May 2019
Watershed Calendar
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Dear
,
Thanks for staying up to date with stream monitoring news and events! We hope to see you at a stream monitoring or community event soon!
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Stream Monitoring & Stream Cleanup Events
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Pohick Creek Stream Monitoring Session
When: Saturday, May 18, 11:00am-2:00pm
Where: Hidden Pond Nature Center, Springfield VA
Join certified stream monitor Susan Demsko at her site at Hidden Pond Nature Center. Registration is limited. Contact
Susan
for more information or to register.
Holmes Run Stream Monitoring Session
When: Sunday, May 19, 9:00am-12:00pm
Where: Near Annandale Road, Falls Church VA
Join certified stream monitor Valerie Bertha at her site in Holmes Run. Registration is limited. Contact
Valerie
for more information or to register.
Walney Creek Stream Monitoring Workshop
When: Sunday, May 19, 10:00am-12:30pm
Where: Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Centreville VA
Join NVSWCD as we discover aquatic life in Walney Creek! This official NVSWCD stream monitoring workshop covers watershed health, what macroinvertebrates tell us about stream quality, and what you can do to prevent pollution in your local stream. This workshop will also help to prepare you to become a certified stream monitor. Registration is limited. Send questions to
Ashley Palmer
and RSVP
here
.
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2019 Conservation Poster Contest
Deadline: October 4, 2019
The Youth Poster Contest is a national competition. Students submit entries to their local Conservation District. Winning entries can be sent to state and even national competitions for judging and awards. The contest is open to the public, private or home school students, girl scout/boy scout troops, etc. Please note that both Girl and Boy Scouts that participate in the contest and submit valid entries at any level are eligible to receive the VASWCD Conservation Poster Patch.
·
K-1
·
2-3
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4-6
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7-9
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10-12
Entries must be submitted to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District by October 4, 2019.
Learn more and enter
.
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Cub Run Park Spring PVT Meeting
When: Thursday, May 2, 7:00-8:45pm
Where: Centreville Library Meeting Room 1, Centreville VA
Our guest speaker, Donna Murphy from the Potowmack chapter of Virginia Native Plant Society, will speak about native plants within Cub Run. She will also explain how we can plant natives in our garden to enhance our local ecology. She is a wealth of information and passionate about the topic. We welcome everyone wanting to make our parks and community a better place!
Watershed Academy Webcast
When: Thursday, May 9, 1:00-3:00pm
This webcast will be of interest to groups at every stage of the water quality monitoring process and will cover:
- a discussion of best practices and the need for planning and implementing a study design to ensure a successful monitoring program,
- a live demonstration of tools to visualize and simplify data management using machine-readable data, and
- a conversation on how to conduct a GIS-based analysis that leverages existing EPA Water Quality Portaldata and other data sources to inform on-the-ground watershed restoration efforts.
Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance. The webcast presentations will be posted in advance
here
and participants are encouraged to download them prior to the webcast.
Speakers:
Samantha Briggs, Acting Clean Water Program Director, Izaak Walton League of America
John Dawes, Executive Director, Chesapeake Commons
Emily Wiggans, GIS Analyst, Chesapeake Conservancy
Registration:
Green Breakfast
When: Saturday, May 11, 8:30am
Where: Brion's Grille, Fairfax VA
Thinking about the “wild” spaces in and around a busy metropolitan area can be difficult, but we are fortunate to have several wildlife refuges at our fingertips. How did we arrive at protecting these areas and what’s next for the system? Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Manager Brad Knudsen will present "The Evolution of the National Wildlife Refuge System." He will present information on the important wildlife resources the NWRS conserves, how the NWRS as grown in its 116 years, how legislation and public involvement have impacted the direction the NWRS has gone, and a glimpse at what the future holds.
Breakfast begins at 8:30am, $10 at the door, cash preferred. No prior registration required.
Breakfast includes an all-you-can eat hot buffet with fresh fruit and coffee, tea, orange juice or water. If you have any questions, please contact the Northern Virginia Soil and Water at
conservationdistrict@fairfaxcounty.gov
Rain Barrel Workshop
When: Saturday, May 11, 9:30am-11:30am
Where: Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria VA
Rain barrels purchased from retail sources can be expensive. As part of a regional initiative, NVSWCD offers build-your-own rain barrel workshops and distributes low-cost rain barrels to Fairfax County citizens. You will learn how to install and maintain a rain barrel and take one home! By installing a rain barrel at your home you will provide your plants with water they will love, save money and water, and protect the Chesapeake Bay! The workshop fee is $55, which includes the rain barrel for you to take home.
Learn more
about the program and
register
to attend a workshop.
Eagle Festival
When: Saturday, May 11, 10:00am-6:00pm
Where: Mason Neck State Park, Lorton VA
NVCWCD will be at the Eagle Festival this year!
Eagle Festival will have live shows all day in the Main Tent, including raptors, reptiles and mammals. The Hartwell Children's Tent will offer children's activities from conservation partners. They'll have Bald Eagle nest viewing tours, hay rides, pony rides, music, food and drink, a live eagle cam, exhibits from more than 20 environmental organizations, a youth photo contest and Mini-Clinics from REI. Free event.
Learn more
.
