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”
Category Archives: Service Projects
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”
The Hidden Helpers of Our Forests: Mycorrhizal Fungi and the Web of Life Beneath Our Feet
By Laura Gilmore Local forests depend on invisible partnerships beneath the soil. Photo of Long Branch Stream in Glencarlyn Park by Marianna Cardozo. When we walk through a forest in Northern Virginia, whether it’s the hardwoods of Potomac Overlook Regional Park or the woodlands of Glencarlyn Park in Arlington, it’s easy to focus on whatContinueContinue reading “The Hidden Helpers of Our Forests: Mycorrhizal Fungi and the Web of Life Beneath Our Feet”
2026 Martin Luther King, Jr., Weekend
Nature Volunteering Events ARMN and other local environmental groups are hosting several events in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. between Jan 16 and 19, 2026. Here is a list of opportunities to work with fellow community members to remove non-native invasive plants and clean up our area’s beautiful parks and spaces. Please check theContinueContinue reading “2026 Martin Luther King, Jr., Weekend “
Citizens Help Gauge the Health of Alexandria’s Streams
Volunteers sort through a stream sample for macroinvertebrates. Photo by Jennifer Fletcher, City of Alexandria Communications. By Devin Reese Urban streams get dirty—from trash, discharges, and street runoff. Yet, they have the potential to be the lifeblood of communities, offering a place for fishing, boating, picnicking, biking, birdwatching, and various activities that attract people toContinueContinue reading “Citizens Help Gauge the Health of Alexandria’s Streams”
Fossils Along Our Local Creeks
Text and photos by Hutch Brown. Skolithos linearis fossils found along Four Mile Run (top) andHolmes Run (bottom). I was walking along Four Mile Run in Arlington’s Barcroft Park when I found the rock at the right (5” X 5”, with loupe for scale) on a gravel bar. I’ve seen others like it near otherContinueContinue reading “Fossils Along Our Local Creeks “
What’s Eating You, Emerald Ash Borer?
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?”
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”
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”
Join Us in April for Citizen Science Month
By Rosemary Jann In April, take the opportunity to join people worldwide to assist scientific research and be counted as part of SciStarter.org’s “One Million Acts of Science” campaign. SciStarter is a global organization committed to encouraging people to learn about, participate in, and support scientific research on real-world problems. Citizen science, also known asContinueContinue reading “Join Us in April for Citizen Science Month”