If you grew up in suburbia, a pristine lawn was a welcome herald of spring. Everyone enjoys the smell of freshly mowed grass and the look of a well-kept, manicured lawn. So what, you might wonder, is the problem with turfgrass?
South Arlington birders were thrilled last year when Common Ravens, which had been haunting the Long Branch Nature Center area, built a nest on a Route 50 abutment where the roadway crosses the W&OD Trail. So, they were doubly pleased when the Ravens returned this year to the same nest.
Judy Gallagher is an ASNV board member and a regular surveyor of local wildlife who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species.
I am pleased to announce that our Board of Directors has recommended a new name for our organization – Northern Virginia Bird Alliance! We are excited about moving forward with this new name because it better matches our mission, our communities, and our values.
We all know that chronic stress affects our health and well-being, causing us to go into “fight or flight” mode. Ongoing stress also affects the health of trees.
This survey will allow us to demonstrate how important the issue of invasive plants is to Virginians and allow us to collect contact information from people who can help reach out to their legislators.
Judy Gallagher is an ASNV board member and a regular surveyor of local wildlife who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species.
Conservation advocates lost several battles in the 2024 General Assembly, but did score a couple of wins that allow local governments to adopt some environment-friendly requirements. We can use your help in lobbying your local governments to adopt these measures.
The next week signals the start of a massive surge of migration into Northern Virginia. Each spring, 3.5 billion birds and 350 species cross the southern border of the United States on their way to nesting grounds in the northern states and Canada.
A landfill can be more than a garbage dump. It can be a place of ecological renewal. The latest example at Fairfax County’s I-95 landfill is a plan to protect some of the landfill’s grassland habitat for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife.
Mary Frase, who comes from several generations of family gardeners, tells anyone who asks her about her volunteering, “I grew up playing in the dirt and I still like to play there.” She turned this love into an extraordinary commitment to native habitat.