How to Start a School Garden Workshop
When: Tuesday, May 14, 7:00-8:30pm
Where: Quander Road School, Alexandria VA
Are you thinking about starting a school garden? Would you like to tour a school grounds with a fenced vegetable garden, courtyard herb garden, pollinator gardens, and a native meadow? Please come join the fun with other gardeners, teachers, and prospective gardeners as we learn practical tips and steps to start a school garden from Brooke-Marie LaPorta, The Garden Coordinator and Science Department Chair at Quander Road School. Other teachers and experienced gardeners will be available to answer your questions for the last half an hour of this event.
Learn more and register.
Sea Level Rise and its Local Impacts
When: Wednesday, May 15, 7:30pm
Where: Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria VA
Learn about sea level rise’s local impact from Geoffrey Sanders, Biologist/Data Manager, National Park Service, National Capital Region Network Inventory and Monitoring Program. Preceded by an informal social at 7pm. Huntley Meadows Park Visitor Center, 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria 22306. Hosted by the
Friends of Dyke Marsh
.
Rain Barrel Workshop
When: Saturday, May 18, 10:30am-12:30pm
Where: Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Dr., Reston VA
Rain barrels purchased from retail sources can be expensive. As part of a regional initiative, NVSWCD offers build-your-own rain barrel workshops and distributes low-cost rain barrels to Fairfax County citizens. You will learn how to install and maintain a rain barrel and take one home! By installing a rain barrel at your home you will provide your plants with water they will love, save money and water, and protect the Chesapeake Bay! The workshop fee is $55, which includes the rain barrel for you to take home.
Learn more
about the program and
register
to attend a workshop.
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Rain Barrel Workshop
When: Saturday, May 25, 10:00am-12:00pm
Where: Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, 5040 Walney Rd., Chantilly VA
Rain barrels purchased from retail sources can be expensive. As part of a regional initiative, NVSWCD offers build-your-own rain barrel workshops and distributes low-cost rain barrels to Fairfax County citizens. You will learn how to install and maintain a rain barrel and take one home! By installing a rain barrel at your home you will provide your plants with water they will love, save money and water, and protect the Chesapeake Bay! The workshop fee is $55, which includes the rain barrel for you to take home.
Learn more
about the program and
register
to attend a workshop.
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Help Stop the Spread of a New Species of Water Chestnut
Localities, pond management personnel and the general public are asked to look for a new species of Water Chestnut (genus
Trapa
) recently found in the Potomac Watershed. It has been spreading since 1995 so you may have already encountered this floating aquatic vegetation growing over the surface of a pond, lake or other fresh waterbody.
This species
is identified by the seed cases having two spines instead of four found in the Eurasian Water Chestnut. Reports of this or other invasive aquatic species can be made via a
free phone app
. Water Chestnut (an annual) will sprout in May 2019, spread over the water surface and then flower and fruit by July; it drops seeds all season until it senesces after a hard frost. To stop the spread, management by harvesting the plants by mid –July is very successful in eradicating the plants but it may take several years of effort, if some seeds lay dormant.
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By Potomac Conservancy
Photo by Ramin Bahrani via Flickr
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By National Association of Conservation Districts
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Free Milkweed Available to Schools
Deadline: Rolling
Monarch Watch is offering an opportunity for schools to receive free milkweed. Schools can receive a free flat of 32 milkweed plugs. Applications to receive milkweed for spring 2019 are being reviewed on a rolling basis.
Learn more and apply here
.
Fairfax Water Source Water Protection & Water Supply Education Grants
Deadline: May 15, 2019
Fairfax Water is offering Watershed and Water Supply Education Grants to support citizen source water protection efforts and community activities related to water supply. Local government education agencies, state government education environmental agencies, civic groups, or not-for-profit organizations may apply for funding, technical services or a combination of these, not to exceed a total of $10,000. Grant requests must address water supply or watershed issues within Fairfax Water’s service area or watershed area in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, or Fauquier Counties. Applications and examples of eligible projects are available
online
. For further information or to receive an application, contact Source Water Protection and Planning by telephone at (703) 289-6303 or by
e-mail
. Applications must be postmarked by May 15, 2019.
InsideTREES Summer Camp
Deadline: May 17, 2019
InsideTREES is a three-day educational summer program for educators and high school students provided by the department of Sustainable Biomaterials on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus Sunday, June 9, 2019 through Thursday, June 13, 2019.
Students must apply by
May 17, 2019
, and we can only accept 10 students, so we anticipate slots will go quickly.
The program presents a unique opportunity for high school students to experience college life and learn about an interdisciplinary environmental field. The goal of the program is to increase awareness of educational and career opportunities in natural resources and sustainable biomaterials for women and underrepresented students. First generation, female, minority, and rural high school students interested in bio-based materials and the environment are encouraged to apply.
All expenses, except transportation to and from Virginia Tech and personal items, will be covered for those students accepted into the program. Participants will be provided a dorm room in a residence hall on the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Tech and breakfast, lunch, and dinner at one of Virginia Tech’s award-winning dining facilities. Participants will be monitored in the evenings by chaperones in the dormitories.
Application materials and more information about InsideTREES can be found
here
For more information, please contact:
Audrey Zink-Sharp
, Professor and Associate Department Head, Sustainable Biomaterials MC 0323
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