By Todd Minners I was able to attend a national workshop in August as ARMN’s representative in the Ozone Bioindicator Garden Network. Our own garden was established in 2020 at the Walter Reed Community Center and has been tracked each year since the 2021 growing season. [For more information about the garden, see “ARMN’s OzoneContinueContinue reading “National Ozone Bioindicator Garden Network Workshop: a Great Learning Experience for ARMN’s Own Ozone Garden”
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ARMN’s Ozone Bioindicator Garden: Year Six
By Barbara Hoffheins Introduction What can a leaf tell us about the air we breathe? Quite a lot, as visitors to ARMN’s Ozone Bioindicator Garden at the Walter Reed Community Center discover during the garden’s sixth growing season. Established in 2020 as part of the National Ozone Garden Network, the garden uses specially selected ozone-sensitiveContinueContinue reading “ARMN’s Ozone Bioindicator Garden: Year Six”
From Acorn to Forest: Help Virginia Grow Its Next Generation of Trees
Nut Collection Period: September 8 – October 11 By Laura Gilmore Those acorns piling up in your yard this fall could become Virginia’s forests of tomorrow. Fall in Virginia comes with familiar signs: cooler mornings, changing leaves, and, if you have oak trees nearby, probably a lot of acorns. If you are like Rosemary Jann,ContinueContinue reading “From Acorn to Forest: Help Virginia Grow Its Next Generation of Trees”
Visiting a Raven’s Nest in a Wheelchair: An Experience of Challenges and Wonder
Text and images by Melanie LaForce Disabled people face an incredible number of difficulties in life. For example, there are complications when providing an outdoor experience for individuals in wheelchairs. But, while getting out in nature may seem daunting, with planning and foresight, wheelchair-bound people can be empowered to experience the natural world in aContinueContinue reading “Visiting a Raven’s Nest in a Wheelchair: An Experience of Challenges and Wonder”
It’s Finally Fall: A Great Time of Year to Install New Natives!
Visit these Upcoming Sales for Great Options and Advice Text and photos by Kasha Helget Do you think you’d have to wait till next spring to install beautiful native plants in your garden? Not true! There are a number of places getting ready to offer the perfect plants to benefit local wildlife and spruce upContinueContinue reading “It’s Finally Fall: A Great Time of Year to Install New Natives!”
WHERE’S WALDO? Find Kitten-Cute Treefrogs for Fun and Science
Photos and Text by Barbara J. Saffir Look closely. I mean REALLY closely. A hidden treasure that sparked a global study could be hiding in plain sight: mutant blue-colored frogs. And they’re back this summer at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria and Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge—and just waiting to be discovered. Be the first to findContinueContinue reading “WHERE’S WALDO? Find Kitten-Cute Treefrogs for Fun and Science”
Fighting Bush Honeysuckle Without Herbicide
Text and images by Alisa Wong At Four Mile Run Park in Alexandria, the challenge is familiar to many habitat restoration practitioners: there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of mature bush honeysuckle shrubs (Lonicera spp.), which are invasive Eurasian plants, many standing 5 to 7 feet tall. These plants are also a challenge for homeowners. WithContinueContinue reading “Fighting Bush Honeysuckle Without Herbicide”
A Summer Sparkle: Why Fireflies Need Our Help
by Desirée-Marie De Haven When you think of summer nights as a kid, do you picture chasing fireflies? I certainly do. Growing up in rural Virginia, summer evenings meant running through the yard with a mason jar in hand, carefully recreating the “perfect” firefly habitat inside. We’d poke air holes in the lid, add aContinueContinue reading “A Summer Sparkle: Why Fireflies Need Our Help”
When the River Gets Sick: Ecological Effects of the Potomac Sewage Spill
by Laura Gilmore The iconic Great Falls of the Potomac River. In winter, the Potomac River can look deceptively quiet. The boats are gone. The lilies are dormant. Many fish are absent from the shallows. Ecologically, however, the winter months are not an off-season. Beneath the surface, the tidal freshwater Potomac River, which includes theContinueContinue reading “When the River Gets Sick: Ecological Effects of the Potomac Sewage Spill”
Microplastics for Microorganisms: How Caddisfly Larvae May Use Microfibers for their Homes
Text and images by Joseph Barnes, except as noted. I was about a month into the ARMN Spring 2026 Basic Training course, juggling work and classes, while knowing I would have to miss a field trip focused on stream macroinvertebrates (animals without a backbone that can be seen with the naked eye). Fortunately, a fewContinueContinue reading “Microplastics for Microorganisms: How Caddisfly Larvae May Use Microfibers for their Homes”