FMN Activity Code Catalog Updates

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A few changes were recently made to the catalog of Activity Codes volunteers use to record service hours. Oh man – I can feel the eyes rolling now! Bear with me … it’s not that bad. Only two new codes, with one prompting a few others to be renamed to align code names with functionality. And of course, a few activity titles required updates because of the recent name change of Audubon Society of Northern Virginia to Northern Virginia Bird Alliance. Both new codes and all name changes mentioned below are in effect as you read this article.

The Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy unveils it’s Forragers’ Forest at the Forest Walk. Photo by: Ayman Rashid/Creative Services/George Mason University

The first new code is S600: George Mason University Stewardship Projects, created under Habitat Creation and Restoration. The focus of this activity is to help maintain the GMU Foraging Forest by promoting sustainable gardening. In part, these unique habitats contain a native food forest and a riparian forest. Both require planting native forbs, graminoids, herbaceous and woody plants, weeding, mulching, and other standard demonstration garden maintenance practices. Additional activity details are found in the BI activity code description, along with how to register for work days. Since this is a collaboration, registration will be facilitated via a GMU signup link found in the BI activity description. Go to the Opportunities List in BI to find the description.

This activity is a first for FMN, in that, it is a collaborative effort between the GMU campus community, ARMN, and FMN.

The second new activity code is also catalogued under Habitat Creation and Restoration. This activity was created to group stewardship activities for sites within the municipality of Fairfax City:
S210: Fairfax City Stewardship Projects — City of Fairfax
Description – This service code covers a broad range of activities associated with the creation and preservation of natural resources on City of Fairfax municipal grounds and within City of Fairfax Parks and Rec domain.
S210 code has a link in the description that points to Fairfax City Parks and Rec site, to easily identify Fairfax City park names

Because of the new code for Fairfax City, it made sense to rename a few other existing activity codes to simplify locating stewardship activities for all independent municipalities in Fairfax County.
Municipality Codes : (old name followed by *new name)
S124: Restoration of Vienna Township Parks — Town of Vienna
*S124: Vienna Township Stewardship Projects — Town of Vienna

S200: Falls Church Habitat Restoration — City of Falls Church
*S200: Falls Church City Stewardship Projects — City of Falls Church

S303: Habitat Creation and Restoration — City of Alexandria
*S303: Alexandria City Stewardship Projects — City of Alexandria

S215: Arlington County Park Stewardship Projects — Arlington County
*S215: Arlington County Stewardship Projects — Arlington County

Inactivated:
S199: Stewardship Projects at Long Branch Nature Center — Arlington County
(Merged with S215: Arlington County Stewardship Projects — Arlington County)

E253: Leading Reston Dragonfly Class & Count — Reston Association
(Zero hours in 2024; merged with E150: Walker Nature Center – – Reston Association)

NVBA logo – courtesy of NVBA

Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA)

Activity Code names required change due to the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) name change to Northern Virginia Bird Alliance. Basically, the acronym ‘NVBA’ replaced ‘ASNV’ in activity names along with similar description updates. No code numbers were changed. Please read the new descriptions to see updates.
Birds
C029: NVBA Christmas Bird Counts — Northern Virginia Bird Alliance
C036: NVBA Waterfowl Count — Northern Virginia Bird Alliance
Community Outreach
E117: NVBA Education and Outreach Projects — Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

Wildlife Surveys

C205: NVBA Wildlife, Bird, and Insect Surveys – – Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

In addition, two codes that formerly addressed ASNV’s Audubon at Home functions were modified. Collectively, ‘Audubon at Home’ is now referred to as ‘NVBA Wildlife Sanctuary Program’.
Community Outreach
E208: NVBA Wildlife Sanctuary Program Directors & Coordinators — Northern Virginia Bird Alliance
Habitat Creation and Restoration
E030: NVBA Wildlife Sanctuary Program Ambassadors — Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

There you have it – a summary for membership’s awareness. There is no action required by volunteers. No need to move hours or anything like that because none of the code numbers changed.

No Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) or Fairfax County codes were changed during this realignment exercise.

Annually, a majority of FMN volunteer hours are contributed to our parks, county, and municipal facilities. Hopefully, these changes help simplify locating stewardship activity codes for the independent municipalities in Fairfax County. This code realignment also helps FMN provide accurate annual reporting that reflects how we support our community and important chapter partners.

Acknowledgments:

Liz Train and Tom Blackburn: content for NVBA.

Cover photo: “a new day dawns” by Jerry Nissley

Beyond Fossil Fuels: The Bumpy Transition to Clean Energy, Webinar, September 17th

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Photo: SERC

Tuesday, September 17, 2024
7 pm
Sponsored by Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)
Register here.

