News

To Spray, or Not to Spray?

To Spray, or Not to Spray?

Recently, we were confronted by the question of whether a yard where the homeowner has taken many steps to improve habitat can be certified as a Wildlife Sanctuary when the homeowner also employs a regular mosquito spraying service. We reviewed the evidence and decided that the answer is no: broadcast spraying for mosquitoes is not consistent with creating a functioning wildlife sanctuary in one’s yard. 

Stretch Our Parks Is Working with Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Stretch Our Parks Is Working with Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

The Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA, formerly Audubon Society of Northern Virginia) has been associated with Occoquan Bay for over 30 years, conducting regular bird, insect, and plant surveys on the Refuge grounds and providing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff with valuable data for making decisions about Refuge management.