This April and May take a deeper dive into the world of gardening. Using a curriculum developed by the US Botanic Garden and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, our Garden Outreach Associate will teach you to nurture both native and edible plants to feed wildlife, while making your own lifestyle more sustainable. This series of eight classes will be held in person at Woodend in the outdoor classroom of our Learning Garden. Throughout the eight-week course, students will learn specific skills and explore the demonstration gardens at Woodend, but also work on design plans for their own gardens. The group will be limited to 10 people for social distancing and participants will wear face masks. Members $240/nonmembers $275.

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Senior Archaeologist Heather Bouslog explains how archaeology is a public service that promotes social justice now and has done so in the past. This presentation shares how the artifacts recovered from the excavations at Oakley Cabin illustrate a community’s on-going creativity, agency and aspiration to create a space for themselves in society.

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Senior Botanist Dennis Whigham will describe efforts to conserve native orchids in the U.S. and Canada through the development of the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC). NAOCC is based on ecological principles and the participation of community scientists in the collection of the genetic diversity of native orchids and the mycorrhizal fungi that are essential for their survival. Join us for an overview of orchid ecology and NAOCC, including ongoing outreach and educational efforts.

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Join Steven Lonker, former researcher at Harvard University, Australian National University and Carnegie Institution for Science, as he takes us to Western Tien Shan, home to exceptionally rich biodiversity, and overflowing with endemic and globally rare species. With spectacular mountains, deep gorges, steppes and deserts, the Western Tien Shan is the place where many edible plants and cultivars evolved including: almonds, apples, apricots, grapes, irises, pears, pistachios, plums, tulips, and walnuts. Its global importance as a future gene resource for producing disease- and pest-resistance in our food crops, is recognized through its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Tom McCoy, Programs Chair of the Mycological Association of Washington D.C., will introduce us to mushrooms that are villains and heroes to human civilization. Ergot and huitlacoche, both parasites of cereal grains, have had incredible impacts on human history due to their close proximity to a choice edible food. Ergot is likely the deadliest fungus of all time, while huitlacoche helped to build one of the ancient world’s great empires.

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Enjoy a virtual walk with one of the most famous naturalists in our region. Alonso Abugattas, the Capital Naturalist, will take us on a virtual wildflower walk, and teach us about the folklore and natural history of many of our later blooming wildflowers. Summer is almost here, but there will still be plenty of blooms to see. Enjoy leveling up on their natural history, folklore, and ethnobotanical uses.

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Join ANS for a virtual evening with William Pegues as we explore the environmental benefits of vegetated “green” roofs. We will talk about:

• How putting vegetation on a roof can address several climate crisis impacts
• Local examples of successful green roofs
• Small scale applications many can do
• Groceries on the roof
• And how you can advocate for these in your community!

There will be plenty of time for audience questions, too!

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William Pegues graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Architecture and is currently a Certified Construction Specifier and Fellow of the Construction Specifications Institute. His career in architectural specifications and materials research spans 43 years, with 37 of those years with WDG Architecture in Washington, DC. He’s worked on more than 300 projects locally and ranging as far south as Florida, north to New York and Michigan, and west to Texas. He currently serves on Fairfax County’s Reston Planning and Zoning Committee, is a member of Reston’s Environmental Advisory Committee, and recently completed Fairfax County’s Master Gardener training. He also wrote the content for Plant NOVA Natives’ page on vegetated roofs and walls: https://www.plantnovanatives.org/vegetated-roofs-and-walls

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In an effort to bring more functionality to registering for conservation events, we are experimenting this Spring with using our adult program registration system. Please note your log-in credentials from Action Network will not work in the new system. Unless you have already signed up for a previous class such as a Naturalist Hour or a field trip, you will have to create a new account. We appreciate your patience! If you have any questions please email pam.oves@anshome.org.

Come browse and pick up native plants at the Woodend Greenhouse and Learning Garden, adjacent to the Bird Seed Shed.

Native Plants Sale
Saturday, May 1 – Sunday, May 2
Saturday, May 22 – Sunday, May 23
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

The following native plants will be available:

• Pycnanthemum muticum (mountain mint)
• Heuchera longiflora (longflower alumroot)
• Lobelia siphilitica (great blue lobelia)
• Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
• Lonicera sempervirens (honeysuckle vine)
• Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Blue Ice’ (blue star)
• Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ (threadleaf coreopsis)
• Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)
• Liatris microcephala (liatris)
• Penstemon digitalis (foxglove beardtongue)
• Rudbeckia laciniata (cutleaf coneflower)
• Herbs, Annuals and Vegetables (dill, basil, snapdragons, tomato and more)

And so many more native plants!!

The cost is $5 for one, $20 for five, and $30 for ten. 

Come browse and pick up native plants at the Woodend Greenhouse and Learning Garden, adjacent to the Bird Seed Shed.

Native Plants Sale
Saturday, May 1 – Sunday, May 2
Saturday, May 22 – Sunday, May 23
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

The following native plants will be available:

• Pycnanthemum muticum (mountain mint)
• Heuchera longiflora (longflower alumroot)
• Lobelia siphilitica (great blue lobelia)
• Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
• Lonicera sempervirens (honeysuckle vine)
• Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Blue Ice’ (blue star)
• Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ (threadleaf coreopsis)
• Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)
• Liatris microcephala (liatris)
• Penstemon digitalis (foxglove beardtongue)
• Rudbeckia laciniata (cutleaf coneflower)
• Herbs, Annuals and Vegetables (dill, basil, snapdragons, tomato and more)

And so many more native plants!!

The cost is $5 for one, $20 for five, and $30 for ten. 

Defend our local ecosystems! Our Restoration Manager, Bradley Simpson, will teach us the most common invasive plants to look for in the DMV and how they came here. Garlic mustard, English Ivy, Lesser celandine, Japanese honeysuckle are some of the species that you’ll learn to recognize during his talk. Learn how to recognize and control these invasive species in ecosystems around you.

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In this presentation, Brenda Soler-Figueroa will provide an introduction to the roles of phytoplankton in aquatic ecosystems. Enjoy learning about the the bioluminescent systems in Puerto Rico, the small creatures that produce it, and Soler’s research in the United States about phytoplankton, aquatic invasive species, and current ballast water regulations.

REGISTER HERE