Grass Class with the VNPS Grass Bunch at Riverbend Park, August 29th

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Photo credit: Jerry Nissley

Saturday, August 29, 2026
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Riverbend Park Nature Center Parking Lot
8814 Jeffery Road – Great Falls

Join the Potowmack Chapter Grass Bunch for a hands-on introductory class on some common grasses — both native and introduced. Then take a walk in the Riverbend Park meadow to see where they grow.

The Grass Bunch is group of Potowmack chapter members and friends who are interested in the identification, classification, and ecology of plants known as grasses or sedges. They are often seen with their heads down close to the ground studying the details of a particular specimen and comparing notes on “What is it?”.

Space is limited and registration is required.

Email potowmack@vnps.org for more information.

Additional details can be found on the Virginia Native Plant Society website.

 

Spectacular Skinks! August 15th

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Photo credit: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Saturday, August 15th, 2026
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Mason Neck State Park
7301 High Point Road
Lorton, VA 22079

Fast… colorful… illusive! Celebrate the weekend after World Lizard Day and discover the spectacular world of skinks – a unique group of lizards – and the species native to Mason Neck State Park! Join an interpreter at the picnic area to learn about skinks and play a fun game! Water and bug spray recommended. 

Email MasonNeck@dcr.virginia.gov for more information.

Additional details can be found on the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation website.

 

FMN Jerry Nissley

FCPA 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards

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At its meeting on June 24, the Fairfax County Park Authority Board approved a resolution honoring 21 individuals as 2026 Outstanding Volunteers. These peer-nominated individuals were recognized for their dedication to their community and their invaluable service to the Fairfax County park system: (Three of the awardees are FMN)
* Avril Garland, Accotink Stream Valley Park, IMA Site Leader
* Jerry Nissley, Huntley Meadows Park, Educational Program and Special Event Assistant
* Carol Tretkoff, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Resource Naturalist

FCPA 2026 Outstanding Volunteers – photo FCPA

The announcement continued by saying, “More than 10,770 volunteers contributed to the operation, preservation and conservation of Fairfax County parks in Fiscal Year 2026. They contributed 115,718 hours of volunteer service and their work is valued at over $3.98 million. The Park Authority could not function without the support and commitment of our volunteer force.
“Each year, our volunteers remind us of the extraordinary power of people coming together with purpose. Their commitment to restoring habitats, supporting programs, and caring for our parks creates a community where nature thrives and neighbors feel connected. Their impact reaches far beyond the work they do; it inspires all of us to imagine what’s possible when we serve something larger than ourselves,” said Park Authority Executive Director Jai Cole.
The Park Authority’s outstanding volunteers were honored at a special evening of music and celebration with a Volunteer Appreciation Night on Thursday, July 16, as part of the Government Center’s Evenings on the Ellipse Summer Concert Series.”

FMN Avril Garland up to her elbows in Still Grass – photo courtesy of Avril Garland

As mentioned above, Avril was recognized for her efforts in the IMA program. IMA is the Invasive Management Area program under Fairfax County Park’s Resource Division. Individuals (and teams) are assigned specific areas to maintain within the park system and Avril has worked significant hours along the Accotink Stream Trail system. The photo shows her hard at work pulling stilt grass around the stream pathways. #WOW

Carol started at Hidden Oaks Nature Center (HONC) in March (2025) when she moved from Prince William

FMN Carol Tretkoff down in the weeds – photo FMN Kristina Watts

County.  Lucky for HONC, she now lives only about 10 minutes away. She has for the most part battled against the invasive plants found in the park; to name a few, English ivy, oriental bittersweet, wineberry, honeysuckle, stilt grass, and barberry.

For Fairfax County Parks, Jerry volunteers primarily at Huntley Meadows where he leads group nature programs, is a trail monitor, special events assistant, and animal caretaker (their turtle of course).

FMN Jerry Nissley with his grandson at Huntley Meadows – photo FMN Jerry Nissley

As an aside, he also presents ‘Turtle Talk’, an interactive roadshow program all about Woodland Box Turtles. Turtle Talk, which blossomed from his FMN cohort final project in 2019, visited three elementary schools, a homeschool group, a nature expo, and the Vienna Farmer’s Market this spring! Their little turtle legs are tired.

“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.” (James Bryant Conant)

RAPTOR RAPTURE, September 12th

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Photo: Courtesy of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

 

Saturday, September 12, 2026
1:00 p.m.

