• Dec. 21 – Winter Solstice – First day of winter.
JANUARY
• White-tailed Deer bucks drop their antlers.
• American Witchhazel blooms.
• Watch for new birds at feeders as snows come.
• Sweetgum trees drop spiky, round seed pods.
• January 3-4 – Quadrantid meteor shower peaks.
FEBRUARY
• Eastern Bluebirds and Wood Ducks start looking for nest sites.
• Snowdrops are in bloom.
• Bald Eagles and Great Horned Owls nest.
• Marginal Wood Fern is evergreen.
• February 12—Full moon known as the Snow or Hunger Moon.
BRANCHING OUT
We’re Going Digital
By Ken Rosenthal
You are reading the final issue of Branching Out to be printed as a hard copy. Beginning in 2025, we will be moving to a digital format. This provides us more flexibility with our writing and includes opportunities for interactive content, while still allowing for on-demand printing. We will still produce a printed calendar of events that can be picked up at Nature House and RA Member Services. The calendar will also be available digitally for download and printing at home.
Moving to content that is primarily digital increases our sustainability while lowering our carbon footprint. For direct impact, digital publishing reduces the use of paper which conserves trees and protects habitat. More than 40% of the world’s industrial logging directly goes toward making paper. Pulp and paper production continue to be one of the highest growing sources of paper consumption. The relatively recent increases in online shipping and takeout food
Paper production uses a lot of resources and releases a lot of carbon. The pulp and paper industry is a significant emitter of greenhouse gases, and the fourth largest industry in consuming energy. It takes 17,000 gallons of water to produce one ton of paper. Carbon dioxide is released at many steps of the paper production process – the cutting of trees, production of the paper, cutting the paper, printing, and transportation of the paper goods.
Reducing the amount of paper also reduces the amount of paper waste. In the United States, the amount of paper waste thrown away every year equals approximately 1 billion trees. The average American uses 650 pounds of paper annually, and that is roughly 85 million tons of paper collectively. We could heat 50,000 homes for 20 years with the paper and wood products disposed of annually. To bring it back to newsletters, the average household throws away 13,000 pieces of
WALKER NATURE CENTER
11450 Glade Drive
Dawn to dusk, enjoy year-round access to trails, restrooms and free parking.
CONTACT
703-476-9689
naturecenter@reston.org
FEATURES
72 acres of forested land, a picnic pavilion, demonstration gardens, educational signage, a fire ring, two streams, a pond, a Little Free Library, the entrance to 44-acre Lake Audubon and our education building, known as Nature House.
NATURE HOUSE HOURS
Mon. & Wed.-Fri. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed Tuesdays
Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sunday 1– 4 p.m.
HOLIDAY CLOSURES:
Dec. 25 Christmas Day
Jan. 1 New Years’ Day
Jan. 20 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb. 17 Presidents’ Day
www.facebook.com/WalkerNatureCtr
@walkernaturecenter
Groups: Please call ahead to arrange your visit.
Branching Out is a quarterly publication of the Walker Nature Center (WNC), owned and operated by Reston Association.
The mission of WNC is to foster an environmental stewardship ethic in the community. It is named after Reston’s first Open Space and Nature Center Director, Vernon J. Walker.
We’re Going Digital continued from page 1
What can you do?
There have been a lot of numbers and statistics thrown out in this article, and many of them can be guideposts to action in other aspects of our everyday life. One way is to go digital with your personal accounts – utilities, bank statements, credit cards, subscriptions, etc. Managing your accounts online can be the first step in reducing the amount of paper and other printed goods sent to you. After all, if you can prevent them from being sent, there are less materials produced and printed and less to dispose of or recycle.
Let’s say you go paperless on all your accounts. Utilities might include gas, electric, cell and internet services. Then there are quarterly bills for trash and water. Throw in monthly bank statements and credit card bills (we’ll go with two credit cards). That is around 80 mailings on average a year. Sure, some of these you may not have, but there are probably others to fill their space.
Now, let’s say you have an average of 4 pieces of paper to each mailing – the enclosing envelope, two sheets of paper, and the payment envelope. Multiply that by 80 mailings, and you have 320 pieces of paper that you can save by going paperless. That seems like a very small number, but if you imagine every household in Reston (let’s say 22,000) went paperless with you, that would be over 7 million pieces of paper saved! Every great destination has a first step.
