Educational opportunities abound outside Fairfax County in February/March

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Green Matters Symposium – Doug Tallamy speaking.
Friday, 22 February 2019, 8-4 pm
Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring, MD

Prince William County (PWC) Native Plant Symposium for Beginners (Beginners only)
Saturday, 23 February 2019, 9 am – 2 pm
McCoart Administration Building
1 County Complex Court
Woodbridge, Virginia 22192

Prince William – Balancing Natives and Ornamentals in Your Garden
Saturday, 23 February 2019, 1 – 3 pm
Old Historic Manassas Courthouse, Manassas
This lecture from the Master Gardeners of Prince William Education Committee discusses the benefits of native plants and features 25 specimen plants. The lecture is led by Keith Tomlinson of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. This is a free program, but please register by calling 703-792-7747.

Plant Pollinators talk by Heather Holm
Sunday, 17 February 2019, 3:30 pm
Manassas Park Community Center, 99 Adams Street, Manassas  Park, VA

Loudoun County Extension Master Gardeners 10th Annual Gardening Symposium
Saturday, 23 March 2019, 9 am – 4 pm
Talks by Larry Weaner, Barbara Pleasant, Sara Via, and Nancy Lawson.

 

 

“Road projects” for wildlife: Your hedge as sanctuary

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If you are the only turtle living in someone’s yard, where are you going to find a mate? Asphalt and lawns are fine for moving people around, but they create barriers for wildlife. Fragmentation of our natural areas has a lot to do with why box turtle sightings are an increasingly rare occurrence in the suburbs.

Eastern box turtle, Plant NOVA Natives

Our parks, only some of which are large enough or undisturbed enough to nurture biodiversity, make up a small percentage of the land in Northern Virginia. It is up to us to connect those natural areas into wildlife corridors by using our own yards. By lining our properties with hedges, we can create pathways for turtles and other wildlife to navigate the landscape. Ideally such pathways would be uninterrupted, but even creating a series of islands is effective. Not only can native plants provide shelter, but the fruits, berries, and seeds they produce will attract songbirds to liven up our landscapes. Have you ever noticed that birds congregate on properties that have thickets?

Creating a hedge is very simple. Start by planting two or three native shrubs where you now have lawn, allowing dead leaves to create a ground layer. Add more shrubs and trees as your time and energy allow – the wider the corridor, the better. Many suggestions for suitable plants of various heights can be found on this page of the Plant NOVA Natives website. Hedges, which can look relaxed and natural like a hedgerow, or clipped and formal, provide the additional benefits of capturing stormwater and enhancing privacy.

For a little more inspiration, watch our two-minute video about the secret goings-on within native plantings. (The hotline keeps breaking–try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGd2507_uNw&feature=youtu.be)

By the way: if you ever stop your car to help a turtle cross the road, be sure to deliver it to the side where it was heading, and no further. Box turtles are territorial and will not survive if you move them any distance.

2018 Annual Report from Fairfax Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists

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Each year, our chapter submits a record of what our members have accomplished to the Virginia Master Naturalists home office in Charlottesville, VA. This year, we recorded 12,569 hours across 137  citizen science, education, and stewardship service projects, in addition to chapter administration.

As Past President Michael Reinemer recounts, numbers alone convey neither the dedication of our volunteers nor the outcomes of their work. Those results of these hours, so generously given, include bird counts and surveys, maintenance of bluebird houses and trails; installation and monitoring of nest structures for Purple Martins; stream monitoring; outreach to school children; education on native plants; citizen science efforts to collect data on wildlife populations, native plants, pollinators, and other natural resources; work with partners such as Earth Sangha, Northern Virginia Soil and Water, Fairfax County Parks; and many more.

The report itself is available in its entirety.

Goose rehabbers/relocators needed

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Spring in Fairfax County means goose nesting season.  In search of secure sites, some geese nest in dangerous places (rooftops, parking lots, mall planters) where they and their goslings have no path to safe water.  Wildlife Rescue League and other concerned goose advocates are looking for folks who want to train to become Category 2 Rehabbers to help relocate stranded goose families.  This past year has seen the loss of several dedicated rescuers and we are hoping others can step in.  For further information, please text Carol Hall at 571-419-2592.

Reston Association in search of Watershed Specialist

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The Watershed Specialist position (full time) has become available at the Reston Association. The work involves everything from leading stream monitoring groups, educating the public about watershed related issues, cleaning and maintaining the lakes, working with shoreline stabilization projects, and more! The position can be labor intensive at times. If you know someone who is looking for a job in the natural resources realm and who may be interested in this job, please pass this information along.

Apply for the position here: Reston Association Watershed Specialist

Flying squirrel frenzy & February flowers, Feb. 17th

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Meet at Brookside Nature Center, 1400 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, Maryland 20902
Sunday, 17 February 2019
2:00 to 7:15 pm

If you feel like squealing with delight like a little kid when you see flying squirrels, boy do we have an adventure for you! And it’s coupled with fabulous outdoor and indoor flowers — in frigid February!