Fort Hunt Park Pavilion A
8940 Fort Hunt Rd, Fort Hunt, VA

Free event no registration required – Spead the word

Learn about and get close-up looks at raptors, a family that includes owls, hawks and falcons when Secret Garden Birds and Bees will bring live birds to Fort Hunt Park. The birds were injured and have been rehabilitated but cannot survive on their own. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh, and the U.S. National Park Service. This is a great event for kids of all ages.

Aprenda sobre las aves rapaces y disfrute de una experiencia de cerca con ellas. Las rapaces incluyen búhos, halcones y falcones. La organización Secret Garden Birds and Bees llevará aves vivas al Fort Hunt Park. Estas aves fueron rescatadas tras sufrir lesiones, rehabilitadas con éxito, pero ya no pueden sobrevivir por sí solas en la naturaleza. Este evento es patrocinado por Friends of Dyke Marsh y el Servicio de Parques Nacionales de los Estados Unidos. ¡Es una actividad excelente para niños y personas de todas las edades!

 

Freind’s of Dyke Marsh(FODM) Presents – Freshwater Fish and More, October 21

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Photo: Courtesy of Mike Pinder, Various Minnow Species Gather to spawn on the nest of a bluehead chub.

 

Wednesday, October 21, 2026
7:00 PM

Virtual Learning Session

Registration is required but the event is free (see link below)

At FODM’s free, online member meeting on October 21, Mike Pinder will explore Virginia’s diversity of freshwater fishes, major family groups,
distribution, habitats and the unique behaviors of certain species.   He will also help participants learn how to see and identify this often
unnoticed and underappreciated group of Virginia’s wildlife. Pinder is the Aquatic Biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.   Pinder is the Aquatic Biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Register for this Zoom presentation at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/dpyqnOJqRKC69xcYs6g0kQ#/registration.

 

 

Calling Citizen Science Volunteers – Urban Heat Island Mapping Project, July 8-24

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Logo: FACS and GM Urban Heat Island Mapping Project

The Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) and GMU are jointly coordinating an Urban Heat Island Mapping project and need citizen science Volunteering support.
This initiative will map temperature variations in the Fairfax County, Arlington, and the City of Alexandria area. Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the United States and can vary dramatically depending on many factors like tree density.
Citizen scientists will collect data using temperature and humidity sensors along provided routes on “Measurement Day” – which will occur in mid to late July when summer temperatures are historically at their hottest.
Sign up as a driver (need a car), a rider (to monitor the temperature sensor), or as a 2–3-person team to handle both. There are 3 time slots during the day; you can volunteer for all 3 (preferred) or just one, and you can select the area you’d like to monitor. FMN Students can receive service hours and training will be provided.

Volunteer Expectations:

  • Watch the recorded volunteer training before your assigned shift(s).
  • Each team is responsible for picking up a sensor and measurement equipment from a designated pickup location prior to the Measurement Day. Flexible pickup arrangements may be available if needed.
  • Drivers and Riders should coordinate with their team prior to Measurement Day to figure out transportation and logistics. Arrive on time and be prepared to complete your assigned route.
Please click here for Urban Heat Island Mapping Project Volunteer Sign Up and additional details.

From Concerts to Conservation: Enhancing Wildlife Habitat at Wolf Trap

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Photo: by FMN Kathy Stewart, Blue Bird Box at Wolf Trap

Many readers may be familiar with Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (that’s its official name!) in Vienna, Virginia.  Perhaps, you’ve attended concerts while picnicking on the grounds and enjoying the bucolic setting.  But, Wolf Trap is not only an entertainment venue but also a full-fledged Park in its own right, with several miles of hiking trails, pollinator gardens, a Woodland Garden and Wildlife sanctuary, and a robust monthly schedule of nature-oriented activities, facilitated by the Friends of Wolf Trap. The Friends also monitor the bluebird nestboxes and Purple Martin gourds following recommended practices, and report the data on Nestwatch.

Wolf Trap’s 16 bluebird boxes and 12 Purple Martin gourds are occupied most of the season.  “Real estate” is in short supply, like everywhere else, and these dwellings are in high demand!  Thirty-eight Bluebirds have fledged this season so far, and the gourds currently cradle 59 Purple Martin eggs.  The usual assortment of chickadees, tree swallows and house wrens vie for the nestboxes, also, with eggs and hatchlings in progress and fledglings already on the wing.  It’s a lively and diverse neighborhood!

