Attracting Pollinators to Upton Hill Park

Photo: Pollinator Garden, Musa Murawih

Musa Murawih

Starting in 2020, I worked with volunteers to move some of the native plant bounty from my yard into Upton Hill Regional Park, in Arlington. What started as an isolated project has evolved into one element of a larger ASNV program, Stretch Our Parks. The program brings ASNV together with parks, partners, volunteers, and the communities surrounding the parks to increase valuable native habitat. But let’s back up and review how I got here.

My first memory of connecting with birds was when I was 6 years old. My brother and I were walking among sunt trees (Prickly Acacia, Vachellia nilotica) on the edge of the Diwaimi wadi in the desert of North Kordofan, Sudan. A male of what was likely a Nile Valley Sunbird was feeding on nectar of the abundant yellow flowers, jumping from branch to branch as it sang. It flashed its wings and long tail feathers showing the stunning yellow, green, blue, and other iridescent colors. I was immediately enchanted. When my dad came back from work, I told him I wanted a shirt as pretty as the sunbird! 

Birds enchant us for many reasons. It is not just their central role in supporting life on this planet. They are the very embodiment of some of the ideals we cherish most: beauty and freedom. 

The sunt trees in the valley were sort of our backyard. I say that only figuratively because our home was a wool tent, and we only stayed there for the summer season, before moving to higher grounds in anticipation of the rain. The birds, the animals, and my community all shared the trees. Our tent was pitched under a group of them for extra shade. Their gum was our candy. We used their fruits to heal ailments or tan animal skins. For us to survive, they needed to survive. 

Many years and places have passed since that childhood memory. My home is no longer North Kordofan, but northern Virginia. My camel is a Subaru Forester. The wool tent is a home in suburbia. Yet the basics remain: regardless of where we reside and what passport we carry, we need to share this planet with other creatures, and trees and other plants are front and center in this resource-sharing equation.

The author planting his pollinator garden, Houda Karrar

That is why ASNV, on whose Board I sit, is currently embarking on an exciting endeavor that is close to my heart. The Stretch Our Parks collaborative project is intended to link some of the existing area parks with the neighborhoods and backyards around them. Audubon is working with management, stewards, and neighbors of those parks to improve habitat so that birds and wildlife can also find refuge in our neighborhoods. As an immigrant who came to America seeking refuge, I can certainly relate.

We can all help in this effort, and no help is too small. We can hang a bird feeder in our property or put a birdbath in the yard. We can stop using harmful pesticides on our lawns. We can remove invasives at our homes. We can choose to plant a native tree next time we want to plant one. 

My pollinator garden, Musa Murawih

On my end, I removed a three-foot wide strip of lawn along the wall of my townhouse and replaced it with a native pollinator garden. The project was so successful that I did not know what to do with my excess flowers. Then, as I was teaming up with other volunteers to remove invasives at Upton Hill Regional Park, I had a small eureka moment: why don’t I transplant some of my flowers to Upton Hill? So I did. With the help of Upton Hill’s manager Evan McGurrin, Park Steward Jill Barker, my fellow ASNV Board member Joan Haffey, and a team of park volunteers, we cleared three small areas where I began to transplant flowers starting in the fall of 2020. 

Cleared area for plantings at Upton Hill Regional Park, Musa Murawih

The beds are now in their third season. My goal is to make these pollinator gardens self-sustaining, and I am hopeful they will be in the next couple of seasons. 

The Stretch Our Parks work shows how important it is to see habitat and wildlife as one thing. When I think back about that sunbird childhood memory today, I don’t only see the sunbirds; I also see the row of sunt trees, the habitat that fed and supported them.

The author with Showy Goldenrod in its second season, Jill Barker

ASNV Welcomes New Volunteers at Training Session

Photo: Volunteer training session, Tina Dudley

Tina Dudley

On Saturday, February 18, ASNV welcomed 18 new volunteers to our team during our Outreach Volunteer Training. The group included 15 adult and 3 youth volunteers. The afternoon began with refreshments and socializing before the training sessions.

