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: Citizen Science
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”
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”
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”
2024 Update on the ARMN Ozone Bioindicator Garden: A Wonderful Climate Tool Right in Our Backyard
By Barbara Hoffheins Overview The ARMN Ozone Bioindicator Garden continues for a fourth year at Walter Reed Community Center (WRCC). ARMN has been working with Arlington County, NASA, and the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Science Education in building and maintaining the bioindicator garden as part of a nationwide project to monitor the impact ofContinueContinue reading “2024 Update on the ARMN Ozone Bioindicator Garden: A Wonderful Climate Tool Right in Our Backyard”
Nature’s Notebook Recognizes ARMN Citizen Scientists
By Rosemary Jann, Phenology Program Leader For the second year in a row, ARMN’s phenology project has been recognized as a top contributor of observations for Nature’s Notebook’s “Nectar Connectors” campaign. Nature’s Notebook, the database tool of the USA National Phenology Network, enables volunteer citizen scientists to submit observations that chart the timing and intensityContinueContinue reading “Nature’s Notebook Recognizes ARMN Citizen Scientists”
Stream Monitoring Volunteers Track the Health of Arlington’s Streams
Text by Shay Pratt; photos by Colleen O’Hara How can you tell if a stream is healthy? One of the best ways is to look at the tiny organisms that live in it. The flies, larvae, and worms found there can tell the story of a stream’s overall health, if you know how to readContinueContinue reading “Stream Monitoring Volunteers Track the Health of Arlington’s Streams”
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 theContinueContinue reading “Join the 2023 City Nature Challenge, April 28-May 1!”
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 forContinueContinue reading “ARMN Ozone Bio-indicator Garden: Report From the 2022 Growing Season”
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 70sContinueContinue reading “ARMN Summer Chapter Meeting Highlights the Four Mile Run Conservancy Foundation and Mini Bioblitz”