NATURE, HISTORY AND HORTICULTURE IN FAIRFAX COUNTY
VOLUME 8, NO. 4
FALL 2008
An IABC Silver Inkwell and AMPC MarCom Award and Hermes Creative Award-winning publication
Fun With Turkey Vultures They’re so cute. Standing there, tearing at a carcass on the side of the road.
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urkey vultures have an oddly endearing look, as if they stepped out of a 1950s-era monster movie (It Came From The Side Of The Road).
You can’t miss them. They can be huge, over two feet long with a wing span of five feet, and are easy to spot in the sky. They’re great cruisers. Ellanor C. Lawrence Park Manager Leon Nawojchik says, “They can stay aloft for hours with little expense of energy.” Visually, they embody the junior high school word “eeewwwww.” Those popped-out eyes, hunched shoulders, the bald head and bags under the eyes are probably why turkey vulture dolls don’t sell as well as teddy bears. Turkey vultures generally eat meat, as humans do, though preparation techniques differ. Nawojchik says their meat is “perhaps more aged,” and they feed advantageously on dead animals called carrion. They don’t actively stalk to kill.
Turkey vultures aren’t cuddly cute, but they fill a key environmental cleanup role.
The wings on the turkey vulture in flight form a ‘V’ or ‘U’ with its head at the bottom. Eagles fly with mostly flatter wings. Photo by Leon Nawojchik
There’s a likely reason for that featherless head. When vultures eat carrion, they sometimes stick their head inside the carcass to reach the meat. Unwanted carcass parts with bacteria would tangle in and stick to feathers. The turkey vulture has few natural predators, although the young are vulnerable to coyotes. There’s human impact from the odd potshot of misguided sportsmanship, power lines or poisoned carcasses such as rats. Its primary form of defense is vomiting. The turkey vulture can cough up a lump of semi-digested meat that smells foul. The stuff will, as Nawojchik says, “dissuade an intruder.” Nawojchik says they’re “weather-dependent.” Clear, sunny days are ideal, allowing them to float on rising drafts of hot air and soar. In winter, they wait to fly until the sun warms the air. In wet conditions, they hunker down and rest in a tree. They’re a quiet bird. Despite the fierce look, the only sounds they make are soft hissings or a whining. They don’t build nests. Instead, they may lay eggs next to a log or in an abandoned building. Since turkey vultures migrate, the ones you see in summer may not be the same ones in winter. When on the move, they may follow coastlines or mountain ridges to take advantage of prevailing winds and updrafts. continued on page 9
WHAT’S INSIDE . . . Fall Events ..................... 2 Park Foundation ............ 3 Historic House ............... 4 Stewardship .................. 5 Poison Ivy ..................... 6 Cultural Resources .......... 7 Storm Drains ................. 8 Small Parks ................. 10 Staff ............................ 11 Visit a Park .................. 12
p Fairfax County Park Authority • Fairfax, VA 22035 • 703-324-8695 • FAX 703-324-3996 • TTY 703-803-3354 • www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources
EVENTS
FALL EVENTS
NATURAL RESOURCE AND HISTORIC SITES
Watershed Clean-Up Day
BURKE LAKE PARK 7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station Call 703-323-6600
October 18, 9-11:30am. Help clear earth’s arteries. Wear boots, old clothes and bring gloves. Trash bags and appreciation provided. A great community project! Call these sites to help:
COLVIN RUN MILL 10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls Call 703-759-2771 ELLANOR C. LAWRENCE PARK 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly Call 703-631-0013
Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 703-941-1065 Hidden Pond Nature Center, 703-451-9588
FRYING PAN FARM PARK 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon Call 703-437-9101 GREEN SPRING GARDENS 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria Call 703-642-5173 HIDDEN OAKS NATURE CENTER 7701 Royce Street, Annandale Call 703-941-1065 HIDDEN POND NATURE CENTER 8511 Greeley Blvd., Springfield Call 703-451-9588 HUNTLEY MEADOWS PARK 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria Call 703-768-2525 LAKE ACCOTINK PARK 7500 Accotink Park Rd., Springfield Call 703-569-3464 LAKE FAIRFAX PARK 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston Call 703-471-5414 RIVERBEND PARK 8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls Call 703-759-9018 SULLY HISTORIC SITE 3650 Historic Sully Way, Chantilly Call 703-437-1794 HISTORIC PROPERTIES RENTAL SERVICES www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/weddings.htm Call 703-827-0609
Need directions or more information? VISIT www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks
Huntley Meadows Park, 703-768-2525 Riverbend Visitor Center, 703-759-9018 Sully Historic Site, 703-437-1794 The Virginia Indian Festival at Riverbend is a colorful, educational and fun experience.