Socializing before the training session, Tina Dudley

Stacey Remick-Simkins, chair of ASNV’s new community engagement committee, thanked everyone for attending and emphasized the importance of public outreach to the core of our mission, which is to engage all northern Virginia communities in enjoying, conserving, and restoring nature for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people. Libby Lyons, ASNV President, provided an overview of our chapter’s activities, and Greg Butcher, Vice-President, shared information about the recent State of the Birds 2022 Report.

Greg reported that although, since 1970, the number of birds in the U.S. has declined 25 percent (over 3 billion birds), progress has been made in preservation and recovery of wetland species because of focused conservation efforts. Bald eagles also made a dramatic recovery after DDT was banned -- all of which shows that progress is possible, but it requires investment, which requires public will. ASNV’s work to increase our reach out to the community is connected directly to crucial, species-saving conservation work we need to do in our region as it rapidly develops and grows more densely populated.

“We cannot protect something we do not love, we cannot love what we do not know, and we cannot know what we do not see. And touch. And hear.”

— Richard Louv

We regularly receive requests for presentations, community nature walks, and tabling for various kinds of events around the region. The newly trained volunteers will help us be better equipped to answer the requests. Our new volunteers also will also help us to attract new members and volunteers, build new partnerships, and undertake some new bird conservation projects we are planning for later this year. The more we can educate the northern Virginia community in how to enjoy and conserve natural resources, the better we can help our avian neighbors and migrating visitors.

The training session begins, Tina Dudley

The volunteer training included opportunities for participants to get hands-on practice with tabling, leading a community nature walk, and giving a presentation. Six ASNV board members participated in the training to help orient the new volunteers. Staff members Tina Dudley, Jill Spohn, and newly-hired volunteer coordinator Meg Oakley also were on hand to answer questions and support the event.

Practice session for providing information at a community event (with practice nature walk in the background), Tina Dudley

We are very fortunate to live in a region with great intellectual talent. Participants in the training had diverse backgrounds and skills. The group included individuals who speak Spanish (five of them!), Portuguese, French, and German. Some volunteers told us they were interested in using their language skills to reach out to diverse communities in northern Virginia. Many of the volunteers have a life-long passion for nature with deep environmental experience, which goes to the heart of why they are volunteering. Among them were expert birdwatchers, a public-school science teacher, an Audubon at Home Ambassador, a nature writer, and several who are or are training to be Master Naturalists. But the group also included people with a new interest in nature and a great desire to help. Two of our volunteers are just 12 years old and excited to share their passion with other young people.

Anyone who enjoys talking to people about nature is welcome to join our Outreach Team! Our next Volunteer Outreach Training will be in the fall, but we are happy to accept new volunteers on an ongoing basis. A video of the training is available, and, after completing a brief quiz, new volunteers can be assigned to support our more experienced volunteers at events. To learn more about volunteering for ASNV, visit the Volunteer with ASNV page on our website. Just fill out the intake form and a staff member will be in touch.

To request a community nature walk, a presentation at your school, home owners’ association meeting or other community event, or an ASNV representative to provide information at an event (tabling), please make your request using the form on our Community Outreach page. We offer talks on Bringing Wildlife to Our Yards, Backyard Birds, Birding for Beginners, and Bird Migration. We can develop talks on other subjects for a suggested $75 donation.

Note that ASNV will continue to host our regular bird walks led by expert birdwatchers, but we are expanding our programs to include more diverse community nature outings that tap into the environmental knowledge and enthusiasm of volunteers who might not be expert at identifying birds but can help us increase the interest of northern Virginians in the natural resources around them.

Nextgen Birders for Conservation: A New Program Targeting Younger Birders

Photo: Morgan Peterson

Tina Dudley and Libby Lyons 

ASNV is excited to announce the official launch of Nextgen Birders for Conservation (Nextgen). This new program aims to cultivate the next generation of birders and conservationists by providing opportunities for younger birders to meet, socialize, learn, and bird together. 

In the 2016 “Birding in the US Report,” the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service found that the average age of a bird watcher in the United States was 52 years old, and the greatest number was in the 55+ age group. As ASNV looks to the future, we see the need to engage more young birders to carry the torch of conservation, citizen science, and education. Inspiring the “next generation of naturalists and conservation advocates,” is a key goal in ASNV’s newly adopted strategic plan. 

