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The American Bullfrog in Arlington
The American bullfrog (Lithobates, formerly Rana, catesbeianus) is the largest native frog in North America. It can grow to eight inches (203mm) and has traits that make it quite different from...
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Don’t Let the Wrong Geotextile Ruin Your Stormwater Project
From my cube I can often hear conversations about the use of the wrong geotextile material between our engineers and planners, and builders and homeowners. I hope that today’s post will spare others...
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Urban Tree Canopy
What is Urban Tree Canopy? One of the assessments Arlington County uses to measure the success of our urban forestry program is through measuring tree canopy percentage, or Urban Tree Canopy (UTC)...
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Garden Alert
Garden Alert: Are these new invaders in your yard? The list of invasive plants in Arlington County is always expanding. There are many reasons for adding a new species to Arlington’s invasive plant...
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Eastern Gartersnake
Eastern Gartersnake The Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) is a common, mid-sized snake, usually between 18 – 28 inches long, though the record length is 49 inches. It is normally found near...
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Benefits of Mulch and Composting in Arlington
Most Arlingtonians know that feeding your lawns and gardens with compost and mulch is good practice for maintaining a healthy yard and helping the environment. The benefits of using compost are...
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Before the Fall: Appreciating Tree Leaves
After the explosion of the cherry blossoms, magnolias, serviceberries, catalpas, and other showy flowers, summer often feels like an aesthetic drought because most of the trees are done blooming. But...
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Recovering Nature from Our Trash
While this blog is dedicated to all things natural in Arlington, today I’m going to discuss something you may think of as an unnatural aspect of human society: trash. What does trash consist of? Think...
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The Journey of the American Eel
American Eel. Source: Wikipedia.org The only fish you are likely to find in Arlington’s Gulf Branch is the American Eel. This has little to do with the water quality of Gulf Branch and more to do with...
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Arlington Is Going Sunny Side Up
The world is changing. Increasingly, cities are trying to work with nature to create systems that more closely reflect natural systems. Stormwater is being infiltrated to recharge groundwater, solid...
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Spined Micrathena – Spiny Orbweaver Spider
Spiny Orbweavers are spiny and hard indeed. If you’ve taken a walk in the woods lately, you’ve likely run into a spider web. Chances are pretty good it was the orb web of the Spined Micrathena...
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UPDATE: Wavyleaf Basketgrass found in Arlington County
Red marker in Donaldson Run Park, where Wavyleaf basketgrass was found Last month, Invasive Plant Control, Inc., a contractor with the County, found a single plant of Wavyleaf basketgrass in Donaldson...
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Bald-faced Hornets
Bald-faced Hornet Bald-faced Hornets (Dolichovespula maculata) have a mostly undeserved reputation for being vicious, pests and safety hazards. They are actually fairly beneficial insects with a role...
View ArticleFree Trees!
With a record number of 90-degree days in August and a toasty September, this has been one of the warmest summers on record for the Arlington area. No need to get hot and bothered — plant a (free)...
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Start eating our trees!
Fruit and nut trees for Arlington County Growing and harvesting fruit and nuts from your own trees can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding things to do on your property. This article talks...
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A Look at Skulls Found in Arlington
Halloween brought skulls and bones to mind. People brought in bones to our nature centers to share their finds, to offer donations, and for help with identification. We are most frequently asked about...
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Wild Grapes
Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia) is among the most common of our wild grapes. Wild Grapes (Vitis spp.) are an often misunderstood, but extremely valuable plant in our local woods. There are over 60...
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The Search for Seeds…
Seed collection can be very tricky… Often times, the process of searching for seeds of a specific plant can be both frustrating and exciting at the same time. It is not uncommon to make preparations to...
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Monarch Way Stations
More and more people are becoming aware of the plight of the monarch butterfly. While it has been introduced or spread into some new places it was not found before, there has been a large decline in...
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Winter Birds of Arlington
In the late summer and early fall, many warblers, thrushes and other summer resident songbirds migrate to destinations as far south as South America. Left behind are Northern Cardinals, Song Sparrows,...
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