Text and photos by Devin Reese, unless otherwise noted. When I arrived to volunteer for a recent invasive removal event at Fort Scott Park in South Arlington, I was drawn to Park Steward Terri McPalmer’s wheelbarrow full of gloves, poison ivy protection, clippers, and other essentials. It also contained a long white metal tool thatContinue reading “Clipping, Pulling, and Uprooting Invasive Plants to Restore Fort Scott Park“
Category Archives: Service Projects
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 forContinue reading “ARMN Ozone Bio-indicator Garden: Report From the 2022 Growing Season”
Arlington County Fair: Candy Worms, Native Plants, and a “Spotted Lanternfly” Make a Fun Event for Visitors and Master Naturalists Alike
Text and photos by Marj Signer More than two dozen ARMN members shared their love of nature with numerous visitors at the Arlington County Fair, August 19-21 at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center. The ARMN exhibit space provided an opportunity for members of the public to learn about their master naturalist neighbors’ passion about nature.Continue reading “Arlington County Fair: Candy Worms, Native Plants, and a “Spotted Lanternfly” Make a Fun Event for Visitors and Master Naturalists Alike“
Arlington’s Native Plant Nursery Restores Our Area’s Native Flora
Text and photos by Leslie Cameron. (Photos were taken on a July 12, 2022 workday unless otherwise noted.) Historically, Arlington County is home to 28% of the native plant species in Virginia—representing substantial plant diversity in the county’s 26 square miles. Unfortunately, Arlington has lost an estimated 200 of these native plant species. Though 600Continue reading “Arlington’s Native Plant Nursery Restores Our Area’s Native Flora”
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 70sContinue reading “ARMN Summer Chapter Meeting Highlights the Four Mile Run Conservancy Foundation and Mini Bioblitz”
Stemming Erosion and Shoring Up a Learning Space in the Jerome Buddie Ford Nature Center Pollinator Garden
Text and photos by Devin Reese Explains Master Naturalist Valerie LaTortue who stewards the Pollinator Garden at the Jerome Buddie Ford Nature Center, “Today, we are working on a teaching area and rainwater garden. When it rains hard, water pours off the roof, and the flow moves everything downhill.” Valerie has organized a volunteer crewContinue reading “Stemming Erosion and Shoring Up a Learning Space in the Jerome Buddie Ford Nature Center Pollinator Garden”
When Gardening for Wildlife, Pick Local Natives Over Cultivars Every Time
By Nancy Cleeland and Kasha Helget. Photos by Toni Genberg unless otherwise noted. Looking to attract more insects, birds, and other wildlife to your garden by planting native species? Bravo! With only about 10 percent of our region dedicated to conservation lands, private native gardens are essential for maintaining healthy biodiversity. But not all “native”Continue reading “When Gardening for Wildlife, Pick Local Natives Over Cultivars Every Time”
Transforming Upton Hill Regional Park
Text and photos by Devin Reese unless otherwise noted. Many people know Upton Hill Regional Park for its popular recreational facilities—batting cages, mini golf, water park, and new climbing structure. The Park has its share of history, too, as a strategic vantage point used by both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War.Continue reading “Transforming Upton Hill Regional Park”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: “A Day On, Not a Day Off” in Potomac Overlook Regional Park
Text and photos Leslie Cameron unless otherwise noted. Created in 1994 through federal legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Harris Wolford and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the National Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is observed across the country each year and is referred to as “A Day On, Not a Day Off.” The ArlingtonContinue reading “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: “A Day On, Not a Day Off” in Potomac Overlook Regional Park”
2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Environmental Events
Please join your friends, neighbors, and fellow environmental stewards in participating in the following habitat restoration events during Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. Enjoy the satisfaction of helping to restore these natural areas. Dress in layers for cold weather, bring work gloves, your own tools, if possible, your own water, and face mask. Please alsoContinue reading “2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Environmental Events”