You increase your paperless power by going digital, because many of those unsolicited advertisements you would get from your bank, credit card company, and other service providers start to come by email. The author is happy to point out that his junk mail is significantly reduced since going paperless on all his accounts. If you also take the time to go through your catalogs and junk mail you will find more opportunities for removing yourself from future mailings.
We look forward to this new format, and hope you will, too. If you are not already on our email list please sign up so you can see the new Branching Out when it goes live! Click here to sign up
Branching Out is printed on 100 percent recycled paper using soy ink. It is produced using 100 percent wind power. Please recycle.
Come Bird With Us
WINTER BIRD CLASS- AN INTRODUCTION
Learn the basics of bird identification and how to look and listen for the common birds of Reston. Discover the major groups of birds and the best places to watch for them. Discuss a variety of bird guides, and take home a Checklist of Birds of Reston. Learn how to use eBird and support Reston’s biodiversity projects. Register by Dec. 30.
106201205
Thu 1/2
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Adults Free
WINTER BIRD COUNT
Join us for a half-day annual bird count throughout Reston’s natural areas. Meet local bird experts, learn tips on identification and have fun while helping obtain important information about our feathered friends. Results will be shared electronically after the count. Register by January 2.
106201205
Sat 1/4
7:00 am – 12:00 pm
Adults Free
BIRD WALK: WALKER NATURE CENTER & LAKE AUDUBON 106201002 Sun 2/23
8:00 am – 11:00 am
Adults
WINTER SHORT FILMS NIGHT
Please and Thank You
By Ken Rosenthal
Many thanks go out to our numerous volunteers who helped us over the summer: Wildlife Count volunteers who helped count birds and butterflies and dragonflies; bluebird box monitors for their weekly checks through all kinds of weather; the many volunteers who gave their time and dressed up as fairies to assist us with our Fairy Festival in July; our summer camp volunteers; the front desk volunteers who greet you when you come in to Nature House; and the volunteers from the Reston Garden Club who provide us with floral arrangements and also helped out with our Fall Native Plant Sale pickup. And I shouldn’t forget the Halloween House and Trick-or-Treat Trail volunteers who will have helped us with our biggest annual special event by the time you read this.
We do not stop for winter - there are several upcoming opportunities to volunteer at the nature center. Do you have a lot of holiday cheer? Volunteer at our annual Holiday Fest at Nature House on Sunday, December 8, from 1-4 pm. Do you like getting outdoors and looking for wildlife? Join us for our annual Winter Bird Count on Saturday, January 4. We are always looking for expert and novice birders to help us with the count. You can get an early start on learning your birds with our Bird Class the evening of Thursday, January 2.
We hope to see you at a program or event this fall!
Thanks to our donors:
Julie & Charlie Bond and the Reston Garden Club for the seasonal container gardens, delightful mantel creations, and the lovely floral arrangements at the Welcome Desk.
Thanks to our volunteers:
Asta Aidis-Klemas; Calla Alexander; Rishi Anangi; Caroline Ayres; Jack Bauer; Joanne & David Bauer; Lisa Belt; Millie Benjamin; Julie & Charlie Bond; Bunny Bonnes; Fabiana Cesa; Emily Conway; Ellen Douglas; Jody Douglas; Elena Dunkley; Robin Duska; John Eppler; Ethan Evans; June Ferrara; Katherine Fields; Martha Furniss; Martha Garcia Brooks; Cindy Gottel; Fiorella Hastorun; Barbara Heubner; Jonathan Hooper; Laura Beth Hooper; Joan Kennedy; Lindsay Loyd; Sharon McHugh; Farideh Mirmirani; Jan Miyasato; Glenys Mulholland; Margot Ott; Barbara Paolucci; Sharon Rhoades; Dianne Rose; Jim Seret; Zach Shah; Edda Sigurdardottir; Glenn Simonelli; Abigail Skinner; Michele Stone; Isabel Tellez; Jeanette Thomas; Brenda van Doorn; Darshana Velmurugan; Kinsey Versosky; Samantha Versosky; Sanjay Vijayakumar; Eve Wallin; Verna Webb; Joanne Williams; Connie Yost; Mei Zhang.
