Agile and Scrum

**Agenda :** * 4.45 to 5.00 PM ET: Food and Networking * 5.00 to 5.50 PM ET: "Hands-On : GitHub Copilot SpecKit" Hello Everyone! Please join us for our April 14th edition of the AI-ML MeetUp. **Please note this is an in-person meeting and light refreshments/food will be provided. You will need a government-issued ID to enter the facility.** **Title:** Hands-On : GitHub Copilot SpecKit **Description:** Spec-Driven Development **flips the script** on traditional software development. For decades, code has been king — specifications were just scaffolding we built and discarded once the "real work" of coding began. Spec-Driven Development changes this: **specifications become executable**, directly generating working implementations rather than just guiding them. In this hands-on lab, we will be covering building your application using SpecKit. Pre-requisites: VSCode v1.107, GitHub Copilot, Python 3.13 + uv, Git installed. **Location:** The meeting will be hosted in the Applied Information Sciences ( AIS ) office in Reston, at 11440 Commerce Park Dr # 600 · Reston, VA. The location is also right off the Silver Line metro's Wiehle-Reston Metro Station. **Parking:** Parking is paid and can be validated at the AIS office reception. We will meet in Room Lake Anne. We hope to see you all there!!!!

Weekly Draft night in NW. We currently meet up at Franklin Hall near 14th and Florida. U Street Metro is the closest stop. I'll have packs but feel free to bring packs if you have them. Entry is $17 (you can bring Play Booster packs to lower the cost by $3.50). If it is a special set, it will be more.

**Inflow 6:00 PM - Talks Start \~6:30 PM** **Reston Community Center - 2310 Colts Neck Rd, Reston, VA 20191** NoVA Hackers is a group located in the Northern Virginia area and is made up of Information Security Professionals from all walks of life, from government and private sector, to students and beginners. The monthly meetings are held much like a mini-conference with 4-8 speakers and only a few basic but strict rules. Participation and Permission Active Participation is required for continued membership and is the only due required. Permission is required to be obtained from anyone providing information to the group from the person providing it to be made public by anyone other than the provider. Historically our talks generally run a bit late and we have a hard stop at 9:30pm for the room. If you want to socialize we recommend you arrive at 6 to meet and greet before the talks. Agendas and remote meeting option available after you join the group.

**Registration required;** [Birding Banshee - Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy](https://loudounwildlife.org/event/birding-banshee-april/) Whether you’re a beginning birder or an expert, you’ll be thrilled by the many bird species you’ll find at **[Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve](http://www.loudounwildlife.org/Great_Places_Banshee_Reeks.htm)** south of Leesburg. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Friends of Banshee Reeks for the monthly bird walk at this birding hot spot. Bring binoculars if you have them. \*\*\*Questions: \*\*\**Contact Joe Coleman at [jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org](mailto:jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org)*

NOVA Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal, co-working session. People of all skill levels are invited. The concept is simple, bring a laptop and ideas, we'll provide the coffee and donuts! Here's how it works: 1. At 10:15 everyone introduces themselves and briefly describes what brought them to Code & Coffee today (project, homework, networking, etc) 2. For the rest of the day, folks work in the communal space on their projects providing one another help and conversation as needed. Oh and they usually drink coffee and tea too! That's it! Hope to see you there! **Location** Our hosts are the Fairfax City Economic Development Building: [10300 Eaton Pl, Fairfax, VA 22030](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=d7298231ca2df594df822003f9a93517c788fceefe1fcbb79c8976696e341bc6JmltdHM9MTc1MzIyODgwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=180d0745-3b7f-69a1-23a2-11433a7868e5&u=a1L21hcHM_Jm1lcGk9MTA5fn5Ub3BPZlBhZ2V-QWRkcmVzc19MaW5rJnR5PTE4JnE9RmFpcmZheCUyMENpdHklMjBFY29ub21pYyUyMERldmVsb3BtZW50JnNzPXlwaWQuWU44NzN4ODI4MTk2Mjg0NTk5MDM4MTU0MiZwcG9pcz0zOC44NjE0NDYzODA2MTUyMzRfLTc3LjMwMjE3NzQyOTE5OTIyX0ZhaXJmYXglMjBDaXR5JTIwRWNvbm9taWMlMjBEZXZlbG9wbWVudF9ZTjg3M3g4MjgxOTYyODQ1OTkwMzgxNTQyfiZjcD0zOC44NjE0NDZ-LTc3LjMwMjE3NyZ2PTImc1Y9MSZGT1JNPU1QU1JQTA&ntb=1) Conference Room A- Large, Floor 1 This is a new venue for us, so give us some time to get more details about it. Driving is the best option. There is plenty of free on-site parking. Otherwise, we are a 22 minute bus from the Vienna Metro Station. Bicycling from Vienna is possible but difficult, though once you are here, there's a bike rack in the garage behind the building, and there's also a Capital Bikeshare dock 15 min walk away. **Sponsored by:** Thank you [Fairfax City Economic Development](https://gofairfaxcity.com/) and [Mason Enterprise Center](https://enterprise.gmu.edu/) for making this event possible! **Thank you so much to our wonderful sponsors!** Organized by [DMV Petri Dish](https://www.dmvpetridish.com/) **[Code of Conduct](https://github.com/NoVACodeCoffee/admin/blob/master/code-of-conduct.md):** We value the participation of each member of the community and want all attendees to have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. To make clear what is expected, all delegates/attendees, organizers, and volunteers at any Nova Code & Coffee events are required to conform to our [Code of Conduct](https://github.com/NoVACodeCoffee/admin/blob/master/code-of-conduct.md).