But, like many neighborhoods, it’s nearing the end of its lifecycle and could use some “sprucing up.” Many of the nestboxes are severely weathered, in poor repair, and lack noel guards and snake baffles.  It’s been my dream for some time to improve the comfort, safety and security of the nestboxes, but where to acquire the funds and labor?

An opportunity presented itself recently to make this dream a reality.  A Virginia Bluebird Society member was offering free, Scout-constructed, bluebird nestboxes with noel guards and snake baffles for the asking!  As the leader of the Wolf Trap Bluebird Trail, this was too enticing to pass up.  Soon, I was transporting new boxes and snake baffles to my home.

The plan is to replace the weathered boxes in the Fall after the nesting season is over.  As it turned out, the new boxes arrived just in the nick of time when Box #16 disappeared from the meadow (affectionately called “The Dimple”) in front of the entrance to the Filene Center.  Grounds maintenance had been cleaning up the Dimple with heavy equipment, and it’s likely the box was knocked off the pole and swept up in the debris.  Replacing Box #16 was a great opportunity to learn what will be entailed when we replace the remaining boxes using a team of Fairfax Master Naturalists, Scouts and other interested persons later this year.

Wolf Trap in the last few years has really stepped up its game in terms of improving its buildings and adding facilities that serve all types of patrons.  It seems only fitting that the nestboxes show the same pride of place, and now they will!  Wolf Trap is truly a place where not only performers and patrons, but nature itself, comes out to play — and that includes, of course, the cavity-dwelling Bluebirds, Purple Martins, and others.

Photo: by FMN Kathy Stewart, Blue Bird Box at Wolf Trap 2


Kathy Stewart
Certified Fairfax Master Naturalist
Board Member, Friends of Wolf Trap

Survey: Occoquan Bay NWR Butterfly and Dragonfly, July 3rd

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Photo credit: Ana Ka’ahanui, Halloween pennant dragonfly

Friday, July 3, 2026
8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Occoquan Bay NWR
13950 Dawson Beach Road
Woodbridge, VA, 22191

Butterfly and dragonfly surveys are carried out in temperate months (April-October), normally on Friday mornings, at one of four sites around Occoquan Bay, all within the 15-mile diameter circle established for the annual North American Butterfly Association’s Annual Count.

Note: The usual 8:30 AM start time may be changed to 8:00 AM during hot weather (typically July and August). Check the website for time changes.

The results of these surveys are made available to the participants and other interested individuals and agencies, including the Fairfax County Park Authority, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, and agencies of the U.S. Interior Department. The results of the butterfly-dragonfly surveys are summarized, along with the results of the general surveys, in an annual report.

Participation is limited. Email Jim Waggoner at jwagge3093@aol.com to RSVP or for more information.

Additional details can be found on the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance website.

 

 

Survey: Metz Wetlands Butterfly and Dragonfly, July 10th

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Photo credit: Juan Gonzalez

Friday, July 10, 2026
8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Metz Wetlands
15875 Neabsco Road
Woodbridge, VA, 22191

Butterfly and dragonfly surveys are carried out in temperate months (April-October), normally on Friday mornings, at one of four sites around Occoquan Bay, all within the 15-mile diameter circle established for the annual North American Butterfly Association’s Annual Count.

Note: The usual 8:30 AM start time may be changed to 8:00 AM during hot weather (typically July and August). Check the website for time changes.

The results of these surveys are made available to the participants and other interested individuals and agencies, including the Fairfax County Park Authority, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, and agencies of the U.S. Interior Department. The results of the butterfly-dragonfly surveys are summarized, along with the results of the general surveys, in an annual report.

Participation is limited. Email Jim Waggoner at jwagge3093@aol.com to RSVP or for more information.

Additional details can be found on the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance website.

 

Firefly Walk, July 5th

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Photo credit: Terry Priest

Sunday, July 5, 2026
Time: 8:00–10:00 p.m.
Location: Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria
Cost: $12 per person

The program is open to participants ages 5 and older.

Join naturalists at Huntley Meadows Park for an evening Firefly Walk and discover the fascinating world of these bioluminescent insects. Participants will explore park trails at dusk while observing fireflies and learning how they use flashes of light to communicate, attract mates, and navigate their environment.

Additional details and registration information can be found on the Fairfax County Park Authority website.