Visit www.reston.org/events to register.
All programs will be held at the Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive, unless otherwise noted. Refunds are available with two weeks’ notice or if we cancel for any reason. Activities may be canceled due to severe weather, severe weather warnings or low enrollment. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
DECEMBER
WINTER WREATH WORKSHOP
Start your holiday decorating by making a festive wreath for your home. All supplies provided. When registering, please indicate the number of people in your party and how many wreaths you would like to make. Register by December 4.
406011012
Sat 12/7
10:30 am – 12:00 pm Or 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
All Ages
$30/wreath RA members, $35/wreath Non-members
HOLIDAY FEST
Catch the holiday spirit! Enjoy music, activities and refreshments. See ad on page 8.
406011308
Sun 12/8
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
All Ages $10/RA Member, $15/Non-member
THE SNOW TREE
Listen to the story about the Snow Tree and all its animal friends. Decorate your own snow tree. Stroll along the trail and look for animals gathering around our winter trees. Register by December 7. 406121008
Tue 10:00 am – 11:00 am 12/10 Or Sat 10:30 am – 11:30 am 12/14
Ages 3-5 $7/RA Member, $9/Non-member
OH DEER!
Do reindeer live in our woods (and do they really fly)? Discover which type of deer you may see and how they stay warm when it is cold outside. Make your own set of antlers and walk the trails to try to catch sight of these graceful animals. Register by December 14.
406111001
Mon 10:00 am – 11:00 am 12/16
OR Tue 10:00 am – 11:00 am 12/17
Ages 18-35 months$8/RA Member, $10/Non-member
KIDS’ CANDLE-MAKING WORKSHOP
Bring a little glow to your winter. Learn where wax comes from and discover how candles are made. Dip a pair of candles and decorate a pillar candle with natural materials. Keep your candles or give them as gifts. All supplies provided. Register by December 16.
406131012
Thu 12/19
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Ages 6-12
$12/RA member, $16/Non-member
CRITTER CABOODLE WORKSHOP
Try your hand at making a set of adorable woodland critters out of natural materials. These charming, little animals make delightful decorations and gifts. All materials provided. Register by Dec. 18.
406131012
Sat 12/21
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Ages 5-12
$10/RA Member, $12/Non-member
JANUARY
WINTER BIRD CLASS- AN INTRODUCTION
Thu 1/2
See ad on page 3
WINTER BIRD COUNT
Sat 1/4
See ad on page 3
WINTER’S FROST
As temperatures dip, animals change their routines. How do they stay warm? What do they eat? Touch real animal fur and search for animal homes in the woods. Meet our resident reptiles and learn about their plans for winter. Make a hibernating animal craft. Register by Jan. 4.
106121008
Tue 10:00 am – 11:00 am 1/7
Or Sat 10:30 am – 11:30 am 1/11
Ages 3-5 $7/RA Member, $9/Non-member
SNOW BIRDS
Some birds live here all year long and some birds move in just for the winter. Discover which feathered friends you can see around the trails and look at feathers up close. Make a gift for the birds to hang up near your own home. Register by Jan. 10. 106111001
Mon 10:00 am – 11:00 am 1/13 OR Tue 10:00 am – 11:00 am 1/14
Ages 18-35 months$8/RA Member, $10/Non-member
WINTER NIGHT HIKE
Crisp nights can be the perfect time to enjoy a woodland hike. Look and listen for nocturnal animals. Gaze at stars and look at the moon through binoculars. Register by January 21.
106011008
Fri 1/24
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Ages 5-Adult $6/RA Member, $8/Non-member
OWL LAB
Learn how owls catch their prey and what an owl pellet is. Unravel the contents of an owl pellet for a hootin’ good time. Register by Jan. 22.
106011008
Sat 1/25
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Ages 5 – Adult $7/RA Member, $9/Non-member
STEAM WORKSHOP- SNOW AND ICE
Just how do snowflakes form? Conduct various winterthemed experiments including ice fishing, polar bear blubber investigation and a melting snowman race. Let your creativity flow with ice painting. Learn how animals brave the winter months. Touch real fur and guess the animal it belongs to. If conditions allow search for needle ice on the trails. Register for this drop-off program by Jan. 26.