Virginia Indian Festival September 6, (All ages), 10am-4pm, Riverbend Visitor Center, 703-759-9018. The Rappahannock dancers and drummers will be among eight area tribes represented. Crafts, pottery and music for sale. Live demonstrations, tool-making experts and local archaeologists, plus bow-and-arrow shooting and spear throwing with an atlatl. Help build an authentic dug-out canoe. $8/adult, $5/child
A Woman’s Handiwork: Stitches in Time Tea Program October 5, 1-3:30pm, Green Spring Gardens, 703-642-5173. Artist and collector Caroline Hottenstein displays antique hand-sewing tools and links them to different styles of needlework. Optional tea or embroidery lesson. Program only, $12. Program plus embroidery lesson, $20. Program plus tea, $30
Benefit Dinner for Observatory Park
Editor/Writer: Photos:
David Ochs Don Sweeney, FCPA David Ochs Production: Innovative Projects, Inc. Published quarterly by the Fairfax County Park Authority, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035-1118. Available at park sites and Fairfax County libraries. Visit ResOURces online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources c ResOURces is printed on recycled paper.
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October 9, Great Falls Library. Call Jacque Olin at 703-759-3108. Author Soren Thirslund speaks on the occasion of Leif Erikson Day. Sponsored by the Analemma Society of Great Falls. Check to Analemma Society, P.O. Box 196, Great Falls, VA 22066, Attn: October 9 Dinner. $95/person, $250/sponsor
Fear-less Fest October 18, (4 yrs. and up with adult), 7-9 pm, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 703-941-1065. A guided hike to meet some misunderstood, costumed creatures of the night who explain why they have scary reputations. Reservations, advance payment required. $5/child, $2/adult
Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, 703-631-0013
Farm Harvest Day October 18, 10am-3pm, Frying Pan Farm Park, 703-437-9101. Milk a goat, shell corn, core apples, paint a pumpkin, play games, see the cider press and meet the farm animals. $5
Mammals: Encounters of the Fluffy Kind November 1, (All ages), 1-2pm. Cub Run RECenter, (703) 817-9407. Journey into the forest and look for signs of the mammals that make Cub Run stream valley their home. Reservations required. $3/child, $2/adult
Naturalist Corner November 4, (4 yrs. and up with adult), 1-4pm, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 703-941-1065. Explore a discovery room of crafts and activities. Play outdoor Eastern Woodland Indians games and elect your favorite reptile or amphibian to represent Hidden Oaks on this Election Day. Reservations, advance payment required. $6/child
Apprentice Naturalist — Introduction to Animal Tracking December 13, (10 yrs. and up), 1-3pm, Cub Run RECenter, 703-817-9407. Learn the signs, tracks and traces left by local forest animals. Discover how these signs can lead you to a better understanding of animals and increase your probability of seeing, and even photographing, them. Reservations required. $5 continued on page 9
PA R K F O U N D AT I O N
New Directors for Park Authority and Park Foundation The transition from spring to summer brought leadership changes at the Fairfax County Park Authority.
New Park Authority Director John Dargle
New Park Foundation Director Paul Baldino
ohn W. Dargle, Jr., a certified park and recreation professional, now oversees the day-to-day operations of the county park system. He was the Parks and Recreation director in AthensClarke County, Georgia, for the past five years. He’s also served as the director of Parks and Recreation in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and as the Park District general manager for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Dargle served in the U.S. Army from 1988 to 1995 as a commissioned officer working as a helicopter pilot.
aul L. Baldino returns to the county in a new role. The former Park Authority director is the new executive director of the Park Foundation. As the agency director, he helped create the Park Foundation and oversaw its successful beginnings.
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Dargle succeeds retiring Acting Director Tim White, a 31-year Park Authority veteran who told his agency staffers, “I’ve spent my entire adult life with people I like and respect doing something I love. What more could you ask for in a career?”
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Baldino served as assistant director and, later, director of the Park Authority from January 1997 to September 2002. During his tenure the agency received a National Gold Medal Award, 71% of voters approved a $75 million bond initiative, over 5,000 acres of parkland were acquired and the Lorton Prison complex transfer of parkland began. Baldino was the deputy director of Human Resources for Arlington County the past six years. He retired from the U.S. Navy Reserve as a commander in 2003.
