By Liz Macklin Early this spring in Arlington’s Barcroft Park, in clearings far from busy athletic fields, volunteers installed two boxes for nesting Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis). Painted white to minimize heat from the sun, the boxes sat atop tall metal poles with baffles attached to prevent hungry snakes and other predators from climbing. WireContinue reading “Bluebirds Find New Homes in Barcroft Park”
Author Archives: ncleeland
Meet Virginia’s Three Venomous Snakes, and a Common One That’s Harmless
By Colleen O’Hara Photos by John White/Virginia Herpetological Society Snakes love summer’s heat, so you’re more likely to spot them these days while out on a hike or even in your yard. But don’t worry: There’s typically nothing to fear from these encounters. Of the 34 snake species and subspecies in Virginia, nearly all are harmless toContinue reading “Meet Virginia’s Three Venomous Snakes, and a Common One That’s Harmless”
Volunteers Share the Joy of Local Nature at the Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market
By Eric Weyer It is tempting to think of nature as something that exists only in wild, untouched places: the forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the salt marshes of the Eastern Shore, or the flood-swept islands of the Potomac. But the wondrous beauty of nature can be found even in the most developed ofContinue reading “Volunteers Share the Joy of Local Nature at the Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market”