The next week signals the start of a massive surge of migration into Northern Virginia. Each spring, 3.5 billion birds and 350 species cross the southern border of the United States on their way to nesting grounds in the northern states and Canada.

A landfill can be more than a garbage dump. It can be a place of ecological renewal. The latest example at Fairfax County’s I-95 landfill is a plan to protect some of the landfill’s grassland habitat for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife.

Birdathon, ASNV’s annual birding competition and fundraiser, is coming soon.

Mary Frase, who comes from several generations of family gardeners, tells anyone who asks her about her volunteering, “I grew up playing in the dirt and I still like to play there.” She turned this love into an extraordinary commitment to native habitat.

If you haven’t yet taken the time to study the variety of nature in your local park, but you still appreciate it, you may also ask yourself how you, as a park user and community member can help protect the park’s resources.

ASNV’s Youth Education Committee has selected Jeanne Lukas-Ross of Clearview Elementary School in Herndon as the 2024 recipient of the ASNV scholarship to “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” at National Audubon’s Hog Island nature camp in Maine.

We often hear about telephone or online financial scams, but what about the “woodchucks” or tree scammers that arrive at your door? These are seasonal workers, usually untrained, uncertified, and unlicensed. Beware! They come bearing disaster for your trees, as well as your wallets.

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.

Common Blue Violets (Viola sororia) are blooming. You may think of them as pesky weeds growing unwanted in your lawn and pull them up, as I used to do, but they are native and of value to wildlife.

The 2024 General Assembly session began with high hopes for environmentalists, but the session ended with only modest achievements.

Join us for a class, workshop or event! Here are some of our upcoming offerings.

Have you struggled in the past to find that great article we ran about making a mosquito larva trap? Or the Eagle Scout video showing you how to apply bird-safe protection to your home’s windows? We’ve fixed the problem with our new search feature!

Monday Nature Mystery continues! Read on to learn who correctly identified our last mystery.

Read this account of a 2023 Birdathon team’s long but rewarding day of birding through some of northern Virginia’s best birding locations.

I have several times written how fortunate ASNV is to benefit from the dedication, knowledge, and generosity of our volunteers. The important and lasting impact of volunteer service was driven home when I learned of the recent death of Dr. William R. Stott, known to his friends as Bill.