Classes for Naturalists

TAKE THE LEAPP®!

The LEAPP® (Learn, Enjoy, Appreciate, Preserve, and Protect) program offers Northern Virginians the opportunity to learn more about the natural world and be informed, active stewards for its care and protection.  Since its inception in 1999, students have found that LEAPP classes are fun and personally rewarding.  Don’t miss out – register early!  Please note that registration is not complete until payment is received. (For Master Naturalists:  All workshops have been approved for Advanced Training hours.) To register, contact ASNV at 703-438-6008 or at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also fill out the attached registration form and mail it in but please check class space availability before mailing your payment. If you need to cancel, please do so at least 48 hours before the class to receive a refund.

Winter Tree Identification

Introduction to winter tree identification based on features such as branching structure, bark, buds, leaf scars, as well as other clues, including persistent and fallen fruits and leaves, aromatic twigs, and habitat. One two hour lecture and one field trip.

Class: Thursday, February 9, 2012, from 7 to 9 pm. At Oakton HS, 2900 Sutton Rd, Vienna, VA 22181, Room 107.

Field Trip: Sunday February 12, 2012 from 9 a.m. to noon at location TBD

Instructor: Elizabeth Rives is an Environmental Educator for the Alice Ferguson Foundation's award-winning Bridging the Watershed program. A partnership with the National Park Service, the program provides experiences to connect high-school students to their place in the natural and cultural world. She also teaches tree selection for Tree Stewards of Arlington-Alexandria trainees, and has conducted tree ID surveys, advised on tree care, and researched native flora. B.A., University of Virginia. She teaches Winter Woody Plant Identification for Audubon Naturalist Society / Graduate School.

Maximum enrollment: 20

Cost: $30 members; $40 non-members.

Wetlands: Watersheds to Plastic Pipes, and Beavers In-between

Join Huntley Meadows Park Manager Kevin Munroe for a dynamic discussion about wetland ecology and management. After a summary and introduction about what makes a wetland, we’ll learn about the difference between habitat specialists and habitat generalists. Next we’ll use photos and monitoring data to explore the cycles of a beaver marsh, the inhabitants of a hemi-marsh, and the many issues connected with actively managing for biodiversity. We’ll end the class with an update and discussion regarding Huntley’s wetland restoration project, one of the largest ecological restoration projects attempted in Northern VA.

After a break and opportunity to explore the park’s exhibit-filled visitor center, we’ll head out for a two-hour guided nature walk into the park’s woodlands and wetland boardwalk, ending in a climb up the wildlife observation tower. We’ll use the walk to look for and examine concepts discussed during the class, including wetland ecology, management techniques and challenges, biodiversity in a suburban setting and hemi-marsh wildlife. Bring your binoculars and help us find winter ducks, bald eagles, snipe, swamp sparrows, beavers, muskrat lodges and other wetland wildlife.

New Date: Saturday, Feb. 11, 1 p.m.- 5 p.m., including 2-hour nature walk.

Location: Huntley Meadows Park. Directions: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/huntley/directions.htm

Instructor: Huntley Meadows Park Manager Kevin Munroe

Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members

Limit: 20

Geology

Geologist Dr. Barbara Frank will teach a course with a general introduction to earth materials and geologic time followed by a hike to see folded mountain features, igneous activity dating back to Paleozoic Period. Present day processes, such as erosion and weathering , in particular pothole formation, frost-wedging will be covered.

New Date: Sunday, March 18, 2012 

Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: First two hours lecture (on fossils, crystals and rocks at my home) followed by a 3 hour hike in Great Falls Park.

Instructor: Dr. Barbara Frank is a former geology professor at the University of Maryland in Munich, Germany. She taught geology and environmental science for 15 years and led geology study tours throughout Europe. Upon return to the States, she was a senior staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives Science Committee and worked as a senior manager at the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. For the last 15 years, she has facilitated strategic planning meetings and led team-building workshops out of her retreat in Great Falls (www.MeetingOasis.com). She wrote a children's book entitled The Pothole Mystery and the Secret of Balanced Rocks in Great Falls Park and will soon publish Grandparenting with the Wisdom of Nature.

Limit: Minimum of 8 and maximum of 20

Cost: $35 for members and $45 for non-members

Flying WILD

If you would like to learn about birds and how to provide some fun birding activities to kids and adults, sign up for Flying WILD. Flying WILD is a conservation education guide featuring interdisciplinary hands-on classroom and outdoor activities. You will receive a guide and curriculum that contains activities and lesson plans. Key concepts include migration, adaptation, the importance of habitat, and bird conservation efforts. The curriculum was originally designed for middle school teachers and students, but the guide contains activities suitable for anyone who wants to teach about birds.

Date: Saturday, March 10

Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Eat lunch before you come or bring a snack to tide you over.)

Location: National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Dr., Reston, VA. Directions: From Sunset Hills Road, turn into Lake Fairfax Business Center (on Sunset Hills between Wiehle Avenue and Hunter Mill Road). Follow Business Center Drive to the end and turn left. Turn right into the National Wildlife Federation. Cost: FREE

Instructor: Susie Gilley is the Wildlife Education and Project WILD Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Limit: 20 minimum and 30 maximum

Amphibians of Northern Virginia

A two-part program co-sponsored by Potomac Overlook Regional Park and the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia

(The lecture is mandatory for those wishing to go on the field trip.)

