News

VCE Arlington News

• Bird Mortality Update, August 22, 2021. All prohibitions on the feeding of wild birds now have been lifted, including regions within what previously was recognized as the “affected zone” up in northern Virginia.  Reports of sick and/or dying birds have dropped substantially and actual specimens displaying any of the symptoms associated with the bird mortality event have pretty much disappeared — few cases also are being reported at rehabilitation facilities.  That said, authorities still emphasize that individuals choosing to resume feeding should continue to practice enhanced feeding station maintenance and sanitation protocols (i.e., clean and disinfect feeders regularly).

Detail on the new guidance recommendations and updated information on the status of ongoing efforts to identify the cause of the outbreak (as yet still undetermined) can be found on the web site of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Residents are asked to continue their heightened surveillance and be on the look-out for sick birds or birds exhibiting unusual behavior in their neighborhood.  In such cases, they should complete and submit a bird mortality report of any suspicious situations to DWR. Thank you for your continuing assistance in getting the word out to residents as we try to resolve this recent event.  If you have any questions about the modified guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out.

• Kirsten Conrad, Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent of the Virginia Cooperative Extension, serving Arlington County and The City of Alexandria, was interviewed by Arlington Now about the recent increase in Oak Mite Bites. Read the article HERE.
• Joyce Hylton Receives Alexandria’s Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award. The City of Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission (EPC) and Alexandria Renew Enterprises (AlexRenew) presented the 2021 Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award to Joyce Hylton, a Master Gardener volunteer in the Arlington/Alexandria unit of the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Master Gardener program. The award was presented during thes City Council's Legislative Meeting on May 12, 2021.
  
• Two Honors! Glenn Tobin Earned the 2020 Bill Thomas Volunteer Award, and ARMN is presented the Virginia Chapter of the Wildlife Society’s 2021 A. Willis Robertson Award.

Watch this video of U.S. Representative Don Beyer (VA-08) at our 2020 Extension Showcase and learn about his own interactions with Cooperative Extension.