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Service Project at Monticello Park, November 19th

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Photo: Northern Parula by Randy Streufert

Sunday, November 19, 2023
1 – 3 pm
Monticello Park
320 Beverly Drive, Alexandria

This program is part of Audubon Society of Northern Virginia’s Stretch Our Parks initiative, in partnership with the staff of Alexandria Recreation, Parks and Culture.

Please join them for a service project in Monticello Park to restore trails damaged by erosion and remove non-native invasive plants to make room for more native plants that will benefit all of the park’s wildlife including its birdlife. This park is well loved among birders – so pitch in to help keep this gem of a park in good shape!

Please dress in layers, wear solid footwear and bring work gloves if you have them.

About Monticello Park: Among local birders, this 6.5-acre park is renowned for its great diversity of migrating warblers; nearly all eastern species have occurred here. The park’s creek is a focus for migrant activity, which is significant throughout the day. A steep canyon and creek are the prominent features of the site. This site was designated a Community Forest. Visit mpnature.com to learn more about the bird species that depend on this crucial migration stop-over.

Tree Rescue Time

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Cover photo: Jerry Nissley

Plant NOVA Trees needs help with their Tree Rescuers Program. At this time, they need volunteers to distribute door hangers designed to inform residents about invasive plant species that cause tree failure. Flyers could be handed out at your local HOA meeting, Friends Of group, or Neighborhood Citizens meeting. At the link below there are also short videos that could be shown at your organization’s meeting or the link could be sent to your constituency.
Interested volunteers may learn more about the program here:
At the bottom of their page click the ‘Contact Us Here’ link. In the comment field tell them you would like to distribute flyers.
Time spent distributing flyers or any general support to Native Nova Trees is approved for certification hours:
S861 Plant NoVA Trees – – VA Department of Forestry

Stream Cleanups, Invasive Removal and Habitat Restoration, and Stream Monitoring Activities for November and December

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Photo: Stream monitoring, Pohick Creek.  by J. Quinn

Stream Cleanups

There are dozens of calls for community action and volunteering, particularly for stream cleanups across the county and region, but here is one you may be interested in.

Surveys

Join these efforts to track biodiversity in the region by conducting surveys, monitoring nests, and more!

Invasive Removal and Habitat Restoration

Join these efforts to remove invasive species, repair trails, and otherwise beautify natural spaces!

  • Habitat Restoration- Friends of Accotink Creek – Klub Kudzu- reoccurring Mon/Thu/Fri in November and December, varying times and locations

  • Habitat Restoration Eakin Park – Friends of Accotink Creek– Saturdays December 3/10, Eakin Park in Annandale 

  • Invasive Plant Removal- Plant NOVA Natives– Tree Rescuers vine ID hands-on training opportunity- Wednesdays/Saturdays in November, varying times and locations

  • Invasive Plant Removal –Friends of Dyke Marsh– November 19 and December 3/17,10:00am- 12:00pm

Stream Monitoring

*NVSWCD Supervised Event*

VASOS Field Exam for Stream Monitoring Certification
When: Friday, November 11, from 3:00-5:00pm OR Saturday, November 12, from 1:00-3:00pm
Where: Wolftrap Creek Stream Valley Park, Vienna
This event is for volunteers taking the field exam only! If you are interested in becoming a certified stream monitor, click here for detailed steps and FAQs. Although it is not required, it is highly recommended to attend a workshop to get some field experience before taking this exam.

More Training and Stream Monitoring Opportunities

The Northern Virginia Water and Soil Conservation District (NVSWCD) is very excited to contribute their stream data to state and national datasets. If you’d like to see data from all the NVSWCD regional stream monitoring team’s active sites, you can find our organization on the Clean Water Hub. Keep in touch with NVSWCD on our Facebook and Instagram.

 

Help Save Blake Lane! Invasive management in October

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Photo:  FMN Jennifer Pradas

Saturdays, October 8, 15, 22 and 29, 2022
10 am
Blake Lane Park parking lot
10033 Blake Ln, Oakton

Two years ago, a group of citizens saved Blake Lane from being turned into a school. Now they need to save the park from invasive plants. The area is covered with bittersweet, porcelain berry, wisteria, mile-a-minute, stilt grass, Japanese honeysuckle, and others. They need help pulling and digging. They also need help maintaining a pollinator garden that the Girl Scouts planted a few years ago.

Pollinator garden photo: FMN Jennifer Pradas

The site leader for the Fairfax County Park Invasive Management Area Program will be hosting a workday almost every Saturday in October at BLake Lane Park in Oakton. There will NOT be a workday on Oct 1. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves, water, a snack, bug spray and long pants.

They hope to see you there! Please let Jennifer Pradas know ahead of time if you are planning on coming.

