FMN Partner Organizations – Fairfax Master Naturalists

Partnerships with local nature-oriented organizations are the cornerstone of the Master Naturalist program.

Partner organizations provide:

Volunteer service and advanced training opportunities.
Resources such as instructors, facilities and materials.
Support for the Master Naturalist program.

In turn, FMN provides partner organizations with:

Trained volunteers for service projects.
Publicity and participants for events and training programs

Fairfax County Park Authority

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks

Resource Management Division

The FMN Chapter established a Cooperative Agreement with Fairfax County Park Authority in 2007. FCPA are the primary public mechanism in Fairfax County for the preservation of environmentally sensitive land and resources, areas of historic significance and the provision of recreational facilities and services. Under the terms of that Agreement, FCPA supports the VMN volunteer service requirements by providing a steady stream of service opportunities for FMN. FMN members volunteer at FCPA’s 5 nature and visitor centers, 3 lakefront parks, a horticulture center at Green Springs Gardens, and an Invasive Management Area program targeting alien plants and utilizing volunteers in restoring native vegetation through the community. We also volunteer to assist and support natural and cultural resources protected by the Natural Resource Management Plan and Cultural Resource Plans. FMN members volunteer from a list of over 20 projects focused on Community Education, Citizen Science, and Stewardship.

In 2021 members supported FCPA parks at Riverbend, Huntley Meadows, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Green Springs Gardens and Historic Green Springs, and the Fairfax County Invasive Management Area Program Office. Volunteer hours in Community Education include: E110 Nature Programs, E111 Nature Center Information Desk, E132 Environmental Education Programs, E176 Get2Green. Our Citizen Science activities (captured mostly under C106) helped to collect data on wildlife populations, native plants, and other natural resources. A strongpoint for FMN is our Stewardship to FCPA and in 2021 we were active with S011 Park & Stream Valley Invasive Cleanups, S108 Invasive Plant Management, S109 Habitat and Parkland Management, S120 Roving Trail Naturalist, S182 Nature Center Animal Care.

Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority

https://www.novaparks.com

Today, NOVA Parks (as the organization came to be known in 2014) represents three counties and three cities — Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, the City of Alexandria, the City of Falls Church, and the City of Fairfax working together have preserved over 12,000 acres of rolling and wooded Virginia countryside. To support NVRPA parks, FMN members volunteer for native plant garden maintenance, trail work, invasive plant removal, trash clean ups and other related activities. Our work, captured under S178 NVRPA Stewardship Projects encompasses NVRPA’s Fairfax locations include Headquarters, Bull Run Regional Park, Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Occoquan Regional Park, Pohick Bay Regional Park, Upton Hill Regional (note: includes Fairfax and Arlington), and the region wide W&OD Railroad Regional Park.

In addition to FCPA and NVRPA, FMN members volunteered for these additional partners:

American Horticultural Society – River Farm

River Farm – American Horticultural Society (ahsgardening.org)

Animal Education and Rescue Organization

Animal Education and Rescue Organization – Keeping Virginia Wildlife Wild (aeroanimalrescue.org)

Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA)

www.nvbirdalliance.org

Earth Sangha

www.earthsangha.org

Fairfax Tree Stewards (FTS)

https://fairfaxtreestewards.org/

Friends of Accotink Creek