Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird, with Katie Fallon

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Just in time for Halloween!  Vultures are often overlooked, underappreciated, and unloved, despite the vital role they play healthy ecosystems. Worldwide, vultures are more likely to be threatened or endangered than any other group of raptor, but in the United States turkey and black vultures may be increasing in number. Based on Katie Fallon’s new book, this presentation will discuss the life and times of the noble turkey vulture, including its feeding, nesting, and roosting habits, migratory behaviors, and common misconceptions.

Katie Fallon is the author of Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird (2017) and, previously, Cerulean Blues: A Personal Search for a Vanishing Songbird (2011), which was a finalist for the Reed Award for Outstanding Writing on the Southern Environment. She is also the author of two books for children, Look, See the Bird! (June 2017) and Look, See the Farm! (forthcoming 2018). She is co-founder of the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the region’s wild birds through research, education, and rehabilitation. Her first word was “bird.”

Free and open to the public.

Audubon Society of Northern Virginia

Sunday, October 22, 2017

3:00pm 5:00pm

National Wildlife Federation Building, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA, 20190

RVA Environmental Film Festival Seeking Entries

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The eighth annual RVA Environmental Film Festival (RVA EFF), to be held February 5-11, 2018, has started its planning. The week-long event will showcase films designed to raise awareness of environmental issues relative to all residents of our planet.  As part of it, the RVA EFF Committee is pleased to announce that the Sierra Club Falls of the James Group will once again sponsor the Virginia Film Contest and finance the contest prizes.  This is in addition to the SCFOJ’s continued RVA EFF founding sponsorship.  Other film contest sponsorships are still available for the RVA EFF.

Last year, “Troubled Water: Voices From Bath” won the contest and its filmmakers, Barb Adams, Julian McBain, and Sam Wright, collectively received the $1,000 prize.  Runner-up prizes and checks for $100 each went to Priya Jaishanker for “Mission RareQuest,” and Ellie Morris for “Bike Your Boat.”
For submission information for this fifth annual RVA EFF Virginia Film Contest please visit our Withoutabox website. (https://www.withoutabox.com/03film/03t_fin/03t_fin_fest_01over.php?festival_id=16159)

All Virginia filmmakers are encouraged to submit entries. Submitted films should include environmental subjects in Virginia. Those subjects can include a wide range of topics – wildlife to human relationships, politics to development, parks to pollution. Outdoor recreation can also be a part of the environmental theme. Film entries can be fictional or nonfictional. All entries should incorporate at least some footage created in Virginia.

“The film contest has become a celebratory culmination of our festival and we look forward to including more and more Virginia filmmakers as the festival continues to grow,” said the RVA EFF’s main contest organizer, Scott Burger.

For general information about the RVA EFF 2018, please visit the RVA EFF website (https://rvaeff.org). Information about the films, guests and speakers, and specific schedules for each day of the festival will be made available as the event becomes closer.

4th Annual Nearby Nature Photography Competition

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Submit your photos of Northern Virginia’s beautiful urban and rural places in the 4th Annual Nearby Nature Photography Competition, sponsored by the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. Enter Today! Deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 31 at midnight. (Please note: Deadline has been extended!!)

The contest is open to all non-professional photographers, with prizes for adults in two categories:

  • The Land and Water Around Us
  • Urban Nature

There is a separate youth category (under 18) with prizes.

Learn more on the NVCT.org website

September 30th: Growing Native – Get Nuts for Public Lands!

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Growing Native season is almost here! Try your hand at tree and seed ID while doing your part for the Potomac.

Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome to help collect native tree seeds in the beautiful and historic Leesylvania State Park.

These seeds will go to local nurseries that grow trees for reforesting efforts across the region.

What could possibly make this day even better?

September 30th is National Public Lands Day! National Public Lands Day is the largest single volunteer effort for public lands. If this year is anything like the last, you will be joining over 75,000 volunteers at more than 2,100 public land sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to do your part for these national treasures.

