by Steve Young (text and photos) ARMN member Steve Young shares a winter bird-watching tip. There are many times that birds will help us find predators, especially birds of prey like hawks and owls. Smaller birds will start making a fuss with vocalizations and sometimes will mob the predator and surround it, and even dive atContinueContinue reading “When Absence of Evidence is Evidence of Presence”
Category Archives: Education
Teaching the Next Generation About the Environment
by Lisa Stern ARMN member Lisa Stern describes the dedicated work of another ARMN volunteer, Jennifer Frum, to engage Gunston Middle School sixth graders by providing hands-on experience in pulling invasive plants. (Photos by Lisa Stern, unless otherwise indicated) The best lessons in life are the ones in which we have the opportunity to participate.ContinueContinue reading “Teaching the Next Generation About the Environment”
Arlington 4-H’s Environmental Programs Help Kids Explore Nature
by Caitlin Verdu Here, 4-H Agent Caitlin Verdu provides a glimpse into the 4-H Outdoor Explorers program, which pairs volunteers with Extended Day staff to get children outside to enjoy nature. Interested in learning more? Attend a free information session on Tuesday, August 23 from 7–9 pm at Walter Reed Community Center or contact Caitlin directlyContinueContinue reading “Arlington 4-H’s Environmental Programs Help Kids Explore Nature”
Amazing Grasses . . . Right Under Our Feet!
by Caroline Haynes (photos courtesy of Toni Genberg, unless otherwise indicated) A hardy group of ARMN and Virginia Native Plant Society members braved the late-July heat at Fort C. F. Smith Park for an early morning native grasses ID walk. Leading the trek was ARMN member and plant expert Margaret Chatham. As is typical for continuingContinueContinue reading “Amazing Grasses . . . Right Under Our Feet!”
Spring Wonders in Potomac Overlook Regional Park
ARMN volunteer and Master Gardener Joanne Hutton reports on spring’s largesse in the native plant garden at Potomac Overlook Regional Park (with photos by the author unless otherwise indicated). by Joanne Hutton Spring rains yielded floral abundance this year, and the unfolding of spring at Potomac Overlook Regional Park’s Shady Native Plant Demo Garden was glorious—ifContinueContinue reading “Spring Wonders in Potomac Overlook Regional Park”
How to Control Mosquitoes Without Killing Pollinators and Other Important Wildlife
by Susan Gitlin, ARMN member Warm weather and mosquitoes will be here before you know it, leading many of us to look for ways to enjoy the outdoors without being pestered by those annoying little—and sometimes disease-bearing—biters. There is a lot of information being disseminated by health organizations about health risks to humans from mosquitoContinueContinue reading “How to Control Mosquitoes Without Killing Pollinators and Other Important Wildlife”
Fall is a Great Time to Plant Trees and Perennials: Especially Natives!
by Kasha Helget An avid native-plant gardener, ARMN communications chair Kasha Helget points you toward native plants and plant sales for your fall gardening needs. Autumn is one of the best times to install plants. You may ask, “Why? We may be able to enjoy them only for a couple of months, and they may notContinueContinue reading “Fall is a Great Time to Plant Trees and Perennials: Especially Natives!”
Application Period Now Open for ARMN Fall 2015 Training Class
Taking the ARMN basic training course changed my life. It opened up so many opportunities to meet great people, get outdoors, and educate the community about nature and its preservation. ContinueContinue reading “Application Period Now Open for ARMN Fall 2015 Training Class”
2015 Firefly Festival: Perfect Weather, Perfect Fun
by Caroline Haynes, ARMN volunteer ARMN volunteers were well represented at another successful Firefly Festival at Fort C.F. Smith in Arlington on Sunday evening, June 28. Unlike previous festivals that were sticky and hot, the previous day’s rain and cooler temperatures made for a perfectly delightful summer evening. Children of all ages improved their insect IDContinueContinue reading “2015 Firefly Festival: Perfect Weather, Perfect Fun”
Bees of Singular Tastes and the Plants They Love
by Sherrie Burson and Brooke Alexander, ARMN Sam Droege, a scientist at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, entertained and educated ARMN volunteers and members of the public on May 11 in a talk at the Arlington Central Library. Droege works on the design and development of status and trends data for U.S. plants and animals. Currently,ContinueContinue reading “Bees of Singular Tastes and the Plants They Love”