by Jo Allen Question: What is missing from upper course of Four Mile Run that flows through five contiguous parks that are managed by ARMN Park Stewards after “Clean the Bay Day” on May 2? ARMN volunteers led by Dominion Hills Park Steward Noreen Hannigan, (center in yellow vest), and crew from Quetzal Lawn &ContinueContinue reading “Cleaning the Bay Starts Here”
Category Archives: News
City Nature Challenge 2026: A Retrospective
Text by Rosemary Jann; photos by Barbara Saffir The City Nature Challenge is now complete for 2026, and the final results are impressive, showing solid increases over 2025 totals. This year the CNC, a global bioblitz that seeks to measure urban biodiversity, included 754 metropolitan areas in 61 countries across six continents during the four-dayContinueContinue reading “City Nature Challenge 2026: A Retrospective”
Soldiers2Scientists Rise to the City Nature Challenge at Chinn Ridge
By Terri McPalmer On a chilly Saturday morning in late April, I joined a small group of master naturalists in the Manassas National Battlefield Park to assist Soldiers2Scientists (S2S) as they took part in a City Nature Challenge (CNC) event, an annual four-day global bioblitz. S2S is a non-profit organization that facilitates the participation of active dutyContinueContinue reading “Soldiers2Scientists Rise to the City Nature Challenge at Chinn Ridge”
ARMN’s 2026 Honeymooners Heronry Hike
Text by Anna Dixon; photos by Barbara Saffir, except as noted. Hike participants assemble to photograph the great blue herons. Photo by Ajani Simmons. On a glorious March morning, about 25 participants gathered at Burke Lake in Fairfax County, VA for The Honeymooners Heronry Hike, a lively walk to Vesper Island’s great blue heron “rookery”ContinueContinue reading “ARMN’s 2026 Honeymooners Heronry Hike”
From Flush to Four Mile Run: Inside Arlington’s Water Pollution Control Plant
Text and images by Laura Gilmore, except as noted. Arlington’s Water Pollution Control Plant’s core mission involves protecting downstream ecosystems. (Image captured near the plant’s outfall into Four Mile Run.) ARMN members exploring the Arlington Water Pollution Control Plant during their March tour. Early each morning, millions of gallons of wastewater begin an unseen journeyContinueContinue reading “From Flush to Four Mile Run: Inside Arlington’s Water Pollution Control Plant”
Wood Ducks Love Wetlands
By Nancy Roeper Have you ever wondered how wood ducks got their common name? Wood ducks (Aix sponsa) are among the few waterfowl species that perch and nest in trees (hence, “wood”). They cannot make their own nesting cavities, though, so they rely on dead trees or places where a branch has broken off andContinueContinue reading “Wood Ducks Love Wetlands”
Pools, Frogs, and Salamanders: A Spring Night at the Outdoor Lab
Text and photos by Laura Gilmore (except as noted) ARMN member, Barbara Saffir, brought a cake showcasing a photograph she took and digitally altered to wish everyone a “Happy Salamander Season!” On a cool evening in early March that had begun to feel more like spring than winter, 25 Arlington Regional Master Naturalists (ARMN) gatheredContinueContinue reading “Pools, Frogs, and Salamanders: A Spring Night at the Outdoor Lab”
JOIN THE 2026 CITY NATURE CHALLENGE
April 24-May 10, 2026 By Rosemary Jann This April 24–27, ARMN members will once again join other naturalists, as well as families, individuals, and/or groups across the greater Washington DC metropolitan area to participate in one of the largest citizen science events in the world: the City Nature Challenge. The event is a friendly competitionContinueContinue reading “JOIN THE 2026 CITY NATURE CHALLENGE”
It’s FINALLY Spring! A Great Time to Shop for and Install Native Plants
Text and photos by Kasha Helget After a rough winter, we’re experiencing warmer days and the return of birds, bees, and butterflies that depend on native plants to survive and feed their young. Native plants also provide beauty to our pots, yards, and landscapes. Where to find them? Actually, the timing is excellent because thereContinueContinue reading “It’s FINALLY Spring! A Great Time to Shop for and Install Native Plants”
The Evolving Role of Wildland Fire in Virginia
Arlington Forest Park, designated by Arlington County as a natural resource conservation area for its rare oak savanna ecosystem. Photo by Dan Brown. Nature parks in our area are managed to support native plant communities, often the oak/hickory forest type. But some parks don’t much resemble the original landscapes because a key factor is missing:ContinueContinue reading “The Evolving Role of Wildland Fire in Virginia”