This is where Nextgen comes in. To reach younger audiences, ASNV is hosting Nextgen on Meetup, a platform for finding and building local communities. Here is the link to our page on Meetup. 

Nextgen aims to connect young birders, including any young people who enjoy wild birds, with their peers. We welcome people who are new to the hobby, loaning out binoculars during our events to beginners. Since the beta launch in April, Nextgen has attracted over 65 members with various levels of birding experience. Members include new birders, nature enthusiasts, photography hobbyists, aspiring ornithologists, natural resource professionals, and experienced bird walk leaders. 

Nextgen outing at Leopold’s Preserve. Photo: Morgan Peterson

The Nextgen event schedule will include a mix of activities and formats, both peer-focused events and events where Nextgen members will join regularly scheduled ASNV programs. Upcoming events include backyard birding on Lake Audubon and a Wingspan game night. Most Nextgen events include a social component to encourage connections and to counter the isolation some younger birders feel when enjoying a hobby more commonly practiced by an older generation. 

The Nextgen leadership team includes Adam Jenkins, Tina Dudley, Emerson Milam (a member of ASNV’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee) and Andreana Lin. Introduce yourself to the newest member of the leadership team, Andreana Lin, in this member spotlight. We are optimistic that as the group grows its members will join ASNV in promoting conservation and citizen science projects. We encourage Nextgen members to consider volunteering on an ASNV committee or joining our Board of Directors. 

Help us make the Nextgen Birders for Conservation group a success. The group is targeted at younger people with an interest in birds, birding or conservation. Join us and steer younger birders you know in our direction. We also are looking for a few birders with 5+ years of birding experience who can serve as mentors. Interested individuals can sign up as mentors here. 

My ASNV Internship

Photo: Joan Haffey

Carolina Sanabria

I started working as an intern for ASNV this May, and I believe my experiences will help me pursue a career in conservation. My title is “citizen science and public engagement intern.” ASNV’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee chose me from a field of candidates because of my interest in conservation and my fluency in Spanish. My work for ASNV has used both.

I am a junior at George Mason University studying environmental science with a concentration in conservation. The Green Atoms club at Annandale High School started my interest in conservation. The club members attended educational talks, but also participated in recycling and local park cleanups, all of which taught me the importance of caring for local flora and fauna. At GMU I serve on a Patriot Green Fund committee that makes decisions about green projects on campus. I am interested in pursuing a career in animal conservation. 

Carolina Sanabria at Family Fun Day. Photo: Joan Haffey

One of the first projects I worked on for ASNV was assisting two ASNV board members with a Spanish translation of Florence McBride’s book, Some Common Birds in Northern Virginia, which is available free on ASNV’s website. The book is a useful and accessible educational tool. It includes great photos and information on migration, food, threats, and other interesting facts about birds in our area, all in everyday language. The book’s style made it easy for us to adapt into Spanish. Following guidelines in the book for derivations, I used it to create laminated cards on ten common birds, with photos and information in both Spanish and English for each bird. The cards are designed for walk leaders to use to introduce beginners to birds they may see on a bird walk. 

I also had opportunities to test the cards in the field, as you can see in the photo accompanying this article. Working with two ASNV board members, I co-led bird walks for children and families attending the June 4 Family Fun Day at Mount Vernon Woods Park, sponsored by NAACP/Fairfax. I answered questions about birds, gave out literature, taught walk participants how to use binoculars ASNV loaned out, and used the cards to introduce our beginners (in both English and Spanish) to local birds. It was interactive and the kids found it fun to use the binoculars for sightseeing and to explore the natural areas in the park. I look forward to helping at another event, this time for Latino Conservation Week, July 24 at Justice Park in Falls Church. 

I also have assisted ASNV with a long-running citizen science project. With guidance from several ASNV board members (including GMU faculty), I entered butterfly and dragonfly data into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The data is from long-term natural resource surveys ASNV sponsors. This information will eventually be uploaded to PollardBase, a data entry and management system for butterfly, dragonfly, and damselfly monitoring programs, where ASNV maintains information on the Occoquan Regional Monitoring Project. ASNV plans further data analysis using information from the surveys to inform future conservation projects. 

My ASNV internship has been a great experience.