106131015
Wed 1/29
9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Ages 6-12
$11/RA Member, $13/Non-member
WINTER SHORT FILMS
Fight the chill of winter and warm your soul with these short films that shed new light on environmental topics. Co-presented by Friends of Reston. Register by January 28.
106201051
Fri 1/31
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Adults Free, $5 suggested donation
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY FOXES
Foxes are fascinating animals. They are often heard in February as they call to their mates. Listen to fox calls, feel fox fur and make a foxy craft. Hike the trails and see where foxes may live. Register by Jan. 31. 106111001
Mon 10:00 am – 11:00 am 2/3 OR Tue 10:00 am – 11:00 am 2/4
Ages 18-35 months $8/RA Member, $10/Non-member
LOVE BIRDS
Around Valentine’s Day, love is in the air! Discover which birds give gifts to their special someone. What birds with red feathers live in Reston? Make an adorable bird craft. Look for birds at the feeders and enjoy a Valentine’s Day treat. Register by Feb. 5.
106121008
Sat 10:30 am – 11:30 am 2/8 OR Tue 10:00 am – 11:00 am 2/11
Ages 3-5 $8/RA Member, $10/Non-member
PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT
Parents, enjoy an evening out while your children have a fun-filled night at the nature center. Kids: Play nature games and go on a night hike (weather permitting). Enjoy a pizza dinner and make a fun dessert. Create your own nocturnal creature out of clay. Finish the night watching excerpts from some of our favorite nature programs. Drop off begins at 5:45 p.m. Reservations required by February 10.
106131010 Fri 2/14
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Ages 5 to 12 $15/RA Member, $20/Non-member
RAPTORS UP CLOSE
Meet live raptors up close, including an owl and a hawk. Learn where these birds of prey live, what they eat, where they nest and how they raise their young. How do they adapt to our cold, wet winters and prepare for spring? Presented by Secret Garden Birds and Bees. Register by February 13.
106011008 Sun
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
2/16
All Ages $9/RA members, $11/Non-members
BIRD WALK: WALKER NATURE CENTER & LAKE AUDUBON Sun 2/23
See ad on page 3
Chipmunk Puppet
Materials
Paper lunch bag
Brown, black, white or tan
construction paper
Googly Eyes (optional)
Black & brown crayons
Scissors
Glue
Instructions:
1. Cut out a tail, paws and ears from brown paper.
2. Cut out a face using tan or white paper. Draw or glue on black whiskers, a nose and mouth.
3. Use a brown crayon to color a triangle at the top of the head.
4. Glue on googly eyes or make eyes with white and black paper.
5. Glue the ears and tail to the back of the bag. Glue the face on the front of the bag.
6. Cut out two long strips of white paper and glue on the back of the bag to make stripes.
7. Now your puppet is ready for play!
Winter Survival
By Earl the Squirrel (with help from Kelly Michienzi)
Do you ever wonder how animals survive the winter months? We can’t sit by a fire and sip hot chocolate like our human friends. Some of us tough out the cold weather and stay active all winter. I’ve got a nice coat of fur and a bushy tail that I can wrap around my nose to warm up. If you see me shivering, don’t worry. It’s just one way that I raise my body temperature. I fattened up on yummy acorns all autumn long. I also buried plenty in the ground so that I have food saved up for winter. I see lots of foxes running around in the winter too thanks to their fur coat. Their fur grows extra thick for the winter months. We both like to wrap our bushy tails around our noses like a scarf.
Do you ever wonder why you don’t see as many chipmunks in the winter? I learned that they spend most of the winter in a deep sleep. Chipmunks build underground burrows where they stay cozy and warm. They wake up every few days to feed on some yummy nuts and seeds they have stored inside their burrows. Other animals like bats enter a long period of deep sleep, called hibernation, that lasts all winter. Bats look for a cave or tree hollow to hibernate in. They hang upside down and wrap their wings around their bodies like a blanket.
