Cost: Free! Age: All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend […]
Piedmont Polliwogs is a monthly program for pre-K children that includes a lesson on a different topic every month, story time and short nature walk. As of fall 2022, we are changing registration for Polliwogs: instead of signing up month to month, you can sign up for a whole series of monthly programs. This will […]
At first glance, it might seem like grasses all look the same and that they don't offer the same beauty that showy flowers do. But we think it's worth taking the time to learn to tell grasses apart and to appreciate their unique beauty. And winter is a great time to do it because the […]
Cost: Free! Age: Families with children ages 6 and up. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend if you are […]
We’re offering another year of Nature School! Each class will include a structured learning activity on a particular topic and an exploratory nature walk. For example, in the past we studied vultures, bird eggs and nests, leaf identification, beaver dams, and more. We will repeat some topics from the 2021-2022 school year, but we will […]
Lichens: part algae, part fungi, all mystery! Did you know that we have more than 400 species of lichens in our region and that many of them can be identified with a little practice and a hand lens? Lichens in our area are diverse in their appearance, in where they grow, and in how they […]
Join us for our annual Christmas Bird Count! We’ll spend the day surveying the birds in our 15-mile-diameter count circle, which includes a variety of habitats. We usually see a nice diversity of waterfowl and grassland birds. There’s always a chance for Short-eared Owl and American Tree Sparrow! Participating in the Christmas Bird Count is […]
We’re offering another year of Nature School! Each class will include a structured learning activity on a particular topic and an exploratory nature walk. For example, in the past we studied vultures, bird eggs and nests, leaf identification, beaver dams, and more. We will repeat some topics from the 2021-2022 school year, but we will […]
Over 9 sessions beginning in September and running through May, the members of Nature Club will work together to create a map of an uncharted piece of the Clifton Institute and build a trail that runs through it. The project will culminate in an unveiling party for the new trail led by the students themselves. […]
Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend […]
Piedmont Polliwogs is a monthly program for pre-K children that includes a lesson on a different topic every month, story time and short nature walk. As of fall 2022, we are changing registration for Polliwogs: instead of signing up month to month, you can sign up for a whole series of monthly programs. This will […]
Families with children in grades K-8 are invited to come along as we explore the field station. This program is a wonderful opportunity for families to explore nature together. We pick a different trail to explore each month and usually move slowly as we stop often to look at and learn about the plants and […]
We’re offering another year of Nature School! Each class will include a structured learning activity on a particular topic and an exploratory nature walk. For example, in the past we studied vultures, bird eggs and nests, leaf identification, beaver dams, and more. We will repeat some topics from the 2021-2022 school year, but we will […]
On this special Walk with a Naturalist, we will walk one of the longer trails on our property. We'll still go slow as we look for plants and animals, even in the dead of winter, and we expect to walk no more than 3 miles. Please bring a lunch and / or snacks to eat […]
**This is a virtual event** Join Executive Director Bert Harris to hear the latest on our American Kestrel research. We have been studying these declining falcons for two years and we have learned so much about the habitats they use for hunting. Cattle pastures are preferred over all other kinds of fields and we are […]
Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend […]
Winter is a great time of year to learn how to identify trees and to practice looking at bark and twigs. In this program, we will take you on a short walk in the woods and talk about the tips and tricks to identify the most common trees in our forests. This program is meant […]
We’re offering another year of Nature School! Each class will include a structured learning activity on a particular topic and an exploratory nature walk. For example, in the past we studied vultures, bird eggs and nests, leaf identification, beaver dams, and more. We will repeat some topics from the 2021-2022 school year, but we will […]
Over 9 sessions beginning in September and running through May, the members of Nature Club will work together to create a map of an uncharted piece of the Clifton Institute and build a trail that runs through it. The project will culminate in an unveiling party for the new trail led by the students themselves. […]
From Co-Director Eleanor Harris: Nature journaling is my favorite hobby, a great way to spend time outside, and a powerful tool for learning about nature. I want to help develop the community of nature journalers in our area and to encourage more people to start their own nature journals. Whether you have been nature journaling […]
Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not […]
Piedmont Polliwogs is a monthly program for pre-K children that includes a lesson on a different topic every month, story time and short nature walk. As of fall 2022, we are changing registration for Polliwogs: instead of signing up month to month, you can sign up for a whole series of monthly programs. This will […]
Cost: Free! Age: Families with children in grades K-8. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend if you are experiencing […]
Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not […]
We’re offering another year of Nature School! Each class will include a structured learning activity on a particular topic and an exploratory nature walk. For example, in the past we studied vultures, bird eggs and nests, leaf identification, beaver dams, and more. We will repeat some topics from the 2021-2022 school year, but we will […]
Have you ever wondered why our hearing gets worse as we age? Why you can’t see colors at night? Why some smells make us want to gag while we make others into perfumes? Join Co-Director Eleanor Harris and Education Associate Bridget Bradshaw for a 3-part series where they discuss the biology of vision, hearing, and […]
Once a year, salamanders leave their homes in the woods and head toward vernal pools, temporary ponds created by spring rains and melting winter snow. The conditions must be just right, a warm night with rainy conditions. The males arrive first and lay sperm sacks around the pond. The females come later and absorb these […]
Have you ever wondered why our hearing gets worse as we age? Why you can’t see colors at night? Why some smells make us want to gag while we make others into perfumes? Join Co-Director Eleanor Harris and Education Associate Bridget Bradshaw for a 3-part series where they discuss the biology of vision, hearing, and […]
Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not […]
Come dig a little deeper into Fauquier County (and beyond) in our 2nd annual Geology Tour guided by our Habitat Specialist Andrew Eberly! Hitch a ride on the edge of the North American plate as it sails across the globe and watch neighboring continents come crashing in then break free again as mountains and oceans […]