Native plants add beauty and interest to your garden year-round and provide habitat for wildlife. At Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s Spring Native Plant Sale, you’ll find a diverse selection of flowers, vines, trees, shrubs, and ferns from five outstanding local nurseries: [Hill House Farm & Nurser](https://www.hillhousenativeplants.com/)y, [Nature By Design](https://www.nature-by-design.com/), [Seven Bends Nursery](https://www.sevenbends.org/), [Watermark Woods Native Plants](https://www.watermarkwoods.com/), and [Yellow House Natives](https://www.facebook.com/yellowhousenatives/). Our knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to help you choose plants suited to your space and goals. Be sure to visit the Native Plant Information Center for expert talks offered throughout the day on topics like native plants for beginners, transitioning to a native garden, and managing invasive species. Enjoy a cup of coffee from a local vendor while you explore tables hosted by nonprofit partners working to protect and restore native ecosystems. You’ll also learn about our programs and how to get involved in local conservation efforts. **Native Plant Talks and Demos – 10:00am-1:00pm** Join us at our Native Plant Information Center for talks and demos from native plant experts from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Whether you’re new to natives or expanding an existing garden or meadow, we can tell you about some of our favorites for sun or shade, wet or dry spots—and more. Plus, we’ll have native plants and pictures on display to help you decide what you want to add to your home garden’s habitat. **9:00 – 10:00 am – Meet the Natives** We’ll have pictures, brochures and plants on hand as we answer general questions about natives and the plant sale. **10:00 – 10:45 am – NoVa’s Native Plants: From Ecological “Why” to Backyard “How”** Think globally; act locally in your own yard! This talk by Jim Knowles of **[Abernethy & Spencer Garden Center](https://abernethyspencer.com/)** will feature the eco-benefits and planting tips for Northern Virginia native staples. **10:45 – 11:30 am – “Wilding” Your Property: LWC’s Wildlife Sanctuary Program** Whether you’re battling invasive English Ivy or looking to replace a thirsty lawn, get free advice on how to “rewild” your land with both beauty and purpose. **[Wildlife Sanctuary](https://loudounwildlife.org/2016/12/wildlife-sanctuary-program/)** ambassadors Brian Magurn and BJ Lecrone tell us how we can bring our land back to life, one property at a time. **11:30 am – 12:15 pm – They Don’t Belong Here: Identifying and Removing Invasive Plants** Learn how to identify NoVa’s invasive plants (including those in your own backyard), why they’re harmful, and how to remove them effectively. You’ll also learn from **[LIRA](https://www.loudouninvasives.com/)** founder Mike Littman how invasive plants inspired a major “grassroots” movement in Loudoun-and how you can be a part of it. **12:15 – 1:00 pm – Native by Design: Creating High-Style, Low-Maintenance Gardens** Thank “native” means “messy”? Think again, Join award-winning **[landscape designer John Magee](https://www.john-magee.com/)** for a fresh look at how to use Virginia’s local flora to create sophisticated, structured and stunning outdoor spaces. If you have boxes for carrying your plants, please bring them. If you have extra boxes, bring them for others to use. ***Questions:*** *Contact [nativeplantsale@loudounwildlife.org](mailto:nativeplantsale@loudounwildlife.org)*

Join our new group’s fourth meeting. Meet fellow tech enthusiasts west of the beltway. ​Our meetings are a great place to work on and show off what you do. We are always welcoming. ​Our format is great for people who have started on but not finished one or several side projects. ​We will start off with basic introductions and what we are working on, along with what our goals are for the session. We’ll break the rest of the meeting into two working sessions. In between, we’ll do a quick check-in to see how folks are going. We also have some polls available which we use to shape our events: ​[https://submatrix.net/article/Meetups/e9ym4fr8Ca](https://submatrix.net/article/Meetups/e9ym4fr8Ca) You can also find or RSVP to our events on these platforms: https://luma.com/vw8ha8bj https://www.linkedin.com/events/7444552350616272896