Text by Anna Dixon; photos by Barbara Saffir, except as noted. Hike participants assemble to photograph the great blue herons. Photo by Ajani Simmons. On a glorious March morning, about 25 participants gathered at Burke Lake in Fairfax County, VA for The Honeymooners Heronry Hike, a lively walk to Vesper Island’s great blue heron “rookery”ContinueContinue reading “ARMN’s 2026 Honeymooners Heronry Hike”
Tag Archives: education
Fall Migration: Not Just for the Birds!
By Colleen O’Hara Fall is a great time to spot migrating birds in our area, thanks to Arlington’s location along the Atlantic Flyway—a major route for migratory birds. But birds aren’t the only things on the move. The monarch butterfly, common green darner dragonfly, American eel, and the Eastern red bat are among the otherContinueContinue reading “Fall Migration: Not Just for the Birds!”
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”
Reestablishing Itea virginica at Little Hunting Creek
By Matt Bright Founded in 1997, the Earth Sangha operates a volunteer-based ecological restoration program for the greater Washington, DC, region. The program is designed to conserve and restore the native plant communities that are essential to the region’s ecological health. At the heart of the program is our Wild Plant Nursery, the region’s mostContinueContinue reading “Reestablishing Itea virginica at Little Hunting Creek”
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”
DC/Baltimore/N. VA “Cricket Crawl,” August 21st: A Fun Citizen Science Project for the Whole Family!
by Louis Harrell Every year, Discover Life invites citizen scientists of all levels to identify the calls of crickets and katydids in the District of Columbia, the Baltimore area, and Northern Virginia. This year’s annual “cricket crawl” will be on the evening of August 21, 2020, any time after 8:30 pm. It is a particularlyContinueContinue reading “DC/Baltimore/N. VA “Cricket Crawl,” August 21st: A Fun Citizen Science Project for the Whole Family!”
Sam Droege: Bee Mythbuster
by Catherine Howell ARMN members, Master Gardeners, and others who had the good judgment to attend an information session at Fairlington Community Center on October 10 were rewarded with two hours of advanced training––and a lot of bee-themed standup, courtesy of Sam Droege. Droege, a wildlife management expert with the USGS Bee Inventory and MonitoringContinueContinue reading “Sam Droege: Bee Mythbuster”
Potomac Overlook Park Native Shade Garden’s Second Spring
By Sue Dingwell The Potomac Overlook Park Native Shade Garden is growing up! ARMN members have been carefully tending this little niche, encouraging the natives, discouraging the weeds, and doing battle royale with the deer. This is the garden’s second spring. Volunteers were greeted on Tuesday, April 23 with colorful blooms and vigorous green shootsContinueContinue reading “Potomac Overlook Park Native Shade Garden’s Second Spring”
Homeowners save wildlife by creating a green network across Northern Virginia
By Leigh Pickering In the past month, seven local properties have joined the ranks of homeowners creating a green network for wildlife in Arlington and Alexandria. This critical work is intended to blunt the impact of habitat loss in our area by providing small sanctuaries desperately needed for the survival of wildlife in our increasinglyContinueContinue reading “Homeowners save wildlife by creating a green network across Northern Virginia”
Woodfrogs at Potomac Overlook Regional Park
By Joanne Hutton If you had been out volunteering with Meet Me on a Sunday on this glorious afternoon, you too might have enjoyed the chorus of woodfrogs spawning at the pond and in vernal pools. Thanks to Sherry McDonald for the great shot and for throwing herself into the Master Naturalist enterprise with wholeContinueContinue reading “Woodfrogs at Potomac Overlook Regional Park”