Text and photos by Kasha Helget Think you have to wait till next spring to purchase native plants? Think again!! Below are locations where you can purchase the perfect plants to benefit local wildlife and spruce up your yard, too. Autumn is the best time to install new perennials, trees, and shrubs with warmer soilsContinueContinue reading “Autumn 2025 Native Plant Sales: The Best Time of Year to Install New Natives!”
Category Archives: Focus Service Projects
Digging into the History and Mystery of an Arlington Streambank
Text and photos by Hutch Brown. As county volunteers, my son Alex and I routinely monitor Arlington’s streams for water-polluting bacteria (E. coli). Our current site is upper Lubber Run in Woodlawn Park, a small urban park in a relatively flat part of Arlington. While taking water samples in spring 2024, Alex noticed an anomalyContinueContinue reading “Digging into the History and Mystery of an Arlington Streambank”
2025 Martin Luther King, Jr., Weekend Nature Volunteering Events
Although the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service coincides with Inauguration Day in 2025, there are many volunteer events to help heal our environment during the weekend of Jan 18-20, 2025. Below are nearby opportunities to remove non-native invasive plants and help restore natural ecosystems, while enjoying time outdoors with community members in ourContinueContinue reading “2025 Martin Luther King, Jr., Weekend Nature Volunteering Events”
Leaving a “Legacy on this Planet”: A Collaborative Tree-planting Event and Demonstration
by Devin Reese (text and photos) Saturday, September 28th was an unusual day in Alexandria’s Mt. Jefferson Park. A four-part collaboration (between the City’s Urban Forestry department, Tree Stewards of Arlington and Alexandria, Alexandria Beautification Commission, and Arlington Regional Master Naturalists) inspired more than two dozen people to lend a hand in planting trees. ByContinueContinue reading “Leaving a “Legacy on this Planet”: A Collaborative Tree-planting Event and Demonstration”
Native Plant Sales Galore!
Planning Your Wildlife-Friendly Garden This piece is an excerpt from the September 2024 Capital Nature Newsletter about the transition from summer to fall. It highlights upcoming fall native plant sales and activities to support and protect wildlife in yards. Enjoy! Native plant sales abound in September and October. See our growing list of plant eventsContinueContinue reading “Native Plant Sales Galore!”
Reestablishing Itea virginica at Little Hunting Creek
By Matt Bright Founded in 1997, the Earth Sangha operates a volunteer-based ecological restoration program for the greater Washington, DC, region. The program is designed to conserve and restore the native plant communities that are essential to the region’s ecological health. At the heart of the program is our Wild Plant Nursery, the region’s mostContinueContinue reading “Reestablishing Itea virginica at Little Hunting Creek”
Bluebirds Find New Homes in Barcroft Park
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. WireContinueContinue reading “Bluebirds Find New Homes in Barcroft Park”
English Ivy, a Deadly Invasive, is a Winter Target for Removal from Local Parks
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 drapesContinueContinue reading “English Ivy, a Deadly Invasive, is a Winter Target for Removal from Local Parks”
Clipping, Pulling, and Uprooting Invasive Plants to Restore Fort Scott Park
Text and photos by Devin Reese, unless otherwise noted. Park Steward Terri McPalmer wielding the weed wrench while Colt Gregory looks on. 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,ContinueContinue reading “Clipping, Pulling, and Uprooting Invasive Plants to Restore Fort Scott Park“
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: “A Day On, Not a Day Off” in Potomac Overlook Regional Park
Text and photos Leslie Cameron unless otherwise noted. Created in 1994 through federal legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Harris Wolford and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the National Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is observed across the country each year and is referred to as “A Day On, Not a Day Off.” The ArlingtonContinueContinue reading “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: “A Day On, Not a Day Off” in Potomac Overlook Regional Park”