February 2021
Watershed Calendar
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Hello ,
NVSWCD is very happy to resume our stream monitoring workshops this month after a brief winter break. Registration is limited and you'll find information about each workshop below.
As you've heard many times before, wash your hands, stay home, and take care of yourself. Keep in touch with NVSWCD on our Facebook and Instagram. Your friendly neighborhood stream monitors will be very happy to welcome you back in the spring!
Ashley Palmer
Stream Monitoring Coordinator
ashley.palmer@fairfaxcounty.gov
703-324-1423
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Stream Monitoring
Citizen Science & Training Opportunities
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NVSWCD Stream Monitoring Workshops
NVSWCD stream monitoring workshops are resuming after a brief winter break. Our workshops comply with all CDC safety guidelines and precautions for stream monitoring workshops include:
- social distancing and spacing out equipment
- small group sizes
- masks are required for all participants
We expect these workshops to fill up quickly, so follow the links below to register or join the waitlist. You can learn more about stream monitoring with NVSWCD here.
- Difficult Run, McLean - Monday, Feb. 15, 2:00-4:30pm - Register Here
- Horsepen Run, Herndon - Monday, Mar. 8, 3:00-5:30pm - Register Here
- Cub Run, Centreville - Saturday, Mar. 27, 9:00-11:30am - Register Here
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Izaak Walton League Stream Monitoring Certification Online Training
Want to become a certified Save Our Streams monitor? Start the certification process from the comfort of your home with online interactive webinars! Simply watch the video versions of in-person training lectures: Introduction to Water Quality and Introduction to Macroinvertebrates. See all the information you need here!
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Creek Critters by Audubon Naturalist Society
Audubon Naturalist Society’s Creek Critters® app walks you through finding and identifying the small organisms – or critters – that live in freshwater streams and creating stream health reports based on your findings. Through a short series of steps, you’ll learn one method for catching critters using an aquarium net. You can simply pick up submerged rocks and carefully check them for critters if you don’t have a net. As you identify critters, you’ll be building a stream health report. Check out the Creek Critters app and learn more!
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Community Events & Webinars |
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Prince William Master Gardeners "Zoom Class"
A series of webinars on Wednesdays at 11:00am from Prince William Master Gardeners. Registration is required.
Ask the Experts: Choosing and Planting Native Trees
When: Monday, February 1, 10:30-11:30am
Expert: Jim McGlone, Virginia Department of Forestry
There are so many great native trees to choose between. How do you decide? Jim will help you with your situation. Submit your questions on the registration page, and please send photos of the area in question to plantnovanatives@gmail.com with a note about the amount of sun and moisture. To prepare for the conference, please look over this page on native trees.
Stop Moving, Start Growing! Webinar
When: Saturday, February 6, 9:00am-12:00pm
Create a beautiful yard, save time and money, improve water quality, AND build habitat for pollinators and birds. The keynote speaker is Alonso Abugattas, The Capital Naturalist on social media and the Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County. He will speak on the interconnectedness of nature. Register here.
Birding Banshee
When: Saturday, February 13, 8:00am
Whether you’re a beginning birder or an expert, you’ll be dazzled by the many bird species you’ll find at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve south of Leesburg. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Friends of Banshee Reeks for the monthly bird walk at this birding hot spot. Bring binoculars if you have them. Registration is limited. Register here.
Loudoun Wildlife Winter Adaptations for Survival Webinar
When: Tuesday, February 16, 7:00-8:00pm
Join Jacob van Schilfgaarde, wildlife conservationist and Facility Supervisor at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, for a Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy presentation on wildlife in Loudoun. He will show us three strategies that wildlife use to survive, and discuss their typical habitats, feeding behaviors and how to identify tracks. Registration Required.
Flying Squirrels Webinar
When: Wednesday, February 17, 7:00pm
Join Friends of Dyke Marsh for a presentation by naturalist Kim Young and explore the often hidden life of the native southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys Volans). Learn how to look for them, their adaptations for nocturnal living and the truth about their ability to “fly.” Click here to register for this Zoom presentation.
Integrating Stormwater in Landscape Design: EcoSavvy Symposium
When: Saturday, February 20, 9:30am–12:30pm
Presentations by Dr. Laurie Fox (Horticulture Associate, Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research & Extension Center), Christine Horner (Water Quality Engineer, Town of Vienna), and presentation on Virginia Conservation Assistance Program by the Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District. Learn More.
The Pollinator Victory Garden Webinar
When: Sunday, February 21, 2:00pm
Kim Eierman, author of The Pollinator Victory Garden, will be Prince William Wildflower Society's guest speaker through Zoom. As Kim says, “You don’t have to be an entomologist to realize that pollinators are in trouble, and you don’t have to be a professional landscaper or horticulturist to do something about it.” Kim asserts that the passion and urgency that inspired WWI and WWII Victory Gardens are needed today to meet another threat to our food supply and our environment—the steep decline of pollinators. The Pollinator Victory Garden offers practical solutions for winning the war against the demise of these essential animals. Register here.
Taking Nature Black Conference
When: February 23-27
How to Organize a Cleanup Webinar
When: Wednesday, Mar. 3, 6:30-7:30pm or Saturday, Mar. 6, 10:30-11:30am
Join the Alice Ferguson Foundation and partners across the watershed for the 33rd Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup event! Join this virtual workshop to learn how to safely organize a trash cleanup within your community during a pandemic. AFF will go over all the steps you need to take to organize a cleanup, where to get COVID-19 safety information for your jurisdictions, and how to collect data to help support source reduction policies! Register for the March 3 or March 6 session.
Recordings of previous “Ask the Expert” events from Plant NOVA Natives can be viewed on this YouTube playlist!
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2021 Native Seedling Sale
Orders open February 2, 2021
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Trees play an important role in keeping our local waterways healthy - yes, even the one tree in your backyard! Track your trees and shrubs here!
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The Winter Salt Watch program is in full swing!
Excess road salt runs off into our beloved waterways, poisoning aquatic life and endangering our drinking water. Help us track this problem across the country as we work to encourage less road salt use while still keeping drivers safe!
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By Chesapeake Bay Foundation
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