Text and photos by Susan Berry, except as noted. On Saturday June 3, 2023, ARMN co-hosted a successful tour and clean-up of Four Mile Run Park in Alexandria. This was the second time in 2023 that ARMN partnered with the Alexandria Library system to host a nature-based event. And we’re confident there will be opportunitiesContinue reading “ARMN and the Alexandria Library System Enjoy a Tidy Collaboration at Four Mile Run Park”
Category Archives: Events
Join the 2023 City Nature Challenge, April 28-May 1!
by Caroline Haynes Mark your calendars for April 28 through May 1 to participate in the 2023 City Nature Challenge (CNC). Join your friends, family, and neighbors in this fun annual nature event. What is the City Nature Challenge? The CNC encourages interest in discovering urban nature by having individuals observe, record, and identify theContinue reading “Join the 2023 City Nature Challenge, April 28-May 1!”
ARMN Winter Book Share: Food for the Body, Mind, and Spirit!
Text by Lori Bowes; photos by Rodney Olsen Once or twice a year for the past decade, ARMN members and friends who enjoy nature writings meet at a local restaurant for a Book Share event. In February, we met in the Ballston Quarter food court where everyone could select their own lunch. Most people optedContinue reading “ARMN Winter Book Share: Food for the Body, Mind, and Spirit!”
Nature Two Ways at Green Spring Gardens: A Wildlife Hike, and “Birds, Blooms, and Beasts” Photography Exhibit
By Elaine Kolish Although the weather on January 8, 2023 was chilly and overcast, the mood of the 15 or so ARMN members who turned out for the back-to-back events at Green Spring Gardens (GSG) was warm and sunny. Organized by Cynthia Ferentinos, the afternoon began with an hour-long hike, followed by a 30-minute viewingContinue reading “Nature Two Ways at Green Spring Gardens: A Wildlife Hike, and “Birds, Blooms, and Beasts” Photography Exhibit “
Martin Luther King, Jr., Weekend – Nature Volunteering Events
Come volunteer to help heal the environment on Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service Weekend, Jan 14-16, 2023! You’re invited to join Arlington Regional Master Naturalist (ARMN) Park Stewards to remove non-native invasive plants and help restore the natural ecosystem, while enjoying time outdoors with community members in our area’s beautiful parks. WearContinue reading “Martin Luther King, Jr., Weekend – Nature Volunteering Events”
Trees Taking Root in Ben Brenman Park
Text and Images by Devin Reese Recently I participated as an ARMN volunteer for a tree planting event at the Ben Brenman Park in Alexandria. The event was hosted by the Tree Stewards of Arlington and Alexandria. When I arrived, an impressively large group of volunteers was watching a tree planting demonstration. D.C. area nativeContinue reading “Trees Taking Root in Ben Brenman Park“
ARMN Ozone Bio-indicator Garden: Report From the 2022 Growing Season
by Leslie Cameron The ozone bio-indicator garden at the Walter Reed Community Center (WRCC) is concluding its second full growing season. Arlington Regional Master Naturalists installed the garden in 2020 and are collecting data on the impact of tropospheric or ground level-ozone air pollution on plants, in cooperation with NASA, the Harvard Smithsonian Center forContinue reading “ARMN Ozone Bio-indicator Garden: Report From the 2022 Growing Season”
Arlington County Fair: Candy Worms, Native Plants, and a “Spotted Lanternfly” Make a Fun Event for Visitors and Master Naturalists Alike
Text and photos by Marj Signer More than two dozen ARMN members shared their love of nature with numerous visitors at the Arlington County Fair, August 19-21 at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center. The ARMN exhibit space provided an opportunity for members of the public to learn about their master naturalist neighbors’ passion about nature.Continue reading “Arlington County Fair: Candy Worms, Native Plants, and a “Spotted Lanternfly” Make a Fun Event for Visitors and Master Naturalists Alike“
ARMN Summer Chapter Meeting Highlights the Four Mile Run Conservancy Foundation and Mini Bioblitz
Text and photos by Rod Mackler, unless otherwise noted. ARMN held its summer chapter meeting in Alexandria’s Four Mile Run Park. The “Arlington Region” for the Arlington Regional Master Naturalists includes Alexandria, Falls Church City, and parts of Fairfax County, as well as Arlington County. It was a glorious day, with temperatures in the 70sContinue reading “ARMN Summer Chapter Meeting Highlights the Four Mile Run Conservancy Foundation and Mini Bioblitz”
Stemming Erosion and Shoring Up a Learning Space in the Jerome Buddie Ford Nature Center Pollinator Garden
Text and photos by Devin Reese Explains Master Naturalist Valerie LaTortue who stewards the Pollinator Garden at the Jerome Buddie Ford Nature Center, “Today, we are working on a teaching area and rainwater garden. When it rains hard, water pours off the roof, and the flow moves everything downhill.” Valerie has organized a volunteer crewContinue reading “Stemming Erosion and Shoring Up a Learning Space in the Jerome Buddie Ford Nature Center Pollinator Garden”