The Fairfax County Park Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to developing a program of support to provide supplemental funds to the Park Authority for the protection and enhancement of the cultural, natural, recreational and historic resources in Fairfax County. Since its establishment in April 2000, the Foundation has spearheaded the development and fundraising for Clemyjontri Park, supported land acquisition initiatives through the land preservation fund and lent a hand to ensure funding for summer camp programs and inclusive programs for those with disabilities. For information about the Park Foundation or about donating call 703-324-8582. www.fxparks.org/
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P R E S E R VAT I O N
THE TIMBRE OF TREES By Deborah Waugh, Historic House Coordinator
“This house was built in 1784.” We know because a tree told us.
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ntil recently, even with all we knew about the historic house at Green Spring Gardens and its many occupants, the question of when it was built persisted. That question was answered when the trees spoke up last winter. Trees find their voice through the science of dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating. It’s a precise way of dating historic buildings by the tree-ring patterns in the timbers used in their construction. Trees are accurate timekeepers. The varied width of their annual growth rings is synchronous with weather conditions. Wet, warm years produce more cell growth and wider rings; cold, dry years result in narrower rings. These ring patterns are like fingerprints, unique to trees growing in the same region at the same time. Tree ring data is based on timbers of the same tree species from the same region. If a dendrochronologist knows where a piece of wood came from, he can, by cross-dating, or matching patterns, look at it and say, “This part of the tree was growing from 1820 to 1835.” If a tree-ring sequence extends to the edge of the bark, the date that the tree was felled can be pinpointed to the season of the year. In Green Spring’s case, vital real estate records were missing and, at best, the construction period could be narrowed to a 20-year span between the early 1760s and early 1780s. Knowing when the house was built would tell us who built it — Daniel Summers, who acquired the land in 1761, or John Moss, who bought it in 1777.
The Green Spring historic house past and present.
DENDROCHRONOLOGY is increasingly being used to date historic buildings in our area. Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria was also “dendro-dated.” In Europe, it’s been used to date a Stradivarius violin and a portrait of Mary Queen of Scots. Tree rings also record evidence of climate change, insect infestations, lightning strikes, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. By unlocking that storehouse of data from the past, tree ring science can help us predict natural events and climate patterns.
Last December, architectural historian Dr. Camille Wells and dendrochronologist William Callahan collected 13 wood core samples from the structural oak timbers in the attic and cellar. Analysis showed that several of the tested timbers came from trees cut down between November 1783 and February 1784. Inspection of the timbers indicated that, consistent with the carpentry and construction techniques of the day, they were used soon after cutting. Now we have a scientific basis for stating that John Moss built the house in 1784. The final report states that the statistical chance of the cross dates being incorrect is “much less than 1 in 1,000.” Trees are historical archives, silent witnesses to history. The timbers in this house at Green Spring came from great oak trees cut down, but not silenced, 224 years ago. Today, they tell us loud and clear: “This house was built in 1784.”
Dendrochronology tells us John Moss built the house seven years after he bought the property in 1777. 4
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STEWARDSHIP
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” Dorothy faced that question in the film, “The Wizard of Oz.” Local residents similarly bewildered ask, “Are you a good plant or a bad plant?”
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e can help answer that bewitching question. The Park Authority has published a guidebook to help you tell the difference between native and non-native flora. Plants aren’t good or bad, but some, like Dorothy, are misplaced, and that causes a lot of problems for native plants and wildlife. The guidebook has 150 full-color photographs of common native and nonnative plants. It includes tips on control, eradication, look-alike comparisons and notes on when you might see flowers and fruit. Unlike the effect on witches, water won’t melt the plastic, washable pages in the Non-Native Invasive ID and Control guidebook. It’s available at Fairfax County Park Authority nature centers for $9.95 plus tax. You also can call the Natural Resources hotline at 703-324-8580. The cards are partially funded through the Environmental Improvement Projects. Money raised by sales will fund more stewardship education publications.
Invasive Management Area Volunteer Program On October 25, help rid our parks of invasive plants that degrade our natural ecosystems. Learn how. Email Resources@fairfaxcounty.gov, call 703-324-8681 or go online to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources/IMA/.
