STRETCH OUR PARKS

Creating More Bird-friendly Habitat Across Northern Virginia

Stretch Our Parks (SOP) is Northern Virginia Bird Alliance's initiative to expand bird-friendly habitat by connecting parks, open spaces, community groups, local governments, organizations, and individuals working to restore habitat across northern Virginia.

Birds need healthy, connected places where they can feed, nest, migrate, and thrive. Stretch Our Parks helps bring together the people and organizations working toward that goal.

SOP is creating a network that connects people to resources, expertise, volunteers, and one another. We believe that local partners are experts in their own communities and are often best positioned to lead habitat restoration efforts where they live and work.

Our role is to help lower barriers, share knowledge, and strengthen connections so that habitat restoration efforts can grow and succeed. Sometimes that means connecting a project leader with technical expertise, volunteers, funding opportunities, or practical tools. Other times it means helping partners find one another, share lessons learned, or explore opportunities for collaboration. In every case, our goal is to support and encourage local conservation efforts while building a stronger network for birds across Northern Virginia.

Why Stretch Our Parks?

Across Northern Virginia, individuals and organizations are restoring parks, removing invasive species, and improving habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Many of these efforts face similar challenges and opportunities, but often operate independently.

No single organization can restore habitat across the region alone. Stretch Our Parks is built on the idea that conservation is most effective when people share knowledge, support one another, and work together toward common goals. By helping connect projects, people, and resources, we can accelerate habitat restoration efforts and increase their impact for birds and wildlife.

Stretch Our Parks exists to help build a stronger conservation network by:

Making Community Conservation Connections

Connect with others across Northern Virginia who are working on habitat restoration, native plants, bird conservation, and community stewardship projects.

Proving Project Support, Tools, and Resources

Every project has different needs. Stretch Our Parks helps connect participants with relevant resources, expertise, partners, and opportunities that can help move habitat restoration projects forward. While NVBA may play different roles depending on the project, our goal is to help participants find the support and connections they need to succeed. Access practical guides, toolkits, case studies, and other resources that can help support habitat restoration and bird-friendly practices.

Bird and Habitat Expertise

Receive guidance and mentorship from experienced birders, habitat restoration practitioners, and seasoned conservationists.

Shared Learning Opportunities

Participate in webinars, symposiums, workshops, and peer-learning discussions focused on real-world conservation projects and lessons learned.

Volunteer Connections

Share volunteer opportunities and connect with people looking to get involved in habitat restoration and stewardship projects.

Future Funding Opportunities

As the program grows, NVBA hopes to support partner projects through mini-grants and other funding opportunities when resources become available.

Collaboration Map

One of the outcomes of the Stretch Our Parks Symposium was the creation of a Collaboration Map highlighting habitat restoration projects across the region.

Nineteen participants added projects to the map, representing a diverse range of habitat restoration efforts. Since the Symposium, NVBA has followed up with each participant, helped connect several projects with potential partners, and continues to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration.

The map helps visualize the growing network of people and places working to create habitat for birds and wildlife while identifying opportunities for partnership, resource sharing, and peer learning. We will continue expanding the Collaboration Map as the Stretch Our Parks network grows.

[View the Collaboration Map]

Who Can Participate?

Stretch Our Parks is open to anyone interested in creating, restoring, or supporting bird-friendly habitat. Partners may include conservation organizations, community groups, volunteer organizations, landowners and community leaders, and individuals interested in habitat restoration.

Join the Network

Stretch Our Parks succeeds when people share ideas, resources, and opportunities with one another.

Join our distribution list to receive updates, resources, events, and collaboration opportunities.

We also encourage participants to share:

• Habitat restoration success stories

• Useful tools and resources

• Volunteer opportunities

• Requests for partners or collaborators

• Lessons learned from conservation projects

Together, we can create a stronger network for bird conservation and habitat restoration across Northern Virginia.

Stretch Our Parks in Action

Stretch Our Parks began with several ambitious habitat restoration partnerships that demonstrated what is possible when communities, volunteers, and conservation organizations work together over the long term. These early projects continue to provide valuable lessons about habitat restoration, volunteer engagement, partnership building, and creating better outcomes for birds and wildlife.

