FMN Superhero: Rescuing Native Plants and Turtles

Article and photos by FMN Katy Johnson, except as noted

I am writing this article in hopes to inspire you to become more aware of what is happening in your neighborhoods and to raise your hand to do what you can to help preserve our local flora and fauna.

My Master Naturalist journey began by joining the Virginia Native Plant Society’s Native Plant Rescue headed up by the Potomac Chapter VNPS Grass Bunch and Friends of Accotink Creek.  I like to joke and say Alan Ford suggested I become a Master Naturalist because he was tired of me following him around asking questions.  I appreciated the opportunity to learn and took his advice.  The project took longer than was expected and I was able to get through my FMN Training, had enough hours upon graduation to become Certified and became a Site Leader. The site became my Walden Pond.  I was able to spend countless number of hours there, observing and studying all that existed in this small patch of nature.

FMN Katy Johnson with rescued Jack-in-the-pulpit, photo by Laura Beaty

When the site eventually closed to be developed, I started reading Fairfax City Council meeting agendas to become aware of projects being proposed and other opportunities to rescue our native plants.  The City’s Stream Restoration seemed like a great opportunity.  I reached out and contacted our Publics Works Program Manager and later found out Friends of Accotink Creek had also reached out asking again to rescue the native plants in the disturbance area ahead of the project.  We were granted access to the site and have been heading up weekly rescues for over a year now.

Because of the enormous area to be disturbed, and need to find homes for the relocated plants, we decided it would be a good opportunity to create a Native Plant Demonstration Area to show the importance of Invasive Removal.  We chose a site at a very prominent park in the City that would be able to demonstrate the difference of a healthy habitat and one that has been smothered in invasives.  We removed the carpet of invasives and replanted with the native rescues. The difference is obvious even to passive observers. We were then able to get the site adopted as a Pilot for the Adopt a Spot Program and it is now being maintained.

Inspired by a Rod Simmons VNPS Program on Golden Rods, we decided that the local ecotypes of plants should be eventually returned back to the area after the stream restoration.  We reached out to the City’s Urban Forester with the idea, who walked the site with us and identified specific species she would like to save.  We have identified hundreds of native seedlings to be saved and eventually be relocated back to the site.  We have been saving plants in our yards and are working with the City to hopefully establish a Native Plant/tree Nursery.

Phil Latasa at native plant giveaway

By being aware and working with our City, thousands of native plants have been rescued.  Many were set aside for use in other City parks and projects.  We were able to give away hundreds of plants at City events such as Earth Day and HisTree to educate the public about the importance of native plants, and to get them started on their native plant journey.  The plan is to return as many local ecotype species as we have rescued back to where they came from after the stream restoration.

Because of our involvement and the relationship we had established with the City, the Public Works Program Manager for the Ashby Pond Dredging Project reached out to myself and Philip Latasa of Friends of Accotink Creek last year to see if there were native plants to rescue in the disturbance area of the Dredging Project. On our walk to identify plants, I asked “What about the turtles?” His response was “What turtles?” I said “The giant turtles that live here.” Philip mentioned a similar project in Manassas that had rescued a number of turtles ahead of a pond’s draining.  Philip passed along more information about the Lucasville Pond Retrofit in Manassas. The City then contracted Dr. Todd Rimkus of Hawksbill Hope, a Turtle Conservation Non-Profit. Dr. Rimkus had participated in the Manassas rescue. I offered to be the Volunteer Coordinator for the Rescue.

Dr. Rimkus with snapping turtle

Volunteers from Fairfax Master Naturalists and the community, were able to observe and assist as Dr. Rimkus and his team pulled traps that were baited with raw chicken legs.  The largest turtle caught measured in at 18 inches and an estimated 40 pounds.  So far, 58 turtles, snapping, painted and a river

cooter that would have otherwise been destroyed have been rescued.   The snapping and painted turtles have been tagged and safely relocated to ponds identified by Dr. Rimkus that could support them, but

Inserting the tracking device

do not currently have a turtle population.  Download a video taken by Dr. Rimkus of a big snapper being released. The river cooter will be held by Dr. Rimkus until the Project’s completion and then returned to Ashby Pond.  The project has been paused due to empty traps and high temperatures.  There have been a few turtle sitings reported at the pond so the project will continue on a smaller scale when the weather is more conducive.

 

I hope my Naturalist Journey will inspire you to reach out and create your own opportunities to do what you can do!

Native Vines for Hummingbirds and Beauty

Photo: Plant NOVA Natives

Native vines can be terrific additions to your landscape. The most popular one, Coral Honeysuckle, is a hummingbird magnet!

