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Afternoon at the Smithsonian – Time Well Spent

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Cover photo: Susan Martel

The first ‘Afternoon at the Smithsonian’ CE tour was a big success.

Ocean Hall. Photo – Sarah Miller

This tour identifies the relationship of some Natural History Museum exhibits to the natural environment of Virginia including the geologic history, mineralogy, entomology, osteology, evolution, mammalogy, and many other topics.  Some of the take-aways include an introduction of how the NMNH’s display collection can be used to enrich the naturalist’s understanding of science, the scientific method, and some techniques that are applicable to naturalists’ domain of interests; as well as some facts related to the natural condition and history of Virginia.

Photo – Sarah Miller

The CE tour was developed and led by FMN Dr. John Kelmelis. He is former Chief Scientist for Geography for the U.S. Geological Survey, Senior Counselor for Earth Science at the U.S. Department of State, former Professor of Science, Technology and International Policy 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 many national and international scientific organizations.  He is a volunteer and docent at the Smithsonian Institution and a Virginia Master Naturalist in the Fairfax County chapter.

Talking bones. Photo – Susan Martel

While the tour inevitably talked ‘big picture’ natural science concepts, the attendees mentioned they appreciated how John tailored his discussions towards the Virginia area and even specific FMN course material when appropriate.
In general, tour topics covered and Halls visited include:
1. Geology Gems and Minerals Hall
2. Butterfly Pavilion (in passing) and Insect Zoo
3. Bones
4. Ocean Hall
5. Deep time
6. Mammals
7. Ornithology

Geology. Photo – Sarah Miller

Everyone walked away from the program feeling it was two hours very well spent. FMNs on the tour were: Susan Martel, Peter Mecca, Margaret Coffey, Ramona Bourgeois, Sarah Miller, and Liz Nalle. Thank you to Susan and Sarah for sharing photos of the event.

John will schedule more tours over the course of the next several months as his schedule permits.

Our world is a creation of inordinate complexity, richness, and strangeness that is absolutely fascinating. Come – see for yourself.

Keep an eye on upcoming FMN newsletters for CE announcements.

Kayak Adventure

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Rafting up to start the float. (Photo Jerry Nissley)

On 30 July, 2023 FMN offered its first of (hopefully) several CE Kayak Adventures. Everything worked out to a T and what a nice evening it was too. Perfect weather, full moon, eagles, herons, frogs in our boats, high tide, and Tom (the lead guide) managed to navigate the group through the hydrilla to observe an active eagle nest.

The evening tour at Mason Neck State Park (MNSP) consisted of a 2 hour tour into Belmont Bay and the back waters of Kane’s Creek. The round trip is a leisurely 4.5 mile paddle through islands of spatterdock to where MNSP borders the Elizabeth Hartwell Wildlife Refuge. The turn around point is at an eagle nest that has been reused for many years by the same mated pair.

Frogs in our boats! (Photo Jerry Nissley)

We saw two mature eagles and at least one of this year’s fledglings. The group discussed the local wetland plants, birds, geography, Native American culture, and colonial history of Mason Neck Peninsula. Mason Neck supports a large rookery of great blue herons and many migratory species such as white egrets, osprey, various water fowl, and song birds. Wetland plants identified and discussed included spatterdock, pickerel weed, arrow arum, wild rice, and swamp mallow (hibiscus).

We started the float around dusk atop glass smooth water with a cool summer breeze at our backs. While deep in the gut of Kane’s Creek we stopped to admire the eagle nest and discuss the eagle’s importance to the conservation of the peninsula. Our return leg was gently accompanied by an ebbing tide, the serenade of frogs, and the sibilant song of insects. We finished the evening gliding in under the shine of a full moon.

Paddling through spatterdock into the sunset (Photo Jerry Nissley)

The paddle adventure adhered to Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) regulations, so the tour was limited to 12 boaters and two certified guides. FMN provided the guides who have been trained and skill certified by DCR. Both guides (along with 5 other FMN) are currently registered with Mason Neck State Park and provided introductory paddling and safety tips to the group prior to the float. Not a single paddler was lost!

To the moon. (Photo Pete Thiringer)

A big thank you to FMN Program Chair Laura Anderko for arranging the event with MNSP and one of our new chapter advisors, MNSP ranger Jamie Leeuwrik.
Participants were Deb Hammer, Kathyrn Pasternak, Marilyn Schroeder, Pam Alexander, Margaret Coffey, Cyndi Perry, John Kelmelis, Meg Oakley, Pete Thiringer, Julie Shaw, and Kristin Bauersfeld; with Tom Blackburn and Jerry Nissley as the guides.