Join expert naturalists for an “up close and personal” look at amphibians in our region. We will explore local frogs, toads, and salamanders through a slideshow and with live specimens! Be prepared to learn calls, habits, and life cycles of these amazing animals.

Class: Saturday, March 24.2:00 – 3:30 p.m

Location: Potomac Overlook Regional Park, 2845 North Marcey Road, Arlington.

Field Trip: We will explore the park’s many vernal pools for breeding American toads, gray tree frogs, pickerel frogs, as well as egg masses from spotted salamanders. Bring rain boots, leg boots, or shoes that can get muddy. Dress for the weather!

Location: Saturday, April 7 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Bull Run Regional Park, 700 Bull Run Drive Centreville.

Instructor: Casey Pittrizzi is a naturalist with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.

Costs:

$25 for lecture and field trip for members

$35 for lecture and field trip for non-members

$5 for lecture only

Limit: Lecture 30, Field trip 20. The workshop is open to adults and families with children 12 and up.

An Introduction to Birds and Birding

Session 1--Basic Ornithology,

Date: Wednesday, April 18, 7:00-9:00 p.m.  Field trip, Saturday, April 21, details to be announced in class.

In this class you will gain a basic understanding of taxonomy and species; bird biology; the natural history of birds, including behavior, reproduction, migration; and the great diversity of birds and habitats.  Instructors: Carol and Jay Hadlock are Audubon Society of Northern Virginia Master Naturalists, instructors for the Fairfax Master Naturalist program, long-time birders, and National Wildlife Federation Habitat stewards.

Session 2--Beginning Birding

Date: Wednesday, April 25, 7:00-9:00 p.m.  Field trip, Saturday, April 28, details to be announced in class.

In this class you will learn how to choose and use binoculars, explore various field guides and learn the language and tricks of identifying birds in the field.  Instructor:  Carl Kikuchi is an Audubon Society of Northern Virginia Master Naturalist, a Fairfax Master Naturalist, and experienced birder.

Class Location: National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston.

Limit: 15

Cost: $50 for members and $60 for non-members for both sessions.  No registrations accepted for individual sessions.

Spring Wildflowers

Did you know that ants are the seed dispersers for 30% of spring wildflowers? Learn how to pronounce myrmecochory, how to identify some common spring wildflowers and plant families, and the folklore associated with plants in this area. The field trip will be held at Riverbend Park, Fairfax County Park Authority’s only riverfront park which has over 400 acres of forest, meadows, and ponds. Riverbend’s location along the Potomac River makes it a naturally unique and sensitive area with spectacular spring wildflowers.

Dates: Thursday, April 19 from 7 – 9:30 p.m. (classroom)

Saturday, April 21 from 10 a.m. to Noon at Riverbend Park (field trip)

Classroom location: Room A132, Fairfax High School,

Field Trip: 10 a.m. to Noon at Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills St., Great Falls, VA. Meet at the Visitor’s Center (not the Nature Center)

Instructor: Dr. Marijke Gate has worked as a naturalist at Riverbend Park for more than 15 years; leading programs in many aspects of natural history for both children and adults. Spring wildflowers remain one of her favorite subjects and never fail to delight as they appear each spring. She has a PhD in Zoology and previously taught both college and high school biology.

Cost: $27 for members and $37 for non-members

Limit: 25

Introduction to Local Stream Life

A two-part program co-sponsored by Potomac Overlook Regional Park and the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia.

(The lecture is mandatory for those wishing to go on the field trip.)

Class: Join Potomac Overlook naturalists for an exploration into the world that exists in our smaller local streams. Common fish, amphibians, birds, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and other invertebrates will be covered through an interpretive slideshow. Live specimens will also be on hand for participants to observe.

Location: Saturday, May 26 1-3 p.m. at Potomac Overlook Regional Park, 2845 N. Marcey Road, Arlington, VA 22207-5235.

Field Trip: Saturday June 9 2-4 p.m. at Temple Hall Farm Regional Park. Explore local stream life at Temple Hall Farm in Leesburg, VA for the field trip portion of this program. Park naturalists will use kick seines, dip nets, and magnifiers to view and identify any critters caught. Some nets will be available for participants to share. Wear rain boots, or shoes that can get wet.

Instructor: Casey Pittrizzi is a naturalist with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.

Costs:

$30 for lecture and field trip for members

$40 for lecture and field trip for non-members

$5 for lecture only

Limit: Lecture 30, Field trip 20. The workshop is open to adults and families with children 12 and up.

Check out field trips by clicking here and Nature Afternoon events with environmental guest speakers by clicking here.

New Audubon at Home Workshop Series

We have started a new series of Audubon at Home workshop to provide enrichment for Audubon at Home clients and additional training for our volunteer Ambassadors. These programs vary for 1.5 – 3 hours and are typically held in private homes or local parks. Workshop will be offered free to current and trainee Audubon at Home Ambassadors.

We are currently composing our 2012 Audubon at Home Workshop offerings and should have these on the website by mid-February. Among the topics we expect to offer are native plant identification, pocket meadows, native plant propagation, deer resistant gardening, pollinator gardens, and Audubon at Home sanctuary species.

We welcome your suggestions for future Audubon at Home workshops – please send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Check back in a few weeks for new classes.

Register for all classes at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 703-438-6008.