By Roderick Mackler Most of you have at least a passing familiarity with the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis). The bright green beetle is decimating the ash trees on the eastern half of North America, from Ontario to Virginia. Females lay their eggs in the crevices in the bark of ash trees (several species ofContinueContinue reading “What’s Eating You, Emerald Ash Borer?”
Category Archives: News
Fall Migration: Not Just for the Birds!
By Colleen O’Hara Fall is a great time to spot migrating birds in our area, thanks to Arlington’s location along the Atlantic Flyway—a major route for migratory birds. But birds aren’t the only things on the move. The monarch butterfly, common green darner dragonfly, American eel, and the Eastern red bat are among the otherContinueContinue reading “Fall Migration: Not Just for the Birds!”
Autumn 2025 Native Plant Sales: The Best Time of Year to Install New Natives!
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!”
Seeing Air Pollution by Reading the Leaves: ARMN Ozone Bioindicator Garden 55+ Event
Text by Barbara Hoffheins, photos by Jon Bell. On a warm Monday morning, July 21, 2025, ARMN Ozone Team members Jon Bell, Anne Doll, and Barbara Hoffheins discussed the purpose of the ARMN Ozone Bioindicator Garden for members of the “55+” community at the Walter Reed Community Center. The Ozone Bioindicator Garden was established inContinueContinue reading “Seeing Air Pollution by Reading the Leaves: ARMN Ozone Bioindicator Garden 55+ Event”
Reading the Land: Aldo Leopold’s Conservation Legacy
Text by Hutch Brown; photos from Wikimedia Commons. Believe it or not, we once faced a timber crisis in the United States: by the late 1800s, we were logging forests much faster than they could regrow. Warning of a “timber famine,” President Theodore Roosevelt launched a national campaign to conserve America’s forests for future generations.ContinueContinue reading “Reading the Land: Aldo Leopold’s Conservation Legacy”
Many Hands Make Light of Heavy Work in Mt. Jefferson Park
Text and photos by Devin Reese unless otherwise noted Volunteers and their children install mulch for a new trail between plantings. Mt. Jefferson Park and Greenway in Alexandria is a remnant right of way for the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad train line from a time when Potomac Yard was still a wetland (see 1945ContinueContinue reading “Many Hands Make Light of Heavy Work in Mt. Jefferson Park”
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”
Leading a Nature Walk Can be a Walk in the Park
Text by Paige Edwards; photos by Toni Genberg. On a warm and breezy Saturday in March, ARMN volunteers gathered at the Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center in Alexandria for a nature walk in the neighboring Dora Kelley Nature Park to learn tips for leading their own walks. Although it seemed many of the park’s inhabitantsContinueContinue reading “Leading a Nature Walk Can be a Walk in the Park”
It’s Spring! A Wonderful Time to Shop for and Install Native Plants
Text and photos by Kasha Helget Warming days and the return of birds, bees, and butterflies provide a perfect opportunity to install native plants on which they depend. They also provide beauty to our pots, yards, and landscapes. So, please consider adding a few—or several native plants to your garden, patio, deck or balcony. YouContinueContinue reading “It’s Spring! A Wonderful Time to Shop for and Install Native Plants”
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”