Winter Survival Crossword
Across
2. A bat’s home in winter.
5. Underground home for a chipmunk.
7. The act of moving south for the winter.
8. Favorite food of squirrels.
9. Birds have _____ to stay warm.
Some animals like hummingbirds don’t stick around to see what winter has in store. These tiny birds fly all the way to Central America to escape the cold weather and to feast on bugs and nectar from flowers. Then they return to Virginia in the spring. This is called migration. Other birds like bluebirds stick around Virginia for the winter. Have you ever noticed how they look extra fluffy when it’s cold? They stay warm by puffing up their feathers and trapping warm air against their bodies. They have a built-in down jacket.
1. Sugary liquid in flowers that hummingbirds eat.
3. A bird that stays in Virginia all winter.
4. The act of sleeping all winter long.
6. Birds and bats have these to fly.
10. The part of a fox with thick, bushy fur.
As you can see, animals have different ways of making it through the cold temperatures of winter. What do you like to do to stay warm?
Kids’ Corner
The Land Conservation Gifts in Reston: A Legacy for the Future
By Michael Reynolds
Part 2 of a 2-part series on Land Conservation Gifts in Reston. Part 1 ran in our Fall 2024 issue.
The
Legacy
of Conserved Lands and Future Prospects
The legacy of conserved lands in Reston is evident in the community’s extensive network of parks, trails, and natural areas. These spaces provide critical habitat for wildlife, support biodiversity, and offer residents opportunities for recreation and relaxation. The benefits of these conserved lands extend beyond environmental health; they contribute to the community’s quality of life, making Reston a desirable place to live and work. But increasingly, the positive legacy impacts of these lands are being seen as urban heat islands and open space is developed further in and around northern Virginia. As climate change brings wilder swings in temperatures, water levels, and introduces invasive and non-native species that might thrive in these new conditions, along with the loss of natural areas, Reston’s natural landscape is more than a pretty face: it will be increasingly turned to as green infrastructure and a green conservation core that saves people and governments money, property impacts, and improves people’s health and lives as a carbon sequester, an absorber of excess stormwater or storm impacts, a cooling effect in an rapidly expanding urban heat island, a refugia for the native plants and animals that keep our ecosystem in balance all while providing a healthy place to live and recreate in. Science appreciates these places as some of the last areas to study and monitor the natural world as well. Plus, it adds beauty and calm to our human souls and lives to see a native butterfly just like last year, a sunset on a paddleboard with friends, or a hike or an exercise on a safe trail surrounded by natural beauty.
One of the most significant aspects of Reston’s conserved lands is its tree canopy. Trees are vital for mitigating the urban heat island effect, sequestering carbon, and providing habitat for numerous species. Reston’s commitment to preserving and expanding its tree canopy is crucial for addressing the challenges of climate change and ensuring a sustainable future. The community’s urban forestry programs, which include tree planting and maintenance, are essential for maintaining this valuable resource.
As mentioned, biodiversity is another critical component of Reston’s conservation legacy. The variety of habitats within the community supports a wide range of plant and animal species, contributing to ecological resilience. Biodiversity enhances ecosystem services, such as pollination, pest control, and water purification, which are essential for human well-being. Reston’s efforts to protect and enhance biodiversity are vital for sustaining these services in the face of environmental pressures. Without these natural services, it is estimated to cost communities billions in the future if they must be replicated with human intervention.
Reston’s history of public art, community gardens, thoughtful placement of homes and facilities to support life and play, land management and conservation policies that reflect a visionary approach to community sustainability, is even more relevant today as people demand places that are good for them and their environment. By setting aside natural areas from the outset and integrating conservation into development practices, Reston has created a model for sustainable living. It can teach a changing world these lessons as did its planning infrastructure decades ago. It’s up to all of us involved in Reston to thoughtfully steward its resources ahead.
The legacy of conserved lands, tree canopies, and biodiversity is a testament to the community’s commitment to environmental stewardship. The same is true for its early focus on things to raise the human spirit and equity in its policies. As Reston continues to grow, maintaining this legacy will be crucial for ensuring a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable future for all its residents. Thank you to all of you who care deeply and invest in whatever way possible toward Reston’s stewardship of its natural and native landscapes, along with its social and inspirational needs and all that they mean for the community’s futures.