  Leesylvania State Park
2001 Daniel K Ludwig Drive
Woodbridge, VA, 22191United States (map)

Visit the Potomac Conservancy website to learn more

September 19th: Creek Critters at Webb Sanctuary

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You will learn how to find and identify creek critters (macroinvertebrates) living in Popes Head Creek, and generate Stream Health Reports based on your findings using the Creek Critters smartphone app. The stream site is a 10-minute downhill walk from the parking area. Participants will work in shallow water (less than 10 inches deep).

This is a FREE event, but registration is required. Children over 10 years old are welcome to participate.

September 19th  |  11am-1pm  |  Webb Sanctuary

September 9th Green Breakfast:  Fairfax County’s Environmental Vision Update

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Fairfax County’s Environmental Vision Update Kambiz Agazi, Fairfax County Environmental Coordinator Fairfax County’s environment is resilient, but not indestructible. It is the county’s overarching vision to attain a quality environment that provides for a high quality of life and is sustainable for future generations. While it is not an action plan, Fairfax County’s Environmental Vision is important because it helps to guide the county’s environmental sustainability initiatives and programs. Set aside the morning of the 12th and enjoy a hot buffet breakfast while listening to a great presentation on an ecological topic. $10 payable at the door, no need to RSVP.

September 9th | 8:30-10am  |  Brion’s Grille, Fairfax

Learn more

Fall 2017 Native Plant Sales

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A short list of upcoming native plant sales in Virginia:

Hog Island Scholarship

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Audubon Society of Northern Virginia is pleased to offer a full scholarship and transportation to “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week,” July 16-21, 2017, at National Audubon Society’s Hog Island Camp in Maine.

Application Deadline: Feb. 24, 2017. Applications available at audubonva.org 

Scholarship Announcement: March 17, 2017

Application: http://audubonva.org/hog-island-scholarship/

Questions: [email protected] or contact Mary McLean, Youth Education Chair. For further information about Hog Island, visit the Hog Island Website.

Applicants must be classroom teachers, specialists, or school administrators working in: Alexandria City, Falls Church City, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun or Prince William counties.

The winner is expected to develop a new or enhance an existing conservation-themed project for students. Past projects have included: developing wildlife-friendly habitat at schools, building and maintaining a Bluebird Trail and conducting nature-themed in-service programs for teachers. ASNV will assist the winner in completing their project by offering resources, professional advice, and program support as needed.

Participants in Educator’s Week learn practical approaches to environmental education during this action-packed program. Experienced and enthusiastic instructors share their favorite approaches, methods, and activities for engaging both children and adults with nature.

Workshops using art, music, theater, journaling and other disciplines will be presented, as well as a host of classic Audubon Camp field trips, including a boat trip to the restored Atlantic Puffin and Tern colony on Eastern Egg Rock, intertidal explorations and hiking through Hog Island’s unspoiled spruce-fir forest. These experiences provide a wonderful opportunity to learn outside in a beautiful setting, while considering how to use this new knowledge with your students back home. During the week educators will explore citizen science methods, creating inquiry-based lessons on birds and other topics and demonstrating both low and high-tech methods of teaching.

2016 Winner, Kate Sydney, Glebe Elem., Arlington
2017 Winner, Morgan Ochuizzo, Fairfax Schools

Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) are available for completing the course from the University of Southern Maine

2017 Seedling Sale

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The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District is now accepting orders for our annual native tree and shrub seedling sale. The theme for this year’s seedling sale is “Fall Color” featuring shrubs and trees that will add lovely color to your garden. They help clean our water and air, prevent soil erosion, provide valuable habitat, and add beauty and resilience to your landscape.

  • The Shrub and Small Tree package is offered for $16.95 and includes two each of the following species: Gray Dogwood, New Jersey Tea, Common Ninebark, Arrowwood Viburnum, and Smooth Sumac.
  • The Tree package sells for $11.95 and is ideal for common areas or larger suburban yards and includes two each of the following species: Northern Red Oak, Sassafras, and Bald Cyprus.

Help us streamline our operations by paying online with a credit card, debit card or e-check. Please follow this link to our online seedling sale store.

Place Your 2017 Seedling Sale Order Online: http://nvswcd-velocitypayment-com.3dcartstores.com/

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 703-324-1460, TTY 711 or [email protected].