Great News to Share About the FMN Chapter Project at Mason Neck State Park – Volunteers Are Still Needed

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FMN Chapter Project update and photo from Sarah Mayhew, President, Fairfax Chapter Virginia Master Naturalists:

After three very busy workdays, the Mason Neck State Park Pollinator Gardens are looking great. Fairfax Master Naturalists, working with volunteers from the Friends of Mason Neck State Park, have weeded four flower beds around the Visitors Center building. They installed 50 plants into rock hard ground. Finally, the beds were aerated with garden forks and top dressed with a 5-inch-thick layer of compost.  June 17th marked the last scheduled workday. The volunteers cleaned out two of the rain barrels and sat up soaker hoses in two of the beds in front of the Visitors Center. A third rain barrel was examined to figure out why it wasn’t holding water.  Now, it is time to switch to a “maintenance” schedule. The project will need volunteer support on the second Saturday and the second Tuesday of each month.

The project also has a focus on the Meadow or Circle Garden, which is a fenced area in the middle of the road when you drive up to the Visitors’ Center. This garden has well-established sun-loving flowers, shrubs and trees. A volunteer from the Friends has been spreading arborist wood chips in this area for several weeks. There is a need to spread some compost around the established plants to give them a boost as well as a need to help the Friends finish spreading the wood chips.

Helpful tools for this work include shovels, pitch forks, and rakes to spread the compost and wood chips. If you have a wheelbarrow or cart, please bring it to carry the compost and wood chips short distances to the Meadow Garden. Seeing a finished flower bed at the end of two hours brings great satisfaction. PLEASE, come join us, and become a part of this wonderful FMN Chapter Project!  Sign up is easy; just click this link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c4ba9a72fa6fc1-mason#/

In addition to the regular workdays, volunteers from both organizations have watered every other day to keep the seedlings alive (there are slots on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and a weekend day). This is an easy job, as the hose is right in front of the Visitors’ Center and reaches to all the beds. The Friends have done most of the watering so far. FMN volunteers are needed to help support watering the beds during weeks in July and August. It would be best to have someone claim a slot for a month, this would give the volunteer time to become familiar with the gardens. However, feel free to volunteers as your schedule will allow.  Please contact Sarah Mayhew at [email protected] to volunteer for watering. When you volunteer you get free entrance into the park and can spend the rest of the day kayaking, hiking and birding. Or you can just sit, listen to the birds sing, read a good book, and admire the view across Belmont Bay. The park even provides rocking chairs!

FMN CE Event Recap: Wandering through the Wildflowers at Riverbend Park with Alonso Abugattas

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Photo of Alonso Abugattas by FMN Laura Anderko

On April 23, 2023, Fairfax Master Naturalists spent a cool, sunny Sunday hiking with native plant expert Alonso Abugattas to learn more about native and invasive wildflowers. FMN members in attendance learned to identify many native plants such as Canada Waterleaf, Star Chickweed, Wild Blue Phlox, Smooth Solomon’s Seal, False Solomon’s Seal, Spring Beauty, Ramps/Wild Leeks, Sweet Cicely, Virginia Bluebells, Blue and Cream Violets, Clustered Snakeroot, Sessile Trillium, and Kidney Leafed Buttercup. Non-natives included Gill over the Ground, Garlic Mustard, Bulbous Buttercup and Star of Bethlehem. Participants also heard stories about the folklore and uses of a variety of wildflowers. One example, the Spring Beauty plant is also known as fairy spuds for its small potato-like edible roots. See photos below for more.

Photo by Laura Anderko, Canada Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum canadense)

Photo by FMN Laura Anderko, Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)

2023 City Nature Challenge Brainstorming Event! March 9th

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Logo: Courtesy of City Nature Challenge DC

Thursday, March 9, 2023
6:00 – 7:00 pm

Virtual meeting

Registration and additional information.

Fairfax Master Naturalists!
The 2023 City Nature Challenge will take place from April 28th to May 7th this year. Master Naturalists are invited to contribute their knowledge and engagement skills to engage as many people as possible with nature observation. If you’ve been thinking about how to make your own observations count, are considering leading a small group of resident observers, or supporting a local classroom, inspiring friends and neighbors to try out iNaturalist, or you’d like to use the City Nature Challenge to bring attention to biodiversity in your favorite park or neighborhood, then this meeting is for you! Join this meeting to brainstorm new activities and share past adventures, on Thursday, March 9th from 6:00 – 7:00 pm.