Simple Acts Can Protect the Potomac Watershed Tempted to drop a can, cup or bag out the car window or onto a sidewalk? On March 29 of this year, 208 Watershed Cleanup volunteers at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park worked three hours apiece and picked up nearly 14,000 pounds of trash. That’s seven tons of trash from one group organized through one site. The same thing was happening that day at other sites in the Potomac River watershed.
PREVENT THE PROBLEM: Next time, find a trash can. SOLVE THE PROBLEM: Volunteer for this fall’s cleanup on Saturday morning, October 18. Contact one of these sites:
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
County residents pitch in at last spring’s watershed cleanup.
Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 703-941-1065 (Roundtree Park — Holmes Run) Hidden Pond Nature Center, 703-451-9588 (Pohick Creek) Huntley Meadows Park, 703-768-2525 (Little Hunting Creek) Riverbend Visitor Center, 703-759-9018 (Potomac River) Sully Historic Site, 703-437-1794 (Cain’s Branch) Walney Visitor Center in Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, 703-631-0013 (Flatlick Branch, Big Rocky Run, Cub Run and Frog Branch) Fall 2008
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THIS POISON IN A PARK IS GOOD FOR WILDLIFE By Carol Ochs, Park Authority Volunteer
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f you’ve got an itch to hike, don’t let concerns about poison ivy stop you. Learning a little about the plant can keep you from scratching and help you appreciate the important role it plays in our woods.
relative newcomers to North America, aren’t so lucky yet. Urushiol oils exist in the plant’s delicate leaves, vines and roots. That means it can cause problems year-round for those who are allergic. It also makes the plant tricky to remove if it encroaches on your garden or yard. Ripping the vines or pulling it out by the roots can spread the oil. Inhaling burned leaves from open fires can even lead to hospitalization.
Biologist Greg Sykes says “poison ivy provides food and shelter for all sorts of animals,” including deer and rabbits. He says the creatures that benefit most “are probably the woodpeckers, flickers, and other animals dependent upon poison ivy’s fruits. These fruits are consumed in the late fall and early winter when other food sources are scarce.”
Sykes warns, “Whether or not you are allergic to poison ivy, Poison Ivy. Note the hairy vine, the three leaves and the long stalk treat it as if you will react. So on the middle leaf. many people tell me how they used to play with the leaves and now don’t want to look at the plant!” He says the best way to avoid any reaction “is to be aware There’s more about poison ivy and of your surroundings, prevent exposure and to live and let live.” a list of the animals it helps at:
www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/poison_ivy.htm Poison ivy is among the first plants to appear when an area is cleared by people or nature, and it helps condition the soil for future plants. It’s also prevalent along stream banks. Sykes says, “It helps retain soil so aquatic life benefits from cleaner water. Since just about all animals, including humans, like clean water, one could argue that everyone may find some advantage from poison ivy.” Sykes, who is allergic to the plant, has had brushes with poison ivy in his role as Invasive Management Area Site Leader for Royal Lake Park. While Fairfax County has been working hard to eliminate invasive plants from parklands, it’s leaving poison ivy alone. Poison ivy is a native plant, and native animals don’t have the problems with it that humans do. The urushiol (you-ROO-shee-ol) oils in the plant are an allergen to many people, just like ragweed pollen. It’s the plant’s way of keeping predators away. Native animals that evolved along with poison ivy don’t itch because they’ve developed means of coping. Humans,
Leaves of three, let it be; Berries white, danger in sight That old saying is a good one. Poison ivy has three divided leaves, and the center leaflet has a longer stalk. The leaves can have smooth or notched edges, be shiny or dull, and can vary in length from about a third of an inch to more than two inches. The leaves are reddish in the spring, green in the summer and transition to yellow, orange or red in the fall. Poison ivy can be found twining around tree trunks, growing as a shrub, or creeping along edges of forests, roads, streams or lawns. It forms yellowish-white or greenishwhite flower clusters that bloom from May to July. The flowers give way to white, waxy berry-like fruits. Vines in winter can be thick and appear ‘hairy.’
More poison ivy references: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/newsletter/poisonivy.htm www.fda.gov/fdac/features/796_ivy.html www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/adult_derm/poison.cfm www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/poison_ivy.htm 6
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C U LT U R A L R E S O U R C E S
Celebrating Dirty Fingernails Want to hear about the skeletons in our closets?