Unlike the non-native invasive vines that we see everywhere killing trees, our native vines seldom hurt them. They co-evolved with our trees and are important members of the ecosystem, attracting numerous and diverse populations of pollinators with their plentiful nectar, feeding many birds from late summer into the winter with their fruit, and hosting the caterpillar larvae of several butterflies and moths.

Their flowers are long blooming, showy, profuse, and often fragrant and remarkably complex. It is their nature to reach for a climbing surface and grow upon it rapidly, which puts their flowering and foliage beauty on full and glorious display.

Native vines grow well in average soil and in dry or moist conditions and are generally easy to cultivate. Some can be a nuisance due to their exuberant growth, but they can all be trained to climb walls, arches, fences, arbors, or trellises, or pruned or sheared for containment. Once trained, they add coverage, privacy, and striking beauty to any space.

Here are five native vines you can plant and enjoy for years to come.

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Coral Honeysuckle, whose botanical name refers to its evergreen habit, is the hands-down favorite of the native vines for garden spaces and is the official wildflower of Fairfax County. It blooms profusely in the spring then continues to bloom all the way up to November. The hummingbirds in your neighborhood will visit it repeatedly throughout the day.

Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)

Crossvine is semi-evergreen with stunning abundant blooms and claws at the end of its tendrils allowing it to cling to stone, brick, pergolas, and fences without support. Its green leaves turn purple in the fall. Hummingbirds also visit this plant during its May bloom time.

Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana)

Virgin’s Bower is a fast grower and late bloomer with flowers turning to showy sprays of silky seeds in late summer. It climbs via twisted stems so needs something to wrap itself around to grow such as shrubs, trees, a fence or a trellis. Be careful to distinguish this from Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis ternifolia), a highly invasive plant that is sold in conventional garden centers.

Yellow Passionflower (Passiflora lutea)

Yellow Passionflower has interesting leaves and delicate, fragrant flowers that bloom in mid-summer. It is considered easy to control, train, and contain.

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

While it is primarily prized in the landscape for its brilliant red-burgundy fall foliage, Virginia Creeper is a generous provider of abundant food for hundreds of insects, birds, and other animals and a meaningful addition to the landscape.

Some native vines are a little too exuberant for most people’s gardens but are great additions to more naturalized areas. Purple Passionflower, Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) for example, is a beautiful nuisance when it pops up everywhere. The name Maypop comes from the loud “pop” the fruit makes when crushed. Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) is another example. Its flowers are flamboyant and a magnet for hummingbirds, but it is a famously vigorous grower that scrambles over anything it can reach with aerial rootlets that will damage any wood, brick or stone it touches. It is also considered a nuisance.

Finally, there is one notable vine that is native in Virginia but not Northern Virginia: American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens). Widely sold in conventional garden centers, it has become the substitute for the highly invasive Asian wisterias which are wreaking havoc on our ecosystem, smothering trees and tearing them limb from limb.

For more information on all of these native vines, you can visit www.plantnovanatives.org/vines or visit our native plant guide.

Salsa in the Park: A Celebration for Nature Conservation, September 20th

Photo courtesy of Defensores de la Cuenca

Celebra la Naturaleza y la Salsa con Nosotros el 20 de Septiembre

Friday, September 20, 2024
4:30 pm
Alabama Park Drive, 1100 Alabama Drive, Herndon VA
FREE

  • Groove to the rhythm with Fairfax County Park Authority, Defensores de la Cuenca, and Opportunity Neighborhoods with salsa dancing and making.
  • Celebrate nature and conservation with the Herndon Latino community
  • Dive into fun with green actions and learn how to live a healthy, eco-friendly life
  • Enjoy a family-filled afternoon with great company and exciting educational opportunities

An Afternoon at the Smithsonian – Returns

Smithsonian tour group – photo courtesy of FMN Ana Ka’ahanui

After a summer hiatus, the popular Smithsonian CE tour led by FMN John Kelmelis, returns in September. Speaking, of course, about the interpretive tour of the National Museum of Natural History for Virginia Master Naturalists. As a reminder, this tour is for FMN volunteers only and is limited by the Smithsonian to 6 people per tour. The tour begins at 3:00 p.m. so please plan to arrive by 2:45 for orientation. Details are described below and in the BI Calendar event description.

When: Thursday, September 26 2024 at 3:00pm
Where: Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC
Meet at the information desk inside the rotunda beside Henry, the big elephant.
How long: Approximately 2 hours.
Group limit: 6 individuals
To register:
1. Login to BI and click on your ‘Opportunities’ tab.
2. Select ‘Opportunity Calendar’ from the pull-down list.
3. Find event in the displayed calendar and click on it to display event details.
4. To sign up, Click on the ‘Sign Up’ box in the lower right. This automatically signs you up and puts the event on your calendar. Events disappear from calendar when full.
5. To claim 2 CE hours: use All Continuing Education -> FMN All other Chapter Training

Geology section National Museum of Natural History with FMN Dr. John Kelmelis. Photo FMN Susan Martel

Bring paper and pencil or E-pad to take notes if you desire. No visual or audio recordings please (Smithsonian rule).
This tour will identify the relationship of some exhibits tailored to the natural environment of Virginia including the geologic history, mineralogy, entomology, osteology, evolution, mammalogy, and many other topics.  Some take-aways include an introduction of how the display collection can be used to enrich the naturalist’s understanding of science and facts related to the natural condition and history of Virginia.

