Text and photos by Nancy Cleeland Like rust, English ivy never sleeps. It escapes yards and creeps down embankments and over rocks and up trees all year long. Planted by colonists in the 1700s and still sold in garden centers as a carefree ground cover, this ivy smothers the ground with dense mats and drapesContinue reading “English Ivy, a Deadly Invasive, is a Winter Target for Removal from Local Parks”
Category Archives: English Ivy Removal
Clipping, Pulling, and Uprooting Invasive Plants to Restore Fort Scott Park
Text and photos by Devin Reese, unless otherwise noted. When I arrived to volunteer for a recent invasive removal event at Fort Scott Park in South Arlington, I was drawn to Park Steward Terri McPalmer’s wheelbarrow full of gloves, poison ivy protection, clippers, and other essentials. It also contained a long white metal tool thatContinue reading “Clipping, Pulling, and Uprooting Invasive Plants to Restore Fort Scott Park“
Sometimes the Small Things Tell the Real Story: Windy Run Park
Text and photos by Glenn Tobin I was Zoom talking with a small group of ARMN Park Stewards the other day about what inspires us as we help restore ecosystems in our parks. (ARMN Park Stewards are volunteer leaders who work with local park management and staff to help preserve, enhance, restore, and potentially expandContinue reading “Sometimes the Small Things Tell the Real Story: Windy Run Park”
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Teddy Roosevelt, A Great Match for a Day of Service!
By Caroline Haynes Over 100 individuals gathered on Theodore Roosevelt Island to participate in a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on January 20th. Despite the chilly 24 degrees, it was an otherwise sunny day, and enthusiastic volunteers warmed to the task of cutting non-native invasive plants that have overrun many parts of theContinue reading “Martin Luther King, Jr. and Teddy Roosevelt, A Great Match for a Day of Service!”
ARMN: Getting to Know Susan Berry
By Alison Sheahan and Susan Berry. Photos courtesy of Pablo Nuesch ARMN’s Membership Committee posts occasional profiles of our members, including how they came to be master naturalists, which parts of nature they most enjoy, and how they affect their environment. This latest biography features ARMN Member Susan Berry, who graduated from our training classContinue reading “ARMN: Getting to Know Susan Berry”
New Life for Nauck Woods
by Sue Dingwell and Lori Bowes A treasured historic woodland area in South Arlington has been restored to its native glory with the help of some dedicated volunteers. Here is the story of the Nauck Woods and the folks who helped revive it. (Photos by Sue Dingwell unless otherwise noted.) Nothing can stop an ARMNContinue reading “New Life for Nauck Woods”
Powhatan Springs Skatepark: An ARMN Community Work-in-Progress
by Bill Browning Bill Browning, an ARMN Board member and dedicated volunteer, recounts how he and fellow ARMN member, Matt Parker, spearheaded an effort to revive the neglected wooded area of Powhatan Springs Skatepark with the help of the community. Following our graduation from the Fall 2013 ARMN Basic Training course, Matt Parker and IContinue reading “Powhatan Springs Skatepark: An ARMN Community Work-in-Progress”
ARMN Member Mary McLean Wins Bill Thomas Award
The Arlington Regional Master Naturalists proudly announce that on April 21, 2015, ARMN member Mary McLean was named a recipient of the Bill Thomas Outstanding Park Service Volunteer Award for her work in 2014. McLean is a steward at Tuckahoe Park in Arlington and her specialty is invasive plants. Since the early 2000s, she hasContinue reading “ARMN Member Mary McLean Wins Bill Thomas Award”
Earth Month 2015: Ways to Show You Care
April is Earth Month, and events to commemorate Earth Day’s 45th anniversary are right around the corner! Here are a number of opportunities––open to all––to participate in cleanups, view gardens with native plants that beautify and support local wildlife, learn how to take care for the environment, and celebrate our home on Earth. Spring GardenContinue reading “Earth Month 2015: Ways to Show You Care”
Got CabIn Fever? Try the Invasives-Pull Cure!
Does this grinding winter weather have you feeling cooped up and claustrophobic? Get out and get moving at one of March’s scheduled invasive pulls. Take out your frustrations on plants that don’t belong in our area’s lovely parks. Dress for the weather, wear rugged shoes or boots, and bring your own gloves and drinking water.Continue reading “Got CabIn Fever? Try the Invasives-Pull Cure!”