Major transitions between technologies, like the switch from gas lights to electric lights, may seem quick when we look back on them. But transitions generally take decades. During this time, progress is inevitably punctuated by setbacks as proponents of the status quo push back against the forces of change. This bumpy path is playing out again in today’s transition from fossil fuel-based power to clean, renewable power from wind and solar. Transitioning our power system away from using fossil fuels to generate electricity will have a larger impact on reducing the future rate of climate change than any other single action, so it is crucial that we complete the transition as quickly as possible. In our September webinar, Professor Sara Via will discuss recent progress in the all-important transition to clean energy, consider some of the barriers that are impeding that progress and outline how each of us may be able to help reduce those barriers.

Jerry Nissley

Hidden Oaks Nature Center Seeks Volunteers

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Photo: FMN Jerry Nissley

Hidden Oaks Nature Center
7701 Royce Street, Annandale VA
Contact volunteer coordinator [email protected]

Front Desk

Wednesdays, 9am to 1pm or 1pm to 5pm

If you love nature and enjoy talking to people, consider volunteering at Hidden Oaks’ front desk. You will welcome visitors, orient them to the park, answer questions, and check in program participants. This is an opportunity to learn about the natural resources of the county and share your knowledge. Training provided.

Animal Care Helper

Fridays

Help with the care of animals on display at the nature center, including feeding and watering turtles, snakes, toads and other animals and cleaning their enclosures. Learn about the natural history of reptiles and amphibians. Training provided.

They are also looking for adult volunteers for a variety of other tasks, including helping with programs.

First Annual Fall Festival at Leopold’s Preserve, September 21st

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Saturday, September 21, 2024
11 am – 3 pm
Leopold’s Preserve
16290 Thoroughfare Road, Broad Run, VA

The highly anticipated Fall Festival at Leopold’s Preserve, is proudly brought to you by the White House Farm Foundation and Northern Virginia Conservation Trust.

Here are some of the festivities you can expect:

  • Nature Adventures: Join guided hikes, explore trails, and enjoy the beauty of Leopold’s Preserve.
  • Family Fun: Kids’ activities, face painting, games, and nature-themed raffle.
  • Tasty Treats: Food trucks and unique local vendors.
  • Community Bonding: Connect with fellow environment enthusiasts.

Fall Butterfly Identification with Larry Meade, September 3rd

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Photo: David Illig, Variegated Fritillary

Tuesday, September 3, 2024
7:00pm – 8:30pm

Webinar

Click here for registration details.

Presented By Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

The sight of butterflies fluttering around on a warm day is one of the most iconic signs of summer, but they can still be found well into the fall months. These beautiful insects usually live for only a few weeks as adults, but they make quite an impression while they are in their full glory. There is a large variety of butterfly species in our area. Larry Meade will walk students through the common species and help them differentiate some of the trickier look-a-like species.

Participants are encouraged to register for the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Count to be held on Sunday, September 15, 2024.

A good way to prepare this program is to review Butterflies of the Mid-Atlantic, a Field Guide, by Robert Blakney and Judy Gallagher. Judy Gallagher is a member of the ASNV Board, and the field guide is available for purchase on the NVBA website.

Larry Meade is president of the Northern Virginia Bird Club and a member of the NVBA Adult Education Committee. He is a frequent bird walk leader and has been involved in numerous Audubon Christmas Bird Counts and NABA Butterfly Counts. He is the compiler of the Alexandria Circle NABA Butterfly Count.

This program is FREE for members of Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, (formerly Audubon Society of Northern Virginia) and members of the Northern Virginia Bird Club.

 

 

Help Count Butterflies for the NABA Butterfly Count , September 15th

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Photo By David Illig, Variegated Fritillary (NABA Butterfly Count)

Sunday, September 15, 2024
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Alexandria Area

REGISTER : Deadline to register is Thursday, Sept 12 at 9:00 PM

Organized by:  Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

The Butterfly Count is an ongoing program of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) to census the butterflies of North America (United States, Canada and partially Mexico) and to publish the results. Volunteer participants are assigned a count area with a 15-mile diameter. The volunteers conduct a one-day census of all butterflies sighted within that circle.

Volunteers are encouraged to attend the butterfly identification webinar on Sept 3 (FREE for NVBA Members; $10 for non-members).

Volunteers of all experience levels are welcome! Every team will be led by an expert. Participants are encouraged to stay with their team for the duration of the event.

This count is organized by Larry Meade.Deadline to register is Thursday, Sept 12 at 9:00 PM so you can be assigned to a team on Friday. Teams will each meet at their designated count locations.

