My favorite birding spot is Veterans Memorial Park in Woodbridge. I keep coming back for the surprises that appear around every bend in the trail.
It's Time for Birdathon!
The Birds Are Coming! It’s Time to Turn Off Your Lights at Night
Judging a Plant by its Label
Finding natives in commercial garden centers can be challenging. Plant labels, excepting those that Plant NOVA Native volunteers have already tagged in red as “Native,” rarely offer much information and use terms that can be confusing. Here are some definitions and tips to help you find exactly what the biodiversity of the region needs.
A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us, April 2026
Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Plant a Butterfly Nursery in the Shade
Tundra Swans
The Latest on Avian Influenza
Spring migration is about to bring millions of birds north along the Atlantic Flyway, a welcome sight for Virginia bird-lovers emerging from a season of persistent cold and stubborn snowbanks. With these birds, concern is also returning about a bird flu outbreak that has been active in the U.S. since early 2022.
Invasive Plant Legislation Moves Forward in the Virginia Legislature
The Virginia legislature appears to be intent on taking steps to slow the environmental and economic harm that invasive plants are causing. State legislators introduced seven bills relating to invasive plants in the 2026 legislative session, and all of them are proceeding through the legislative process.
The I-95 Landfill’s Becoming ‘Birdy’
Help Rescue Fairfax County Trees
A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us, March 2026
Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: It's Spring! Is it Time to Plant?
NVBA Helps Preserve Urban Forest in Fairfax City
Following a long and hard-fought campaign by environmental advocates, the Fairfax City Council voted not to proceed with constructing the George Snyder Trail, which would have destroyed much of the city’s urban forest. This victory for the environment over development is a classic demonstration of the effort needed to secure an environmental “win.”
Winter Irruptions
An “irruption” is a large-scale movement of birds to a new area, somewhat similar to migration. However, unlike regular fall and spring migrations, irruptions are typically driven by resource availability (such as food scarcity) and thus occur more randomly, with some winters seeing big irruptions and others seeing none at all.
Updating the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas
Breeding bird atlases have a long history in the United States, where they are typically conducted at the state level. Like road atlases, at their core they are centered around maps, but the maps relate to the geographic distribution and abundance of breeding bird species—that is, where they are found on the landscape and in what numbers.
