NVBA News Blog
American Robin. Photo: Mick Thompson/Audubon Photography Awards
Welcome to the blog for Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, a wealth of resources about northern Virginia birds, wildlife, habitat conservation and restoration, native plants, wildlife-friendly gardening, advocacy and more.
Observations from Meadowood: November 2023
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.
Vote for Conservation This Month
All elections are important but Virginians will elect the entire Virginia General Assembly on November 7.
Monday Mystery - October 30, 2023
Monday Nature Mystery continues! Read on to learn who correctly identified our last mystery.
Monday Mystery - October 2, 2023
Monday Nature Mystery continues! Read on to learn who correctly identified our last mystery.
Tell Us Your Thoughts (by October 15) on Keeping or Changing Our Name
ASNV, like many other Audubon chapters, has embarked on a process to decide whether to keep the Audubon name. The National Audubon Society in March of this year decided not to change its name, but is allowing its many chapters to decide for themselves.
Celebrate native trees in October!
This year, the entire month of October is Native Tree Month across Virginia!
What You Need to Know About Bird Flu
The July 2023 Statement from the international Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds includes some alarming information about the effect of the current avian influenza or “bird flu,” H5N1, but it also includes some helpful recommendations on steps we can take to keep from exacerbating the spread of this deadly disease.
Thoreau Middle School Garden Produces Monarchs!
In 2021, Henry David Thoreau Middle School, in Vienna, applied for funds from ASNV to purchase native plants for its courtyard. We recently received an exciting update on its garden.
ASNV Teams up with Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for a Conservation Workshop
You can learn how to advocate on behalf of our environment by attending a free Advocacy Forum at the National Wildlife Federation building on Saturday, October 21.
Biodiversity Starts at Home: Plant Native Plants!
Fall is for planting. When choosing what to plant, why not factor in the ecosystem while you are at it?
Fight Light Pollution to Help Conserve Our Natural Resources
All migrating birds are at risk from excessive outdoor lighting each spring and fall. Some cities, including Washington DC, have established programs such as Lights Out DC, which works to convince building owners and managers to adopt light abatement procedures for the sake of migrating birds.
Tree-of-Heaven is not heavenly!
Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) was imported from China and widely distributed in the United States as an ornamental in the late 1700s and 1800s. Its behavior, though, is far from heavenly.
Local Teen Wins National Audubon Society Photo Award
James Fatemi, a junior at Mclean High School, won the Youth Honorable Mention Award in the National Audubon Society’s 2023 Photography Contest.
The corporate world embraces native plants
Most corporate properties have pretty “standard” landscaping, meaning the plants do very little if anything to support the local ecosystem. More and more, though, we are seeing innovative landscape designs on commercial properties that demonstrate the potential for corporations to be leaders in the effort to save the natural world, starting on their own land.
Observations from Meadowood: September 2023
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.
Monday Mystery - August 28, 2023
Monday Nature Mystery continues! Read on to learn who correctly identified our last mystery.
Attracting Pollinators to Upton Hill Park
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.
Inviting Fireflies to Your Yard
When fireflies start their early summer dance, will they pick your yard for their display? Like most insects (and like most vertebrate species except humans and farmed animals), firefly numbers are in a steep decline, but there are steps we can take to foster them on our properties.
Don't Transport Invasive Plant Hitchhikers
Many of us have spent time in our yards and area parks battling invasive plants, but we need to add a few other measures in our continuing efforts to build and sustain healthy habitat for native wildlife. STOP HITCHHIKERS!
eBird or Birda, or Both?
Most American birdwatchers are familiar with eBird and Merlin, products developed and managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and launched in 2002 and 2021, respectively. But have you heard of Birda?