Posts

Butterfly Identification Workshop with Dr. Leslie Ries, June 18th

/in , /by

Photo: Emily Carter Mitchell, Zebra Swallowtail

Tuesday, June 18, 2024
7 – 8:30 PM
Virtual
ASNV Members $10/Non-members $15
Register here.

The sight of butterflies fluttering around on a warm day is one of the most iconic signs of summer. These beautiful insects usually only live for 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. Dr. Leslie Ries will focus on identifying the 20 most common butterflies in Northern Virginia.

Participants will also learn about the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Survey on Saturday, June 29 and how to register to participate.

To prepare for this program, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia encourages you to purchase a copy of Butterflies of the Mid-Atlantic, a Field Guide, by Robert Blakney and Judy Gallagher.

Leslie Ries is an ecologist who focuses on patterns at both medium and large scales. She has worked in the fields of landscape ecology and biogeography with a focus mainly on butterflies. Her current research looks at large-scale patterns.

Survey: Meadowood Butterfly and Dragonfly Survey, October 20th

/in , /by

Photo by Plant NOVA Natives, Mourning Cloak Butterfly

  

Meadowood Recreation Area
10406 Gunston Road
Lorton, VA, 22079 United States (map)

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.

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 us to make a reservation here.

Winter Waterfowl Count, February 11th and 12th

/in , , /by

Photo: Huntley Meadows ducks by FMN Ana Ka’ahanui

Saturday and Sunday, February 11-12, 2023
7:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Where: To be Announced
Members: FREE
Non-members: FREE

Registration required.

The Winter Waterfowl Count is a citizen science effort organized by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia to track data about winter waterfowl. This survey complements the Christmas Bird Count, and the data is shared openly with the public. When it started in 2008, ASNV volunteers covered the Potomac River from Algonkian Regional Park in Loudoun County to Quantico Marine Base in Prince William County, as well as many inland bodies of water. In 2020 ASNV expanded the survey by to include areas along the Potomac River in King George and Westmoreland Counties down to the mouth of the Potomac River where it empties into Chesapeake Bay. See the results from last year’s count here.

Although we expect many veterans from past years to return, we can always use new volunteers. Beginners are welcome but we strongly encourage them to attend the Duck and Waterfowl Identification webinar on February 2 and participate in the field trip on February 4. Each volunteer will be assigned to a team led by an experienced birder. Each team determines the start time, which will vary between 7 and 8:30am. End times may also vary depending on assigned survey locations.

This count is organized by Larry Cartwight. The deadline to register is Thursday, February 9 at 9:00 PM so that you can be assigned to a team in time for the count on Saturday morning.

Larry Cartwright is an avid birder and leads several avian related surveys in Northern Virginia. He lectures on birds and birding for the Lifetime Learning Institute at Northern Virginia Community College. His lecture topics have included the evolution of birds from feathered theropod dinosaurs and birding in the Alaskan tundra. Larry has received several awards from scientific and conservation organizations, including the Virginia Society of Ornithology’s Jackson M. Abbott Conservation Award for 2013.

For FMN’s: Record service hours under ASNV– C036: ASNV Waterfowl Count – Audubon Society of Northern Virginia.  Please include project details in the notes section when entering service hours.

Fairfax County Community Survey, complete by Dec. 21st

/in /by

Every five years, each Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) office across the state undergoes a situation analysis, to assess the needs of their county or region. This community survey is a vital piece of the VCE Fairfax situation analysis. 

The purpose of this survey is to gather information about issues in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church. Please take a few minutes to share your opinions. Your responses will help shape Virginia Cooperative Extension programs in Fairfax. The survey is anonymous. We appreciate your time in completing this survey.  Take the survey.
 Please respond by Friday, December 21, 2018.

Virginia Cooperative Extension takes pride in providing educational programs targeting the most pressing issues, problems, and needs of the local community. For more information on VCE Fairfax, please contact our office: https://fairfax.ext.vt.edu/