Larry Meade is president of the Northern Virginia Bird Club and a member of the NVBA Adult Education Committee. He is a frequent bird walk leader and has been involved in numerous Audubon Christmas Bird Counts and NABA Butterfly Counts. He is the compiler of the Alexandria Circle NABA Butterfly Count.

VMN Continuing Education Webinar: Put That Tree in the Right Place! September 16th

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Photo: Plant NOVA Trees

Monday, September 16, 2024
12:00-1:00 pm

Webinar
Registration: Pre-registration required

 

Description: Trees provide so many benefits and services to us, to our communities and to the environment.  Join Dr. Laurie Fox, Horticulture Associate with Virginia Tech, for an overview of how to assess a site and select the right tree to fit the growing conditions and the owner’s goals.

Presenter: Laurie Fox is a Horticulture Associate with Virginia Tech’s Hampton Roads Agricultural Research & Extension Center (AREC) in Virginia Beach. Her Ph.D. research focused on phytoremediation, or cleaning the environment with plants. Her current work includes stormwater & nutrient management in the landscape, urban stormwater best management practices (BMPs) including floating treatment wetlands, aquatic weed ID & management in ponds, sustainable landscapes, sustainable landscape design & practices, native plants, buffer zones, and rain gardens.

Our webinars and trainings related to urban forestry are supported by an Urban and Community Forestry Grant from the USDA Forest Service, administered by our sponsoring agency, the Virginia Department of Forestry.

As with all the webinars in the VMN CE Webinar Series, this webinar will be recorded and posted at http://www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/continuing-education-webinar-series.html.

The Old-Growth Forest Network LOGO

St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church Sanctuary Forest to be Inducted into The Old-Growth Forest Network, September 14, 2024

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St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church Sanctuary Forest in Fairfax Station, Virginia, will be inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network on September 14, 2024 at 10 a.m. Brian Kane, Mid-Atlantic Manager of the Old-Growth Forest Network will convey the distinction to Stacey Remick, (Creation Care Ministry) and Rev. Susan Hartzell and Vestry. The forest is the first Community Forest in Fairfax County to be inducted into the Network, and the third Community Forest in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, a chapter of the Center for Spirituality in Nature (SING) and a member of Faith Action for Climate Solutions (FACS) and serves as an approved project site for the Fairfax Virginia Master Naturalist chapter.

The five-acre forest which is part of the church’s certified Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (formerly Audubon Society of Northern Virginia) wildlife sanctuary campus, consists largely of oak species, tulip poplar, and American beech and most of the hardwood trees are between 70 and 100 years of age.

This forest is on the ancestral lands of the Manahoac tribe.

Please read more about The Old-Growth Forest Network, the extraordinary St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church Sanctuary Forest, and the Induction event details.

 

Autumn 2024 Native Plant Sales

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Photo: Courtesy of Plant NOVA Natives

Arlington Native Plants & Edibles;

September: Saturdays 11 :00 AM-3:00 PM; Sundays 11:00 AM-2:00 PM
925 N. Madison St., Arlington
Email [email protected] to request a specific plant.

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Green Spring Gardens

First Wednesdays, April through October, 10:00 AM- 1:00 PM 
Virginia Native Plant Societysells natives at their plot behind the visitor’s center at Green Spring Gardens. Check here for details.https://vnps.org/potowmack/plant-sale/

VNPS Potowmack Chapter Monthly Native Plant Sale

Wednesday, September 4, and October 2: 10:00 AM–1:00 PM

VNPS Potowmack Chapter plant sales are held on the first Wednesday of the month, April through October, at the propagation beds across the driveway behind the Horticulture Center at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312.

https://vnps.org/potowmack/plant-sale/


​The Clifton Institute

Saturday, September 21: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA
The Clifton Insitute Fall Native Plant Sale


Master Gardeners of Prince William Spring Sale

Saturday, Sept 7: 9:00 AM – noon

St. Benedict Monastery
9535 Linton Hall Rd, Bristow, VA

Cash or check only
includes both native and non-native plants.
​https://mgpw.org/plant-sales/.

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Loudoun Native Plant Sale

Saturday, September 7: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM

Morven Park
17195 Southern Planter Ln, Leesburg, VA 

11:00 am presentation: Native Plants for Beginners
This popular presentation will include plant suggestions for a variety of settings. We’ll have plants on hand to take a look at, along with photos of mature plants in native garden settings. Then you can look around at what the nurseries have available.