Clifton Institute Work Days, October 23rd & 30th

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Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Saturday, October 23, 2021
9 am – 12:30 pm

Invasive plant species crowd out native plants and provide little to no food for native animals. Every winter Clifton Institute works to remove invasive Autumn Olive from around their property and over the last few years they have made a lot of progress, thanks to all of their amazing volunteers! Join them on October 23 to start the 2021-2022 Autumn Olive removal season.

Registration is REQUIRED so that they can communicate with you in case of changes.

Saturday, October 30, 2021
9 am – 12:30 pm

In the spring Clifton Institute planted 975 tree seedlings along the stream in their native grassland. They need your help finishing the planting with a few more trees.

Registration is REQUIRED so that they can communicate with you in case of changes.

Tackle Invasives at Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, December 4th

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Photo: Plant NOVA Natives

Saturday, December 4, 2021
10am – Noon
Location below.
Register at [email protected]

Help Friends of Dyke Marsh remove invasive plants like porcelainberry vine, pictured above, on Saturday, December 4th. Meet at the native plant site. The native plant site is about half a mile down the Haul Road trail on the right side, past the second bench.  The site has a sign.
 
They will supply instructions, samples and trash bags.  Wear sturdy footwear, long pants and sleeves and sun protection.  Bring gloves, a hand clipper, insect repellent and water.  They have a few tools to share.

Haul Road Trail Directions and Parking:

GPS: 38.777739, -77.050540

Turn off the Parkway onto the road to Dyke Marsh Nature Preserve and Belle Haven Marina.
Take the first left to go up to Belle Haven Park parking.
Walk back to the marina road, cross the road, then 30 yards to the left is the beginning of Haul Road.
There are 2 posts with a chain across them.

Event canceled if lightning or severe storms are anticipated.

Club Kudzu with Friends of Accotink Creek

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Photo: NPS.gov

Every Friday, 12 – 3 pm
RSVP

Save this parkland from “the vine that ate the South!” Arrive anytime and stay as long as you wish. They recommend sturdy work shoes, long pants, and long sleeves. Water and work gloves will be available. From Braddock Road, go south to the end of Danbury Forest Drive. Park on the street and follow the footpath uphill past the tot lot. Turn left on the main trail and go about 400 yards to the worksite on the right.

Blue Ridge PRISM Summer Invasive Plant Workshops (Virtual)

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Dates to choose from: Saturday, June 12, 2021 (1:00 – 4:00 pm) OR
Thursday, June 24, 2021 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm)
Registration required.

Blue Ridge PRISM’s Summer Invasive Plant Workshop will enable you to learn how to confidently identify and manage invasive plants best identified and controlled during the summer months. Blue Ridge PRISM’s workshops are being conducted virtually and contain the same content as in-person workshops except that the outdoor elements will be conducted when it is safe to do so.

Topics covered in this session include:
Identifying invasive plants
Which invasives you can best kill now
Which invasives you should treat later
Best seasonal practices for each invasive
Using manual & mechanical control methods
Methods for controlling invasives with herbicides
Choosing the right herbicide and equipment, and using it properly
Planning a work schedule with best timings for multiple plants

A Choice on MLK Day of Service, January 18th

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A Dyke Marsh inlet. Photo by Ned Stone.

January 18, 2021
10am – Noon
Meet at the Belle Haven Park south parking lot registration table. This will be canceled if there are heavy storms or lightning that morning.

Friends of Dyke Marsh and National Park Service will host two activities:

(1) a shoreline trash cleanup and

(2) removing English ivy from trees.

Volunteers can choose either activity. You do not need prior plant identification experience.

To follow covid-19 protocols, we must require registration and limit participants to 15 people in each group. We will provide work gloves, tools, trash bags and hand sanitizer.

Wear a mask, sturdy shoes, long pants and sleeves, winter gloves and sun protection. Bring your own water.

Register here and indicate your choice:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=urWTBhhLe02TQfMvQApUlHWAzFDL3hpMiePFqcjTpuxUMTVQUzZRSFo1WEdST1JaTTk5MkZTSTlXUy4u

Invasive Management/Habitat Restoration at Lake Accotink Park

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Lake Accotink Park
7500 Accotink Park Rd., Springfield VA
Saturdays in September 2020
8 – 10 am

The Lake Accotink Park Invasive Management group, which has made tremendous gains against non-native invasive plants at a location at Lake Accotink Park, started having invasive management work days again. They would love to have you join them whether you’re experienced or just beginning. They are cutting back invasive Porcelain Berry, digging up the very pervasive Porcelain Berry roots, removing Japanese Stilt Grass, Oriental Bittersweet, Multiflora Rose: the usual suspects.
For a while they couldn’t have any invasive work days, but then they went to having ten volunteers at a site. Now they can have up to fifty volunteers, so they’ve been making a lot of progress working within current safety protocols.
To volunteer, contact Beverly Rivera (571) 314-2107.