City Nature Challenge activities will qualify for service hours: C260 City Nature Challenge – Capital Nature

 

FMN Quarterly Chapter Meeting, September 20th

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Monday, September 20, 2021
7-9 pm
Zoom
Email [email protected] for the link

Fairfax Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists will hold their Quarterly Chapter Meeting in a remote format on Monday, September 20 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. We’re not quite ready to hold in-person meetings yet with our county maintaining a substantial level of COVID transmission per the CDC. Keep your fingers crossed for December.

We’re going to change things up this meeting. Instead of focusing on plants or animals, we’re going to lean towards geology and learn about historic shoreline change on the Potomac River, including substantial wrecks and ruins that are now fisheries habitat. OK, we may learn a little about local fish. Our speaker, Wayne Young, has an MS in Natural Resources, is a member of the Coastal Conservation Association, and is the author of four books about fishing reefs and maritime disasters on the Chesapeake and Potomac.

FMN Chapter Meeting: Native Bees, June 21

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Augochloropsis metallica, a species of sweat bee; photo: USGS

Monday, June 21, 2021
7 – 9pm
Zoom

This chapter meeting will include the graduation ceremony for the Spring 2021 Basic Training Class.

Deana Crumbling will provide a presentation about native bees. Deana worked as a chemist with the U.S. EPA for 21 years and retired in 2019 to start a one-person business offering analysis of lead and arsenic in soil. She volunteered with the U.S. Geological Survey to learn how to identify native bees and watches bees in her suburban yard which has been converted to native habitat.

Please email Janet Quinn at [email protected] to receive the link.

FMN Annual Chapter Meeting includes Lanternfly Training, December 14th

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Photo from nps.gov

Monday, December 14, 2020
7 – 8:30 pm
Request Zoom link by emailing [email protected]

Rachel Griesmer will talk about spotted lanternfly, an invasive planthopper new to Virginia. Rachel is an urban forester with Fairfax County Forest Pest Management Branch. She earned a Bachelor of Science in environmental biology and botany from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in forest ecology and management from Michigan Technological University. She holds certifications from the International Society of Arboriculture as a Certified Arborist as wells as a Qualified Tree Risk Assessor and has participated in suppression programs for invasive insects.

The meeting will also include the graduation of our Spring 2020 Basic Training class and an election for some key board positions.

FMN Quarterly Chapter Meeting, 21 September

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Photo by Jason Gunn Burton

Monday, 21 September 2020
7 pm
Zoom link forthcoming

Two speakers have been scheduled to engage us in our natural curiosity. Each presentation will last about 45 minutes. A Zoom link will be sent out through our FMN GoogleGroup for your connection convenience. Please email [email protected] if you are not on our GoogleGroup and would like the link. This is a public event.

Jay Lechtman will talk about carnivorous plants. Jay, a resident of the Wolf Trap area of Fairfax County, has been an enthusiastic amateur botanist for more than 30 years. He learned about both basic (e.g. stratification) and advanced (e.g. smoke water, gibberelic acid) methods of germinating seeds as part of his involvement in propagating rare and often endangered carnivorous plants, many of which are native to the Eastern United States, including several in Virginia. As a former journalist and a published author, he has written a number of articles on botanical topics in both local and international publications, including Grandiflora MidAtlantic Gardening Magazine.

Nick Walker will talk about the American Eel. Nick is a conservation biologist and the mayor of Eel Town. He runs the eeltown.org website. Nick is an environmental scientist focused on American Eel research, taking an integrative approach that combines natural science, social science and cultural science. In addition to his eel work he’s been a park ranger, an award-winning teacher, owns Journal Editors of America LLC and is the Mayor of Eel Town. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science & Public Policy from George Mason University and an M.Sc. in Animal Biology from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa. He founded Eel Town in 2017.

FMN Quarterly Chapter Meeting and Bluebird Box Monitoring presentation, Mar. 16th — CANCELLED!

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Hidden Oaks Nature Center
7701 Royce St., Annandale VA
Monday, 16 March 2020
7:30 pm

The Fairfax Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists will hold a short quarterly chapter meeting which will be followed by a presentation from volunteers who monitor bluebird boxes. They work on behalf of the Virginia Bluebird Society which was founded in 1996 to promote bluebirds and other native cavity nesters. Volunteers record data and ensure that boxes are clean and free of pests to promote bluebird breeding success.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Please join us to learn about this worthwhile project and how you can become a nest box volunteer.

Parking at Hidden Oaks is limited, but there is overflow parking at the Fred M. Packard Center, 4022 Hummer Rd., Annandale, VA 22003. It is just a short walk along a wooded trail to the Hidden Oaks Nature Center from the parking lot.

Master naturalists earn one hour of continuing education credit for the presentation and can record service hours under code C034: Bluebird Trails if they participate in the project.