Plants by Watermark Woods, Hill House Native Nursery, Nature by Design, Seven Bends Nursery

https://loudounwildlife.org/event/fall-native-plant-sale/

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Town of Vienna Fall Native Plant Sale

Saturday, September 14: 8:00 AM – Noon

Town of Vienna Community Center
120 Cherry St. SE, Vienna

​Plants by Hill House Native Nursery

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Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale

Saturday, September 28: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
The Church of St. Clement, 1701 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302

www.northernalexandrianativeplantsale.org/

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Fall Festival and Native Plant Sale

Saturday, October 5: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Christ Church, 7600 Ox Rd, Fairfax Station

https://www.facebook.com/events/1047062647147219/?rdid=3iDnPZbm5sMPqlPd 

 

Earth Sangha’s Fall Open House & Plant Sale on October 6th

Sunday, October 6th, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the
Wild Plant Nursery

The Wild Plant Nursery is located at 6100 Cloud Dr. Springfield, VA 22150 (The Cloud Dr. entrance of Grove Point Park.
Behind the garden plots.)

Supporting Your Garden Through Heat and Drought

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Photo and article by Plant NOVA Natives

We all know the climate is getting hotter. The week of July 22 included the world’s two hottest days in recorded history. At the same time, the average annual rainfall in Virginia has risen, as a warmer atmosphere tends to hold more moisture. Since it also creates more violent storms, the water runs off faster, a problem compounded by periods of drought. We can only anticipate more heat and more drought in the future.

These changes have not gone unnoticed by local gardeners. Some plants which had always seemed hardy are now struggling in the heat. We see some so-called “sun loving” plants wilting in the heat of direct sun and never fully recovering. We are not sure what “sun loving” really means at this point. How much direct sun do plants “love” when it’s 95 degrees?

Most plants require supplemental watering when newly planted, but this year even well-established and well-sited plants are struggling in the heat and drought. Native plants have the advantage of being adapted to our local conditions, but what happens when those conditions change? We asked our native plant gardeners to share observations about plants that normally tolerate full sun conditions. Here are some of their answers.

  • Some redbuds in full sun that were fine in previous years are now turning brown, which makes sense as it is an understory species accustomed to at least some shade.
  • Coral Honeysuckle is doing fine in full sun if the roots are shaded, which also mimics how the vine behaves in nature as it climbs up trees.
  • Some Virgina Sweetspire shrubs are wilting under the full force of the afternoon sun.
  • Green-and-gold seems to tolerate full sun or dry soil but not both. The same is true of Golden Ragwort.
  • The shrubs Arrowwood and Black-haw viburnums, Spicebush, and Bladdernut seem unfazed.
  • Examples of perennials and grasses that are holding up well despite the stress include asters, goldenrods, Tickseed Coreopsis, Butterfly Weed, Black-eyed Susan, Wild Petunia and Switchgrass. The plants may not grow as tall, though, when stressed.

Going forward, here are some gardening strategies to consider.

Shop for Drought-Resistant Plants: We can’t control the climate, but if we don’t want to spend the rest of our lives watering, we will shop more carefully for plants that tolerate heat and drought. A bit more research on the plant than the information provided by the plant label can pay off.

Consider Nature’s Place: Where plants are found in nature is a clue to where we should plant them. If they naturally grow in cooler, shadier, or wetter wild settings, they are likely to require more supplemental watering in a dryer, hotter garden. There are exceptions, though: some plants that grow in marshes, such as Buttonbush and Swamp Rose Mallow, do surprisingly well in compacted, clay soil.

Monitor Ground Moisture: Too much water can kill a plant as effectively as too little, so it is important to estimate the moisture level before watering. If sticking your finger into the ground doesn’t appeal, a moisture meter can be very handy and occasionally deliver some big surprises, since water moves down into even slight depressions.

Use Mulch: Two or three inches of hardwood or leaf mulch will cool the soil and reduce evaporation. However, too thick a layer can become a water barrier and actually dry out the bed. Wood chip mulch is the preferred choice under trees because water flows through it more easily. Fallen leaves are nature’s solution and can do the job in a garden bed with the additional benefit of providing habitat for fireflies and amphibians.

Plant Green Mulch: If you use living plants as a kind of green mulch, that can also cool and moisten the soil, though competition for water between plants needs to be considered.

Plant More Trees: With temperatures rising, shade gardens are the gardens of the future. Just remember that you should always pull turf grass away from tree trunks out to the drip line, since the roots of trees are quite shallow and have trouble competing with turf for water and nutrients.

Many answers to your questions can be found in the Plant NOVA Natives online search app, which we constantly update as more information comes in. If you have additional observations or strategies to contribute, please send them to [email protected].