Here is the BIG challenge for VMN, we can receive $25,000 in challenge funds if we have 400 donors to the program on Giving Day. And we CAN do this, last year with your help, we had 448 donors, so let’s work for that extra $25,000 and 500 donors this year!

Here is a link to The College of Natural Resources and Environment to learn about all they are and do.  https://cnre.vt.edu/

I will be sending an email with reminders and the links to use closer to February 19.  It is such an honor and joy to be part of our organization and all each of you do and the differences you make.

FMN Debbie McDonald

The Future of Climate Change: What Three Generations of Climate Scientists Revealed, Webinar, February 18th

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Photo: SERC

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
7 pm
Register here.

In 1987, the Smithsonian launched a futuristic experiment that would transform how we think about climate change. Inside small experimental chambers, a few scientists doubled the amount of carbon dioxide to see how wetland plants would cope. Today, that project is the world’s longest-running experiment on plants and rising carbon dioxide. And its home, the Global Change Research Wetland, now has six long-term experiments simulating different future climate scenarios, from higher carbon dioxide and hotter temps to sea level rise.

Join Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) for a special panel with three generations of climate scientists at the Smithsonian. Meet Bert Drake, creator of the 1980s experiment that began it all; Pat Megonigal, the current director of the Global Change Research Wetland; and Jaxine Wolfe, a technician studying wetland “blue carbon” around the globe. Find out what we know for certain, what mysteries remain, and why wetlands may be one of Earth’s greatest hopes for resisting and withstanding climate change. Part of SERC’s 60th anniversary webinar series.

Community Associations and Environmental Leadership

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Photo and article by Plant NOVA Natives

Community associations are familiar local institutions. They serve residents by enacting and enforcing community rules, managing any common areas, and enhancing the neighborhood’s quality of life. In addition, in recent years, a number of community associations in Northern Virginia have chosen to expand stewardship of their lands to the native flora and fauna inhabiting them. Those organizations who have reached this pivot point came to realize that the two seemingly unrelated goals of supporting ecosystem health and maintaining property values are in fact mutually reinforcing.

This is good news, as community associations are positioned to play a transformative role in ecosystem rejuvenation and health, acting on their common land and inspiring residents to do the same on theirs. Some local HOAs own very large swaths of natural spaces, including environmentally sensitive riparian borders that protect streams and rivers across our region. They therefore have the necessary control to make both small and big decisions that can determine the future of the birds and butterflies of Northern Virginia. As an example of a project that can make a big difference, seven HOAs participated last year in a mini-grant program for invasive plant removal, supplementing professional services with volunteer help to rescue their trees.

Whether your community association manages acres of common land or none at all, there are a number of ways to lead in the environmental stewardship space. The following ideas reflect what is actually being done in various community associations across Northern Virginia. Many of these projects require little or no budget.

  • Develop a natural landscaping policy for your common land.
  • Set voluntary standards for landscaping on residential properties and provide residents with resources to choose native plants. Approximately 300 species of Virginia native plants are available for sale, which provide plenty of choices, whether you are looking for a natural look or a conventional landscaping plan.
  • Use your newsletter or NextDoor.com to raise awareness.
  • Host presentations at community meetings on the benefits of invasive plant removals and native plant landscaping.
  • Develop a plan to control invasive plants on your own property.
  • To keep invasive plants from spreading back from adjacent land, encourage residents to remove invasives on their own properties and to volunteer to control invasives in your local park. Adopt the roadside right of way to combat invasives there. (VDOT has a relatively straightforward permitting process for this.)
  • Organize native tree plantings – see examples here.
  • Join an alliance for political action. Loudoun communities can engage with the Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance that currently represents 50 community associations and 210,000 residents in that county. Fairfax communities can engage with the Fairfax Invasive Removal Alliance that currently represents 40 community associations and 150,000 residents there.

For details about these ideas as well as many others, see the community association page on the Plant NOVA Natives website.

Community associations are reinventing themselves as we write this. As stand-alone organizations, their members can help draft and implement stewardship plans and monitor results. As alliance members, they can use their significant political clout to advocate for sustainable development and ecosystem protection. As trusted partners in the greater community, they can help reinstate the biodiversity of our region. As always, we thrive together.

Seed Cleaning at Earth Sangha, Various Dates

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Photo: Earth Sangha

Earth Sangha Office at 5101-i Backlick Road, Annandale VA 22003
Sundays 2/2, 2/9, 2/16 & 2/23 and Mondays 2/3, 2/10, & 2/24
9 am – 12 pm
Register here to volunteer.

After a busy year of seed collecting, it’s time to go inside for some seed cleaning! Take a seat around the table and help Earth Sangha clean stems and chaff from the seeds their staff has collected from wild local eco-type plants (with permission!). The seeds will be sown, grown at their nursery, and the new plants will eventually make their way to restoration sites and private lands. These events will take place inside and can result in dust/allergens so if you have a sensitive respiratory system it may be a good idea to bring a mask.

If you have any questions about volunteering at the office, contact Maddie at [email protected] or call 703.859.2951.