Board Notes

Black Skimmers, Irina Pigman/Audubon Photography Awards

I have been on the ASNV board for exactly one year, chairing the Citizen Science committee and participating in conservation initiatives. A year in I am impressed by the dedication and hard work of my fellow board members and our incredible partners, volunteers, and supporters.

The Audubon Name

Common American Swan, Courtesy of the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, Montgomery County Audubon Collection, and Zebra Publishing

Trails Can Harm Natural Resources
Tomwsulcer, CCO, via Wikimedia Commons

Upcoming Classes and Events

Join us for our annual in-person member meeting and Audubon Afternoon. All are welcome! You do not need to be an ASNV member to attend. This year’s topic is “Raptor Rehab,” presented by Secret Garden Birds and Bees. Liz Dennison will join us to talk about what rehabbers actually do to help injured or sick birds recover, how they give orphaned raptors the best chance of survival in the wild, some of the more interesting cases they’ve seen, and the physical and emotional toll of being a rehabber. Liz also will give practical information about what you can do if you find an injured wild animal. She will bring several live raptors to the program, a great opportunity to see birds of prey up-close. Bring the whole family. No registration is required, but you may wish to register to get a reminder email about the event.

Come early (2:30 PM) for informal socializing. Our brief annual meeting will convene at 3:00 PM, to be followed by the main event!

When: June 4, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Where: National Wildlife Federation Building, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Fee: FREE

The sight of butterflies fluttering around on a warm day is one of the most iconic signs of summer. These beautiful insects usually live only a few weeks as adults, but they make quite an impression while they are in their full glory. There is a large variety of butterfly species in our area. Dr. Leslie Ries will focus on identifying the 20 most common butterflies in Northern Virginia. 

Participants also will learn about the North American Butterfly Association Survey on July 1, 2023, including how to register to participate.

When: Thursday, June 15, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Where: Virtual
Member Ticket: $10
Non-member Ticket: $15

Dr. Caroline Judy will present a program on her work studying an unusual case of island speciation seen in Jamaican streamertail hummingbirds (Trochilus spp.). Streamertail hummingbirds are closely-related hummingbirds that are distinguished on the basis of bill color, which is bright red in the Red-billed Streamertail and jet black in the Black-billed Streamertail. Historically, they have been treated as subspecies by the North American Classification and Nomenclature Committee. However, Dr. Judy found evidence for reproductive isolation that informed the committee’s recent decision to elevate the streamertails to full species status. Her presentation also asks another intriguing question – why are hummingbirds as a genus so rich in species?

When: Thursday, June 22, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Members: $15
Non-members: $25

Join Judy Gallagher for a workshop on moths, to celebrate National Moth Week (NMW), July 22-30. Did you know that many adult moths eat nectar but others don’t eat at all as adults? “Moth-ers” of all ages and abilities are encouraged to join us to help them learn about, observe, and document moths in their backyards, parks, and neighborhoods. NMW offers everyone, everywhere a unique opportunity to become a citizen scientist and contribute scientific data about moths. Through partnership with major online biological data depositories, NMW participants around the globe can help map moth distribution and provide needed information on other aspects of their life history. Judy Gallagher is a member of the ASNV board, and, although she loves birding, she is most passionate about documenting insects and spiders and their behavior and environment through macro photography.

When: Monday, July 24, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Fee: FREE, but registration is required

The sight of butterflies fluttering around on a warm day is one of the most iconic signs of summer, but they can still be found well into the fall months. These beautiful insects usually live for only a few weeks as adults, but they make quite an impression while they are in their full glory. There is a large variety of butterfly species in our area. Larry Meade will walk us through the common species and help us differentiate some of the trickier look-alike species. Participants are encouraged to register for the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Count to be held on September 10, 2023, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM in the Alexandria area. Larry Meade is president of the Northern Virginia Bird Club, a member of the ASNV adult education committee, and compiler of the Alexandria Circle NABA Butterfly Count.

When: Tuesday, September 5, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Member Ticket: FREE
Non-member Ticket: $10

Join us for a five-evening course to become better informed about the scope of the climate crisis and the science behind this issue. Each class will last about an hour and a half, with opportunity for discussion. Topics to be covered include an overview of climate concepts and issues, greenhouse gases, effects on birds and biodiversity, fossil fuels, and transportation and agriculture. The class will be followed on Thursday, October 5, by a free Climate Crisis Action & Advocacy Workshop with Bill Young and ASNV board member Dr. Tom Wood. The workshop will provide participants (and others - all are welcome) with suggestions for action that we all can take to push back on the effects of climate change. 

If you register by June 30, you save $20 off the ticket price, but hurry. There are limited slots for "early bird" prices.

When: September 19, 21, 26, 28 and October 3, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Virtual
Members: $65 ("early bird" price $45, until June 30)
Non-members: $75 ("early bird" price $55, until June 30)