First, the group will hike up to 6 miles on paved and dirt trails in Wheaton Regional Park to Brookside Gardens’ outdoor gardens and indoor glass conservatory and beyond. (The exact length will be posted soon.) Color in the outdoor garden includes winter-blooming orange/yellow witch hazels, pink hellebore flowers, white snow-drops and the buxom red berries of nandina plants. Then they’ll visit the Brookside Nature Center to watch nocturnal southern flying squirrels with their big eyes and teensy mouths swoop in to nosh on sunflower seeds just after dusk. If they’re lucky, they’ll see more than a dozen of these palm-sized critters dash from tree to tree and squish together on the feeders. (Bring your own human snacks or dinner to enjoy on the deck before the squirrels join us. Dress warmly!)

Not a hiker? You can just attend this Sierra Club, adults-only special session flying squirrel event, which is led by Brookside Nature Center. Please bring exact change. ($6 required fee to the nature center & $2 voluntary fee to the Sierra Club.)

Questions? Please post them to Meetup or email Barbara at [email protected].

Can’t attend? Brookside runs its own flying squirrel programs on many Fridays. Call first for details, 301-962-1480.

Annual Aldo Leopold Read-a-thon, January 20th

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RESCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 20TH DUE TO SNOW

Villages of Piedmont Clubhouse
16080 Market Ridge Blvd., Haymarket, VA
Sunday, 13 January 2019
4 – 6 pm

Join the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust to celebrate Aldo Leopold’s 132nd birthday! Their annual read-a-thon will feature guest speakers to read spoken excerpts from Leopold’s books. The event is free and will honor the legendary conservationist and his work. Feel free to join them in the audience to listen. Please get in touch with them if you’d like to be a guest speaker. They will also have open slots available day-of for volunteer readers from the crowd. RSVP to Emily at [email protected] or call 703-354-5093.

MLK Day Clean up, Americana Drive

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Two locations: Intersection of Americana Drive and Patriot Drive and Intersection of Americana Drive and Heritage Drive, Annandale, VA
Monday, 21 January 2019, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
10 am – 2 pm

A group of neighbors has coalesced  to do a cleanup of the illegal dumping areas prevalent along the length of Americana Drive in Annandale.  This effort came together rather suddenly after the holidays.
 
Americana Drive, which is crossed by three tributaries of Accotink Creek, has been plagued for years by illegal dumping.  Help restore pride to this area!

Sign up online: https://www.fcrpp3.org/annandale-clean-up-sign-in

More information, supported by Friends of Accotink Creek:  http://www.accotink.org/2019/AmericanaDriveCleanuppre-event2019.htm

Virginia State Parks Youth Conservation Corps accepting applications

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Virginia State Parks Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is now accepting applications for the 2019 Crewmember position (available to youth both residents and non-residents of Virginia).

During YCC you rise with the sun everyday as you persevere daily seeking new adventures, hard work, and unforgettable memories at Virginia State Parks. Choosing an experience with the YCC has a unique way of shifting the way you view the world around you. Three weeks with the YCC is an opportunity to relinquish social media and texting and a time to focus on nature, real relationships, character building and fun!

The YCC seeks ambitious youth, ages 14-17, to serve on a crew with nine fellow crew members. Crews are led by three adult crew leaders who guide crew members through day to day operations and decision making. 

Crew members will find a million little things to be discovered, admired and appreciated; from the quiet beauty of a bonfire to the time spent constructing a new project; youth should be willing to actively participate in all activities and are expected to work diligently on service projects as one cohesive team.

While the YCC may be a ton of fun it is not a summer camp, crew members are expected to complete many laborious tasks immersing members in a world unlike anything they are used to. It takes away a few modern comforts and conveniences and replaces them with hard work and friendship. Youth learn the value of a one-on-one conversation with a trusted friend, a job well done and all the natural beauty that surrounds them.

While in the park, the crew will work on various projects such as trail maintenance, construction of new park facilities, and park beautification. Work can be difficult but it is also extremely rewarding for crewmembers to see the projects they are able to complete during their time with the YCC.

Applicants do not need to have any prior experience; however, an interest in working outdoors, a good attitude, and the diligence to complete projects is critical. Upon successful completion of the program a $500 stipend is awarded

Learn more, or if you have any questions just email the staff here.

Winter Salt Watch: You Can Help

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Road salt (sodium chloride) is everywhere during winter months. It keeps us safe on roads and sidewalks, but it can also pose a threat to fish and wildlife as well as human health. 

Fish and bugs that live in freshwater streams can’t survive in extra salty water. And many of us (more than 118 million Americans) depend on local streams for drinking water. Water treatment plants are not equipped to filter out the extra salt, so it can end up in your tap water and even corrode your pipes. What can you do?

STEP 1: Test the chloride in your stream. Request a FREE test kit using the form on this page and follow the instructions you receive with your kit. (You can also order your own chloride test strips through Amazon.) You’ll want to test your stream:

  • Before a winter storm (to get a baseline reading).
  • After salt has been applied to roads.
  • After the first warm day or rainstorm following a snow or freeze.
  • After the next rain event.

STEP 2: Share your results using the free Water Reporter app. Just follow these simple instructions. With test results in one place, we can identify salt hot spots around the country, and you can see how salt is affecting your community. Check out the Winter Salt Watch map below!

STEP 3: Take action. If you find high levels of chloride, let someone know!

  1. Call your city or county department of environmental protection to report high chloride levels or large salt piles.
  2. Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper or other news outlet to educate your community about this issue. You can start with our sample letter and adapt it for your use. (Download the Word file or PDF.)
  3. Share road salt best practices with community managers and state agencies.

Protect the health of your streams – and your community – with Winter Salt Watch!