Photo: Bird Walk at Four Mile Run Park, Libby Lyons
Libby Lyons
I am excited to announce a new ASNV program called Stretch Our Parks. It is a community-based conservation initiative, centered around northern Virginia parks, to be implemented via partnerships among ASNV, parks, conservation groups, and neighborhood and community groups.
Northern Virginia is a highly developed region that continues to grow in human population. As a result, the region’s natural area continues to shrink. Luckily, we have many parks in our region, so our best bet to support birds and wildlife is to focus our work in those parks and the neighborhoods that surround them.
Why do we call it Stretch Our Parks? Because our goal is to:
Stretch wildlife-friendly habitat from parks into nearby backyards and neighborhoods;
Stretch community engagement in parks and with wildlife and nature; and
Stretch the positive impacts of parks on people and wildlife.
ASNV sees in Stretch Our Parks great potential for win-win-win results – for birds and other wildlife, for communities around parks, and for the parks themselves.
Wildlife can win when we work with communities and partners to help extend suitable habitat around parks, for example, by replacing invasive plants with native plants, encouraging bird-friendly habitat features (such as, snags, brush piles, and water sources) and reducing threats to birds and other wildlife (such as, from window strikes, outdoor cats, night-time lights during migration, and pesticide use).
Communities can win as we involve neighborhoods around parks, including in underserved communities, by reaching out to and serving libraries, community centers, homeowners' associations, faith communities, girls and boys clubs, nature centers, and more. These groups will benefit as we offer more nature walks and talks for them to enjoy. Homeowners can take pride in becoming agents of conservation as they adopt the Audubon at Home approach to support wildlife. Community members can contribute their energies in citizen science efforts in and near parks (including backyard bird counts).
Parks can win as we help increase community use of parks through programs with our partners that provide more chances to learn about, see, and build a love for wildlife. Stretch Our Parks projects can help build community support for parks. And by expanding wildlife-suitable habitat around parks, its projects can protect parks as critical sites for conserving wildlife in our rapidly developing region.
ASNV is counting on its many strengths to create positive results. We have a long history of partnership with local groups. We can leverage our Audubon at Home program with its many years of helping to transform almost 1,000 privately owned properties into wildlife-friendly habitats. ASNV can help enlist volunteers for park projects such as clean-ups and trail maintenance. Our scientists can provide insight into resident and migratory bird species most in need of protection and the conservation actions needed to protect them. Our cadre of citizen scientists can monitor the impact of our projects. And this initiative complements our educational mission, for we can bring in expert speakers to address topics related to Stretch Our Parks, and we can develop activities that help engage families and children to enjoy the nature around them.
Bird Walk at Four Mile Run Park, Libby Lyons
We look forward to working with our partners to design and implement projects, fine-tuning activities to meet local needs. ASNV is starting with two pilot projects in Spring 2023. Each of our two pilot projects involves a pair of parks close to one another. We are excited to start Stretch Our Parks at NOVA Parks’ Upton Hill Regional Park and Arlington County’s Powhatan Springs Skate Park, and at Alexandria’s Four Mile Run Park and Monticello Park. Check our May calendar for Tuesday and Saturday bird walks at our Stretch Our Parks locations, and join us.
Looking ahead, ASNV hopes its future Stretch Our Parks projects will include parks from across northern Virginia, will serve groups from diverse communities, and will protect the range of bird habitats in our area. But for now, we’re starting small. ASNV’s board members, coordinators, active committee members, and volunteers comprise a relatively small group of individuals that doesn’t yet have the capacity to work in all northern Virginia parks. So, we are hopeful that Stretch Our Parks can serve as a model for others to adapt for their own community-based conservation efforts.
We welcome your ideas and involvement in Stretch Our Parks. We are also looking for volunteers to help us engage the communities around these parks! If you would like to help us, please sign up to volunteer here and mention which park you are interested in working in. Stay up-to-date on the project by checking out our new Stretch Our Parks webpage, which we will update as more develops on this project. We hope you can join us in this important, proactive, and rewarding initiative!