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elp us mark three decades of county-sponsored archaeology. Be part of a symposium and reception to celebrate the 30th anniversary of county archaeology on Saturday, October 25 at the James Lee Center, 2855 Annandale Road in Falls Church. There will be presentations by current and former Park Authority staff members, volunteers and interns. Transcripts of the oral histories presented will be published, and you can get information about the publications by calling 703-534-3881.
You also can see a county archaeology exhibit this fall at the Fairfax County Government Center. It includes artifacts and information about some of the more important local archaeological discoveries and accomplishments. County archaeologists have identified, studied and recorded over 3,000 historic and prehistoric county sites. There’s more about county cultural resources online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ parks/resources/resources-crp.htm. The website includes information about what cultural resources are and how the county manages them, an inventory of county Civil War sites and a chance to get involved in archaeological digs. Fairfax County is celebrating 30 years of meticulous, rewarding archaeology.
30 Years of Playing in the Woods October 4 is a celebration day at Hidden Pond.
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idden Pond Nature Center is celebrating its 30th year of bringing nature to the public with events all day long. It’s a great time to meet the park or be re-introduced to it.
Here are some things you can learn about at the park: 夝 The site’s history 夝 Native Americans who lived in the area 夝 Area trees, reptiles and amphibians 夝 The site’s archaeological dig 夝 Ongoing pond studies It’s a terrific opportunity to learn about the park, its educational opportunities for students and scouts and, in particular, the pond, which was built as a water source for cattle about six decades ago. Hidden Pond Assistant Manager Mike McCaffrey says, “The pond is a great interpretive tool for wetlands.” The Friends of Hidden Pond also will be at the celebration. McCaffrey says the group has been “instrumental in getting support from neighborhoods” around the park. Call the park for information about the celebration or see its website at: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/hiddenpond/. Hidden Pond emphasizes family and nature.
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STEWARDSHIP/HISTORY
Keeping Moving Water Clean By Sarah Moulton
When it rains, where does the water go? Down a hole. And then?
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hat hole is a storm drain. It helps move water off roads quickly, and Fairfax County has bright blue and green markers on some to remind you that only rain goes in the drain. Rain water goes straight to our creeks and rivers, and anything on the ground, on your streets or on your lawn could wind up there, too.
Whose Idea Was This? Storm drains date back about 4,000 years to India, Pakistan and Crete. Clay pipes channeled water from houses into tunnels underneath streets. The Palace of Knossos collected runoff in a channel using a series of parabolic curves to slow the water, allowing sediment to drop into traps along the way. By the end of the channel, there was clean water that may have been used for laundry. During drought, the water was diverted for irrigation. While these ancient cities had things we now take for granted — paved streets, clean running water inside the house, toilets that whisk away sewage and gutters to carry away storm water — cities built after the fall of Rome were less likely to have this kind of infrastructure. Paris didn’t have paved roads until the 1200s. It took a severe cholera outbreak and “The Great Stink” of 1858 to get London to design an underground sewer system. Older sewer systems combine used water from houses with storm water. During storms, wastewater often overwhelms those treatment plants. Overflow can run untreated into waterways. Washington and Boston have that problem.
Storm drain with marker to remind people “only rain in the drain.” Photo by Mary Craddock Hoffman
Fairfax County has two separate drain systems: one for untreated storm water that tumbles into local streams and one for indoor wastewater that is treated before its release into larger water bodies, such as the Potomac River. This two-drain system began in the 1900s, when people realized that dumping high concentrations of raw sewage into waterways was killing flora and fauna and causing outbreaks of some pretty nasty illnesses.
So no dumping on our streets! There’s someone downstream drinking the water. Remember, only rain in the drains.
The Park Authority, in partnership with the Northern Virginia Soil and Conservation District, is marking storm drains. The markers advance stewardship in the county by reminding residents that if it’s down the drain, it’s in your water.
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THE FAIRFAX COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT warns that any open body of water can be polluted by indiscriminate dumping of litter and waste or by runoff of pesticides and herbicides. Therefore, the department says people should avoid swimming or wading in open waters. Fairfax County echoes this position of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Health: it is impossible to guarantee that any natural body of water is free of risk from disease-causing organisms or injury.
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FUN WITH TURKEY VULTURES continued from page 1
EAGLE OR TV? Turkey vultures (TVs) often are misidentified as eagles in the skies. TVs usually glide (and they do it beautifully) with their wings in a dihedral position, like the V in vulture. Eagles soar with wings mostly flat across. If there are pale, gray feathers all along the back underside of the wing, it’s a turkey vulture. And look at the tail silhouette: the turkey vulture’s tail has straight edges; the eagle has a fan or cone-like tail.