Today, Stretch Our Parks includes these flagship projects as well as a growing network of partners working at many different scales. Some efforts focus on large parks and public lands, while others may involve community spaces, school grounds, neighborhood projects, demonstration gardens, or emerging restoration initiatives.

There is no minimum project size to participate in Stretch Our Parks. What matters is a shared commitment to improving habitat for birds and wildlife and a willingness to learn from and support one another.

Featured Stretch Our Parks Sites

To get started, we are focusing on three sites, in close collaboration with several partners:

• The Reeves Run corridor sites border this stream from Upton Hill Regional Park through Powhatan Springs Skate Park towards Bluemont Park in Arlington. NVBA is helping expand long-term efforts led by Arlington Regional Master Naturalists.

  • Additional Partners:

    • Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation

    • Arlington Regional Master Naturalists

    • Dominion Hills Area Recreation Association

    • Earth Sangha

    • Lockwood/Elmwood senior housing complex 

    • NOVA Parks

    • Tree Stewards of Arlington and Alexandria

    • Other properties, including a church, an elementary school and private homes

  • We are continuing to build partnerships with other organizations. Volunteer with NVBA or one of our partners to help. Contact Joan Haffey if you want to get involved!

• Four Mile Run Park and Monticello Park in Alexandria

  • Partners:

    • Alexandria Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities

    • Four Mile Run Conservancy Foundation

    • North Ridge Civic Association

  • We are continuing to build partnerships with other organizations. Contact Libby Lyons if you want to get involved!

• Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Woodbridge, VA

  • Partners:

    • Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

  • We are continuing to build partnerships with other organizations. Contact Libby Lyons if you want to get involved!

Together, these projects illustrate different pathways for creating bird-friendly habitat and demonstrate how local conservation efforts can contribute to a healthier, more connected landscape across Northern Virginia.

Stretch Our Parks in Pictures

Upcoming Events

Please join us for an upcoming bird walk, nature outing or service opportunity!

Get Involved

We are looking for volunteers to help us engage the communities around these parks! If you would like to help us, please sign up to volunteer here and mention which park you are interested in working in.

Further Reading

• Service Project Series at Monticello Park

• Attracting Pollinators to Upton Hill Corridor

• About Spring Migration at Upton Hill Corridor

• Partnerships Mean Success - Upton Hill Regional Park

• State of the Birds 2022

How you can help your local park

Stretch the impact of your neighborhood park by trying some of the following tips:

1. Remove invasives in your own yard and plant natives.

2. Leave dead trees UP on your property for as long as it is safe to do so. Snags are great habitat!

3. Keep your cat indoors. It is safer for the cats and for wildlife. And keep your dogs leashed in the park.

4. Reduce stormwater runoff by planting a rain garden and getting permeable driveway pavers.

5. Reduce your lawn over time, converting it to native plants to help wildlife.

6. Leave a brush pile in your yard, but, please, never toss yard waste (or anything else) into a park.

7. Stay on park trails when you visit. Remember, take nothing and leave nothing behind.

8. Never release pets or animals into a park.

9. Resist the urge to feed wildlife in your yard (other than birds).

10. Get involved in your neighborhood park. Join the Friends of the Park group, or consider forming one.

11. Get your backyard certified as a wildlife sanctuary through our Wildlife Sanctuary Program.

Resources

• 2024 NVBA Symposium Report - “Habitat Restoration and Expansion in Northern Virginia.”

• Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - Digital book with info on how to identify and control invasive plants.

• Invasive Plants and How to Remove Them - Video Series by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.

• Plant Nova Natives - A fantastic website with many resources about native plants.

• Arlington Stormwater Credit Program - save money on your stormwater bill and be a good park neighbor!

• Northern Virginia Conservation Trust - learn how to put your property under conservation easement.

• Fairfax County Park Authority Friends Group Handbook - learn how to start your own Friends of the Park group.

• How to make your HOA more nature-friendly - suggestions from Plant Nova Natives.

• How to protect your property forever with a conservation easement - from the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust.

• Do you have a resource, article or blog that relates to habitat restoration? Send it to info@nvbirdalliance.org and we will post it here!