Text and photos by Leah Pellegrino, unless otherwise noted. In mid-November, residents of a South Arlington condo community welcomed a new, if unusual neighbor—a female Wild Turkey! No one quite knows where she came from, and no male (Tom) turkey has been spotted along with her. She spends her days in a wooded area nearContinueContinue reading “A Wild Turkey Moves to South Arlington”
Category Archives: Education
ARMN at the Arlington County Fair!
By Devin Reese Arlington County resident “Ace” visiting the ARMN table. Photo by Devin Reese. During the weekend of Aug. 21-22, ARMN volunteers staffed an information table at the Arlington County Fair. Adjacent to the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) and 4-H Youth Development tables, we were in a great spot for collaboration and outreach withContinueContinue reading “ARMN at the Arlington County Fair!”
Two Honors! Glenn Tobin Earned the 2020 Bill Thomas Volunteer Award, and ARMN is presented the Virginia Chapter of the Wildlife Society’s 2021 A. Willis Robertson Award
Glenn Tobin is the 2020 Bill Thomas Park Volunteer Award Winner Glenn conquering invasive kudzu from Windy Run Park. Photo courtesy of Toni Genberg. On April 20, 2021, Glenn Tobin received Arlington County’s Bill Thomas Park Volunteer Award for the year 2020. The award recognizes an individual or group whose efforts show ongoing dedication andContinueContinue reading “Two Honors! Glenn Tobin Earned the 2020 Bill Thomas Volunteer Award, and ARMN is presented the Virginia Chapter of the Wildlife Society’s 2021 A. Willis Robertson Award”
The Virginia Opossum: An Extraordinary Marsupial in Our Own Backyards
by Sandy Sohns The Virginia opossum is much maligned, and has a reputation as being a repulsive, aggressive, dirty, garbage-eating pest that should be avoided or killed. Sadly, it is misunderstood and is unappreciated for its contribution to the environment, public health, and science. The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is one of the oldest survivingContinueContinue reading “The Virginia Opossum: An Extraordinary Marsupial in Our Own Backyards”
Yellow-rumps: A Bird Watcher’s Delight in the Winter, Spring, and Fall
Text and photos by Ginger Hays (except as noted) Yellow-rumped “Myrtle” warbler. Yellow-rumped warblers ((Setophaga coronate) are a very abundant species of the Wood Warbler family—those small, often brightly colored birds that bird watchers go crazy about during spring and fall migration. Bird watchers affectionately call them “butter butts.” There are two primary subspecies of yellow-rumped warblers:ContinueContinue reading “Yellow-rumps: A Bird Watcher’s Delight in the Winter, Spring, and Fall”
How Your Very Own Wildlife Habitat Can Bring Ahhhhhh to These Troubling Times
Text and photos by Toni Genberg What a wild ride. The past eight months have been a roller coaster of unprecedented challenges—seemingly insurmountable ones at that. I think I can state with a fair amount of confidence that we’ve collectively experienced anxiety, frustration, and also heartbreak. Maybe a bit of anger too. These have beenContinueContinue reading “How Your Very Own Wildlife Habitat Can Bring Ahhhhhh to These Troubling Times”
Living in the Fall Zone
by Rosemary Jann Although we may not be aware of it, we live in a region of borderlands. Of course, our area is politically shaped by the explicit borders of the District, Maryland, and Virginia. But the diversity of our plant and animal life derives in part from the fact that the southern limit forContinueContinue reading “Living in the Fall Zone”
ARMN: Blog Getting to Know Beth Kiser
By Alison Sheahan I’d be hard-pressed to think of a more terrific way to spend a wintry afternoon than my (pre-pandemic) tea (& goodies!) at Silver Diner with Beth Kiser early this year. I knew of Beth from her efforts to organize the Park Stewards program (Adopt-a-Park leaders who oversee volunteer stewardship work in Arlington,ContinueContinue reading “ARMN: Blog Getting to Know Beth Kiser”
Roaming Charges: The Environmental Costs of Outdoor Cats
by Rosemary Jann Photo by Gaëtan Priour, courtesy of American Bird Conservancy Domesticated cats have lived in human communities for so long that they may seem like an integral part of our natural landscape. However, cats are non-native animals that can pose a significant threat to native wildlife, in the process undermining biodiversity and disruptingContinueContinue reading “Roaming Charges: The Environmental Costs of Outdoor Cats”
Birds of A Feather: The Making of a Video on How to Identify Local Birds
by Joan Haffey (ARMN), with input from Charlie Haffey (helpful brother) When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the programming coordinator for a senior services center near me asked if I would do some “Bird Zooms” for isolated seniors. Their clients are often locked down in their apartments or worse, in their room, with few, if any,ContinueContinue reading “Birds of A Feather: The Making of a Video on How to Identify Local Birds”