Turkey vulture
Turkey
Turkey vultures range over most of the Americas in temperate, warmer regions, and they might be expanding their range northward because of global warming. They frequent Fairfax County skies in search of meals that they can pinpoint by sight or smell. Nawojchik says, “Unlike turkey vultures, most birds have a very poorly developed sense of smell,” like humans. The next time you see one, remember that it provides a good ecological service. By eating, turkey vultures clean up carcasses and reduce the spread of disease. Everything plays a role in nature.
FALL EVENTS continued from page 2
Also keep in mind: Sept. 17: Fall Festival, Green Spring Gardens. A Friends of Green Spring sponsored fundraiser Oct. 12: When American Indians Hunted on this Land, a discussion of local artifacts, Hidden Oaks Nature Center Oct. 25: Design Symposium: Gardening in Small Space, Green Spring Gardens Nov. 15: Astronomy for Fun and Families, Cub Run RECenter
Notes about turkey vultures: ✔ Recent DNA studies indicate they’re not closely related to other birds of prey like hawks. They’re closer to storks.
✔ Their scientific name, Cathartes, is Greek for purifier. They’re not buzzards.
✔ They tend to roost at the end of the day and sometimes form flocks of 20, 30 or more in a tree or tower.
✔ They got their name because they look a little bit like turkeys.
HIDDEN POND NATURE CENTER continued from page 7 Your parks are teaching students about the outdoors, and Hidden Pond Nature Center is a county leader in nature education. Here’s an example: The Envirothon, a competition built around stewardship and environmental management concepts, is America’s leading natural resource education program for high school students. A team of five students represents a school or organization in statewide competition. Hidden Pond Nature Center has a team composed of teen volunteers and coached by Naturalist Mike McCaffrey, and this year it finished first in regional competition and fifth in state competition, including a first-place finish in oral presentation. Envirothon training includes: 䡵 Field trips to natural resource sites and museums 䡵 Presentations by natural resource professionals
Hidden Pond 2008 Envirothon team captain Arthi Aravind
䡵 Study of natural resource materials See www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/envirothon.htm.
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VISIT THE PARKS
Diamonds in the Suburbs
There are isolated, relaxing, refreshing hideaways at Gabrielson Gardens.
Find diamonds in Fairfax County — bright, shiny specks of nature, history, culture and fun. They are the small, unstaffed parks managed by the Park Authority’s Resource Management Division. Here are three worth a visit.
Gabrielson Gardens Leeds Road in Oakton, along the Difficult Run Stream Valley (www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ MasterPlans/gabrielson.pdf) Find natural beauty and solitude here. It’s a peaceful place that was home to a man who loved nature and who spent his career protecting it. Gabrielson Gardens is a 12acre horticultural area in the county’s largest watershed, the Difficult Run Stream Valley. The land once belonged to Ira Gabrielson, a member of the National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Hall of Fame, the first director of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and the first director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. His garden, glorious with azaleas, was a terraced and landscaped showplace for ornamental and horticultural resources. The area, which includes two man-made ponds, was granted to the Park Authority to be “maintained as a natural area with emphasis on the continued development of an arboretum and botanical type park.”
Marie Butler Leven Preserve 1501 Kirby Road, McLean (www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ resources/nrp_MBLP.htm) A tree grows in Marie Butler Leven Preserve, a park named after the woman who left the land to the Park Authority in 1961. Actually, lots of them grow there thanks to Earth Sangha, a local, not-for-profit organization that works towards practical environmentalism in Fairfax County. The Park Authority and Earth Sangha partnered in April 2004 to transform this plot into an extensive native plant collection. Volunteers have removed a lot of invasive species from the 20-acre site, and it’s becoming virtually a living field guide for the plants of Fairfax County. On the site are a re-created oak-history forest and a native pollinator garden. There’s also a demonstration rain garden, installed with help from the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and the Virginia Department of Forestry with a grant from the McLean Citizen’s Association.
Mount Gilead 5714 Mount Gilead Road Centreville Historic District (www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plan dev/mtgilead.htm) This is for history lovers. Mount Gilead, in the Centreville Historic District, is more than 14 acres of Park Authority land parcels. On the site are the restored Spindle Sears house, the Jamesson family cemetery, a springhouse, remnants of formal gardens, remains of an 18th century tanyard, traces of former roads, Confederate earthworks built in 1861 and the Mount Gilead house (currently a private residence), which is one of the oldest structures in Centreville. This 18th-century building is one of five properties contributing to the historic district. The others are St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Centreville Methodist Church, Havener House and Harrison House. Be careful on the site. Areas have uneven terrain and thick vegetation.
