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: Education
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”
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 “
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”
Saving Birds by Reducing Window Strikes
By Colleen O’Hara Birds are beautiful and fun to watch. Did you know they are also beneficial? A lot of bird species spread plant seeds and pollinate plants. They are also predator and prey, and good indicators of how well an ecosystem is doing. The overall bird population in North America is in decline, basedContinueContinue reading “Saving Birds by Reducing Window Strikes”
The Mulberry Conundrum
by Devin Reese Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) at Dyke Marsh feeding on white mulberries. Photo by Barbara Saffir. Mulberry Season Fruits from the white mulberry (Morus alba). Photo by Geo Lightspeed7, Wikimedia, CC-BY-SA-4.0. It’s that time of year when mulberries are fruiting all around Northern Virginia. Sidewalks are dotted with squashed, blackberry-like fruits; andContinueContinue reading “The Mulberry Conundrum”
Spring into Action: Admiring and Protecting Our Spring Ephemerals
By Ajani Simmons Unveiling the World of Spring Ephemerals Spring ephemerals—ever heard of them? Don’t worry if you haven’t; I was in the same boat until recently. Picture this: you’re on a nature walk in Ft. Bennett Park, guided by Mary McCutcheon, a local nature guru, ARMN master naturalist, and park steward with a knackContinueContinue reading “Spring into Action: Admiring and Protecting Our Spring Ephemerals”
Wasps and Beetles and Flies (Oh My!): They’re Pollinators and Much More
Text by Becky Hamm; images by Kent Anderson (aka “surfman”) in his iNaturalist entries, except as noted. Ah, summer: Warm breezes, colorful flowers, and lots of pollinating butterflies, bees, and … beetles? Oh yes, and flies and wasps too. While they might be overshadowed by pollinating insects that are cuter and more colorful, these lessContinueContinue reading “Wasps and Beetles and Flies (Oh My!): They’re Pollinators and Much More”
Teaching Children About Nature Through the Magic of a Loupe
Text and photos by Eric Weyer Nature is a never-ending source of wonder, offering an abundance of intricate details, some so tiny they can barely be seen with the naked eye. That makes “loupes” (or hand lenses) one of the most important tools in any naturalist’s arsenal. During a recent training exercise for ARMN volunteersContinueContinue reading “Teaching Children About Nature Through the Magic of a Loupe”