Saving Virginia’s Native Species
The Clifton Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Warrenton, VA. Our mission is to inspire a deeper understanding and appreciation of nature, to study the ecology of our region, to restore habitat, and to conserve native biodiversity. In short, we’re here to save Virginia’s native species. We do conservation biology research, we restore habitat for native plants and animals, and we teach children and adults about science, conservation, and nature.
Our 900-acre field station, which includes grasslands, shrub fields, forests, ponds, and wetlands, is home to thousands of species of plants and animals and is permanently protected under a conservation easement. Interested in visiting? You can find our calendar of education programs and volunteer opportunities here. You can schedule a field trip for your pre-K-12 class here. We invite Friends of the Clifton Institute to come explore our trails on Tuesdays and Saturdays from mid-January to mid-October. You can become a Friend with a minimum annual donation of $40 by donating here. We hope we’ll see you here soon!
Research
Before we can do any restoration or conservation work, we have to know how our land management decisions affect native biodiversity. We do conservation biology research to figure out how to support declining species of plants and animals. All of our research projects produce actionable recommendations that inform land managers and conservation practitioners. We work with collaborators at other research institutions, high school interns, college- and graduate- level technicians, and members of our community collect data.
Research technician Megan McDaniels and volunteer April Harper track an American Kestrel fitted with a GPS transmitter.
American Kestrels and Eastern Box Turtles are both in decline. We have been tracking these species since 2021 and 2022 respectively in order to better understand what habitats they use at different times of year. You can find our latest publications and research presentations here.
Conservation and Restoration
Virginia’s grasslands are home to more declining species of birds and plants than any other habitat in the state. Because of that, our focus in our conservation and restoration work is on grasslands and other open habitats. On the Clifton Institute property we work to maintain high-quality grasslands and shrublands by controlling non-native plants, implementing appropriate disturbance (e.g. burning, mowing, grazing), and planting native plants that we grow ourselves. Through our Landowner Outreach program, we provide advice to landowners and land managers about best management practices to support declining species on other properties. Through our Virginia Native Seed Project, we are working on boosting the native seed industry so that landowners can purchase locally-appropriate seeds that recreate historic plant communities. Starting in 2026 we are launching a Grassland Stewardship program to save the few patches of remnant grassland that are hanging on in the state.
Ironweed blooming in our 100-acre native grassland restoration experiment
It’s hard to know how to manage land without knowing what’s living here, so one of our goals is to document every species of plant, animal, fungi, lichen, and slime mold on the property. It’s an ambitious goal, but we’re learning a lot and having fun along the way. We started a iNaturalist project to collect our observations and when you visit you can add yours too.
Education
Before we were conservationists, we were kids who went out into the woods and caught bugs, learned the names of trees and flowers, and wondered about natural history. Through our environmental education programs, we aim to provide the same opportunities for wonder, curiosity, and exploration in nature to people of all ages. Participants in our programs, which include field trips for school groups and walks and workshops for adults, are encouraged to be curious, to think scientifically, and to mindfully observe the natural world. After experiencing the beauty of the northern Piedmont ecosystem, our visitors are inspired to take better care of the natural world, both locally and globally.
An early morning bird walk by the beaver pond
Watch the video below to get a peek at what our field trips are like. You can find more videos–recordings of research presentations, activities for kids, nature journaling inspiration, and more–on our YouTube channel.
Our Origin Story
In 1976 the Clifton Institute’s founder Dr. Murdock Head arranged for the purchase of two contiguous farms called Clifton Farm and Adams Farm to protect the land from being developed. In the 1990s Dr. William Sladen brought Trumpeter Swans to the property in the hopes of using ultraflight aircraft to help the species recover the eastern migratory route that was lost when their population crashed in the nineteenth century. After moving to the area, Dr. Sladen met and married longtime Fauquier County resident and conservationist Jocelyn Sladen, née Arundel, and together they started teaching children and adults about local wildlife. Our efforts to educate people about nature and to conserve native biodiversity carry on the Sladens’ legacy. In 2008, the Board of the Clifton Institute donated a conservation easement on the property to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, ensuring the preservation of the land in perpetuity.
When you visit the Clifton Institute, you can’t help but notice the historic farmhouse and cabin. The peach color of the farmhouse was chosen by Jocelyn Sladen, who was inspired by the color of Little Bluestem in the winter. Based on the dendrochronology of framing timbers, we know that construction on the farmhouse began in 1817 and on the cabin in 1820. The owner of the farm at the time of construction was Joseph Blackwell (1751-1826), son of the Joseph Blackwell (1715-1787) who was notable as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and Fauquier County’s first sheriff. The enslaved people owned by Joseph surely contributed to the construction of both buildings. In 2023 the Fauquier County Architectural Review Board presented us with the Fauquier County Award for Preservation Excellence for our work to conserve the cabin, a valuable historical and cultural resource.
Learn more about our programs at the links below.
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