| | NATURE, HISTORY AND HORTICULTURE IN FAIRFAX COUNTY | | | March 2022, Vol. 22, No. 3 | | | Family Fun in the Parks DuringWomen's History Month | | | Celebrate Women’s History Month March is Women’s History Month! On March 3 at 1 p.m., explore the pioneering work of Canopy Meg (naturalist Margaret Lowman) and discover secrets about tree canopies around the world. Then plant your own tree to take home! This program is at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria. On March 12, learn about Edith Rogers, the first woman on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Try a few of the common activities that rural women did back in the 1930s and 40s, and take a scenic wagon ride around the 135-acre Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon. Register here. | | | | | | | |
| | Spring Break at a Park Camp There’s still space available in some of the week-long camps being held during spring break, April 4-8. Many camps are held mostly outside in nature, some are held indoors, and a few are online. See what’s available and register now. | | | | | |
| | See Baby Farm Animals Spring is a fantastic time to visit Frying Pan Farm Park! From now through June, you can see newborn farm animals almost every week! This month the farm is expecting lambs and piglets. Individual sheep deliver up to three lambs, while a single pig can give birth to more than a dozen piglets. The farm staff give the newborns special care away from public view when they’re first born. After they’re thriving, the babies are brought out to where visitors can see them. Each spring the farm has anywhere from 30 to 50 babies, and that’s not even counting baby peacocks, turkeys, ducks and chickens! Check out the farm animals’ due dates. | | | | | |
| | Vernal Pool Pals If you get a chance to hike through our parks this month, you may come across a vernal pool. This is a seasonal body of water that dries up during the summer. Now, however, there's a lot of activity among insects and amphibians in vernal pools. If you look closely, you might see water fleas, copepods, diving beetles, dragon fly larvae, wood frogs and spotted salamanders! In the meantime, check out this short children's story about two vernal pool pals! | | | | | |
| | Please Leave Grape Vines on Park Property Fairfax County Park Authority staff have noticed grape vines being cut in various parks. Removing native grape vines, or any other plants from Fairfax County parks and woodland areas, is illegal and may be harmful to the environment. Park visitors may be confusing grape vines for invasive vines, and think they are doing a good deed. However, native grape vines do not harm trees, and actually offer benefits to local birds, mammals and insects. That’s why it's important to keep the native vines in our woods and protect the benefits they give to wildlife. | | | | | |
| | Focus on the Farm Photo Contest The Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park invite the public to participate in their 2022 photo contest. The friends are looking for photos taken between March 1 and April 30, 2022. Contestants may be adults or children; winning photos will be displayed on the friends’ website this summer. Go here for detailed instructions and the submission form. | | | | | |
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| | This is a Fairfax County Park Authority publication. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to FCPA E-News. . If you have signed up for E-News, you will receive ResOURces when it contains information on the topics you requested. For additional info or questions, please email parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov. For ADA accommodations and/or alternative formats, please call (703) 324-8695. Fairfax County Park Authority | Fairfax, Va. 22035 | (703) 324-8695 | Fax (703) 324-3996 | TTY 711 | Fairfax County Park Authority | Fairfax, Va. 22035 | (703) 324-8695 | Fax (703) 324-3996 | TTY 711 | www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/publications | | | | |