There’s more about Marie Butler Leven Preserve in the Summer 2004 issue of ResOURces at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources/printpub.htm. 10
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STEWARDSHIP
Awards and Accomplishments
H
istorian Dawn Kehrer of Colvin Run Mill will receive an American Association for State & Local History Award of Merit this fall for the Colvin Run Mill Furnishings Plan she has developed. The document guides historians seeking to return the structure to its original appearance. Dawn’s project previously won the annual Stewardship Award from the Park Authority’s Resource Management Division. Kehrer is among the 14 Park Authority staffers recently to receive credentials as Certified Interpretive Guides. The others are Susan Eggerton, Michelle Gates, Janet Hammes and Adrienne Staab of Green Spring Gardens, Janis Jeffers and Betsy Sievers of Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Mike McCaffrey and Casey Pittrizzi of Hidden Pond Nature Center, Melissa Gaulding of Huntley Meadows Park, Avery Gunther and Heather Shockey-Barrett of Riverbend Park, Barbara Ziman of Sully Historic Site and Amy Clayton of Lake Fairfax Park. The Park Authority now has 53 certified interpretive professionals.
Dawn Kehrer of Colvin Run Mill
CLOSER TO ACCREDITATION The report from a visiting group of the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) notes that the Fairfax County Park Authority has met all 155 standards required for accreditation. The Park Authority will learn in October if accreditation is granted. There are only 73 CAPRA-accredited agencies across the 50 states.
$4 Per Gallon Want to clean the air and save money on gas?
q Take a staycation and visit a county park. The county’s Department of Transportation also has some ideas. Look online under the Commuting and Programs sections at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/.
Rechargeable? RECYCLE! Remember, RECYCLE if it’s RECHARGEABLE. Rechargeable batteries have toxic metals in them. At the end of their life span, they go to a recycling center (www.fairfaxcounty.gov/living/recycling/), not to the trash. Household alkaline batteries have no toxic metals and can be tossed in the trash.
Have a comment for or about ResOURces? Our email address is resources@fairfaxcounty.gov. Fall 2008
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N AT U R E
❑ Please enter my FREE subscription to RES OURCES. Name (please print) ______________________________________________
Visit and Care For a Park Today
Address ________________________________________________________ Apt. #
City, State, Zip __________________________________________________ Email Address __________________________________________________
Tell us what you’d like to read about!
❑ Nature centers ❑ Local history ❑ Kids’ projects ❑ Hiking
❑ Birds ❑ Archaeology ❑ Events ❑ Historic sites
❑ Gardening and horticulture
❑ What else? ______________________
MAIL TO: Resources/RMD, Suite 936 12055 Government Center Parkway • Fairfax, VA 22035-1118 or: subscribe through our website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources
HISTORIC PROPERTIES RENTAL SERVICES Got history? Come picnic in a park! Bring a sandwich, a drink and curiosity. Toss the sandwich wrap in a trash bin (and no leftovers for the geese, please), recycle the can, then play, look, listen and learn. You’ve just been a good environmental steward!
Rent a historic property. They’re available for weddings, corporate and social gatherings. Call 703-827-0609 or see the sites on the Web at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ parks/weddings.htm • Cabell’s Mill in Centreville • Clark House in Falls Church • Dranesville Tavern in Dranesville • Great Falls Grange in Great Falls • Hunter House in Vienna
Care for your parks when you visit this fall.
Wakefield Chapel
• Forestville Schoolhouse in Great Falls • Stone Mansion in Alexandria • Wakefield Chapel in Annandale
12055 Government Center Parkway Fairfax, Virginia 22035-1118
A Fairfax County, Va., publication
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EQUAL ACCESS/SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
The Fairfax County Park Authority is committed to equal access in all programs and services. Special accommodations will be provided upon request. Please call the ADA/Access coordinator at 703-324-8563, at least 10 working days in advance of the date services are needed. ADA/Access Coordinator 703-324-8563 • TTY 703-803-3354 www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ada.htm
SOMETHING SIMPLE YOU CAN DO TO BE A GOOD STEWARD: Get off mailing lists of companies who send you mail you don’t want.
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