FMN Dr. John Kelmelis – photo FMN Susan Martel

Dr. Kelmelis is former Chief Scientist for Geography for the U.S. Geological Survey, former Senior Counselor for Earth Science at the U.S. Department of State, former Professor of Science, Technology and International Policy, and Founding Faculty of the School of International Affairs at Pennsylvania State University.  He holds a BA in Earth Science; MS in Engineering; and Ph.D. in Geography.  He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has held positions in other national and international scientific organizations.  He is a docent at the Smithsonian and a Virginia Master Naturalist in the Fairfax chapter.

Acknowledgments:
FMN Susan Martel – photos
FMN Ana Ka’hanaui – a photo from her camera
FMN Jerry Nissley – cover photo

Acorn Collection Season – 2024

The VA Department of Forestry (VDoF) Acorn Collection Program is an established program that helps sustain the native tree population in Virginia. The program helps by collecting native acorns, raising trees on farms, and reforesting areas that may have been destroyed by fire, disease, or clear cut. In 2023, FMN volunteers contributed over 60 hours, collecting acorns and delivering them to the bin located at the Fairfax County Government Center.

VDoF Training with Tomorrow’s Trees Mindy Kania and VDoF Jacob Zielinski – photo FMN Ana Ka’ahanui

For 2024, VDoF has partnered with Potomac Conservancy’s Tomorrow’s  Tree’s Program, Fairfax Tree Stewards, and FMN to improve the quality of the collection. VDoF’s Community Forester for Fairfax, provided training to the above coalition, designed to help correctly identify seed types and improve collection methods.

The Tomorrow’s Tree Program established additional collection sites that FTS and FMN will monitor for quality and then transport the bags of acorns to the VDoF storage facilities in Warrenton. Scheduling times to monitor and transport will be handled via a Shared Google Doc sign-up sheet. The Project lead will create the Google Doc and distribute it to the FMN and FTS leads, who will disseminate it within their respective orgs. Those who wish to participate can simply pick a bin and functional times in the doc. Easy.

Sample Bin – photo courtesy of Tomorrow’s Trees

The Acorn Collection season for Fairfax County starts on approximately 7 September and ends on 15 October. It is estimated that bin monitoring will be needed once a week for each site, maybe twice in mid-season. Transport to Warrenton may be once every two weeks but would be dependent upon the volume of acorns delivered to a site.
Monitoring consists of checking the bin for proper deliveries – no plastic bags, proper labeling, bin load, make sure the lid got replaced. Transport is simply taking the bags to the VDoF storage facility in Warrenton.

Volunteers participating in this program may enter hours for acorn collection, bin monitoring, and transportation to Warrenton.
Of course, FMN who want to continue to simply collect, as in previous years, may still do so and deliver their cache to the Fairfax County Government Center or any new site.
The code for both is: S400: VDoF Acorn and Seed Collecting — VDoF

Collection bags, sized for 5 or 10 lbs, are available on location at the new sites in limited supply. Brown paper bags are also accepted in any Collection Bin. 

Collection requirements still apply:

  1. Please DO NOT collect acorns in plastic bags. Acorns will mildew and spoil.
  2. Please separate different acorn types into separate bags and include a leaf or two from the tree to help with positive identification.
  3. Please label the bag with type of acorn, collection date, and collection site (zip code at least)
  4. Remember the proverbial adage, “If the nut is cracked, throw it back”. Hollow nuts or those with cracks or holes are not viable seeds. Just this simple check is a tremendous help to VDOF.

Please contact FMN Jerry Nissley ([email protected]) to request the training slides and/or the Google Doc for signing up. Training Slides can also be downloaded or viewed from Member Google Drive. The map of collection bins in the slides does not yet include new bins at the Mt. Vernon Government Center, 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, 22306, (available 7 Sep thru 15 Oct) and potentially Hidden Oaks Nature Center (TBD at press release time) in Annandale.

Acknowledgments:
Mindy Kania, Tomorrow’s Trees Program Director – photos
Jacob Zielinski, VDoF Community Forester – training presentation (with Mindy)
Dan Storck, Mt. Vernon District County Supervisor – hosting a new collection bin

FMN Activity Code Catalog Updates

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

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.

Hidden Oaks Nature Center Seeks Volunteers

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

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

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.