Urban Wildlife

Celebrate National Squirrels Day at Hidden Oaks Nature Center

Submitted by Ellen Scott, Community Web Producer

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012, 10:35am

From Fairfax County Park Authority:

Love them or hate them, the Eastern Gray squirrel is a well-known character in neighborhoods throughout Northern Virginia. They regularly defeat squirrel-proof bird feeders, treat gardens like their personal buffets, and nibble on the faces of helpless jack ‘o lanterns. But even the most ardent squirrel haters grudgingly admit that the furry little rodents are both clever and cute and are impressed by their arboreal acrobatics. In 2001, a wildlife rehabilitator in Asheville, NC, introduced Squirrel Appreciation Day to honor the omnipresent backyard bandit. The annual holiday has since become a national phenomenon.

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Public Invited to Make Room for Trees Conference

Submitted by Ellen Scott, Community Web Producer

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011, 10:11am

From Fairfax County:

On Friday, Nov. 18, the public is invited to attend a conference on incorporating trees into the urban landscape. The event will take place at the Algonkian Regional Park Conference Center, 47001 Fairway Drive, Sterling.

“Make Room for Trees: the Urban Forest Continuum” is the conference’s topic, and the event will focus on how to ensure that trees are a part of urban and redeveloping areas.

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Riverbend Park’s Night Sky Festival Focuses on Jupiter

Submitted by Ellen Scott, Community Web Producer

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011, 10:25am

From Fairfax County Park Authority:

On Saturday, November 19, 2011, from 6 to 8 p.m., visitors will gaze through a 10-inch telescope at our solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter, during Riverbend Park’s annual Night Sky Festival. Due to the dark, moonless night, Jupiter’s colors and banding should be visible. The planet’s four Galilean moons (Ganymede, Io, Europa, Callisto) are also expected to be seen. The festival occurs near the peak of the Leonid meteor shower and, although rare, participants may occasionally see shooting stars while listening to stories by a warm campfire.

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Find Out About Owls Round The Campfire at Hidden Oaks

Submitted by Ellen Scott, Community Web Producer

Friday, August 19th, 2011, 9:18am

From Fairfax County Park Authority:

Learn to identify barred owls from other native owls while enjoying the campfire at Hidden Oaks Nature Center on Saturday, August 27, 2011. The one-hour program starts at 7:30 p.m. and is appropriate for youngsters at least four years old. Participants will also roast marshmallows. The cost is $5 per person. You can register online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes/ or call 703-222-4664.

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Hidden Oaks Naturalists Release a Group of Snapping Turtle Hatchlings

Submitted by Ellen Scott, Community Web Producer

Friday, August 12th, 2011, 3:14pm

Hidden Oaks Naturalists Release a Group of Snapping Turtle Hatchlings

Naturalists from Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale, released a group of snapping turtle hatchlings into Lake Accotink today.

These turtles were the first to emerge from the 35 eggs that were rescued from a Fairfax resident's garden earlier this summer. The next release will take place on Monday, August 15, at 2:30 p.m.

According to the Fairfax County Park Authority press release, "The first hatchlings emerged on August 1, creating excitement at the nature center for both staff and visitors alike. Hatchlings cannot be released until they are a week old."

Check out the video of the baby turtles!

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Do Not Transport Firewood When Camping

Submitted by Ellen Scott, Community Web Producer

Friday, July 15th, 2011, 2:09pm

From Fairfax County:

The warm days of summer are an excellent time for pitching a tent at Fairfax County Park Authority campsites in Lake Fairfax and Burke Lake Parks. While you’re there, remember the request that’s being made by park agencies throughout the region. Please don’t transport firewood out of Northern Virginia and, when camping outside this region, please use firewood from local sources rather than carrying it with you from Northern Virginia.

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Hit the Trail

Submitted by Little Prints Photography, Nancy de Pastino, Little Prints Photography

Friday, June 24th, 2011, 12:50pm

What would you expect a four-and-three-quarter-year-old to say at the end of a four-and-a-half-mile hike that she just finished using her own two feet? “What a wonderful day,” Sofi announced when we walked past the old Tavern (that I was wishing was still a tavern) at Great Falls National Park.