Join us for a visit to an active Bobolink nesting colony in partnership with our friends at Virginia Working Landscapes! Bobolinks are unique and beautiful birds that select hay fields for nesting. Sadly, they are declining as a result of nest losses from cutting the hay early in the summer. We should enjoy views of […]
Join us at the residence of our co-directors to experience a remnant prairie, a planted meadow, and a native plant garden. The remnant prairie on the property hosts a remarkable assemblage of native wildflowers and grasses over sandstone bedrock. Bert and Eleanor are managing the prairie with mowing, burning, and invasive plant control. They have […]
We love going out on a summer evening to see hundreds of fireflies flashing in the trees and we’d love you to have you join us for this magical display. In this program, Co-Director Eleanor Harris will give a brief talk about the biology and identification of fireflies (there are several species in our area!) […]
Join us for a day of counting dragonflies across Rappahannock County! Our goals are to learn which species of dragonflies and damselflies are found in our area, to monitor changes in their populations, and to help everyone learn more about odonates. A map of the count circle is here. The circle includes a wide variety […]
Come join us to bird watch around the field station! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case of extreme weather (e.g. thunderstorm or significant snow fall). Registration is REQUIRED. Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us […]
We need help repotting some of our native seedlings into bigger pots! Habitat Specialist Andrew Eberly will be leading this event and will be happy to answer any participant questions about growing native plants. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Bring: Please bring gardening gloves if desired. […]
Dragonflies and damselflies are some of the most mysterious and beautiful animals that live at the Clifton Institute, and June is the perfect time to search for them. Join us for a workshop that will cover the basics of dragonfly identification and biology. We will then practice what we learned by visiting lakes, streams, and […]
Coral Hairstreaks, the star of our logo, are rare in Virginia but we’re lucky to have one of the best sites in the state to see them and on a good day in June we can see many of them flitting from patch to patch of blooming butterfly weed. We thought it was high time […]
Join us for our sixth annual Dragonfly Count! Our goals are to learn which species of dragonflies and damselflies are found in our area, to monitor changes in their populations, and to encourage everyone to learn more about odonates. The map of the count circle is here. The circle includes a wide variety of aquatic […]
Come join us to bird watch around the field station! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case of extreme weather (e.g. thunderstorm or significant snow fall). Registration is REQUIRED. Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us […]
Join us to learn about butterfly identification and biology. Co-Director Bert Harris will give a presentation on the identification of common butterflies in our area. We will then take a walk around the field station to look for butterflies (and perhaps some dragonflies as well.) All skill levels welcome! Cost: Adults – $15 All proceeds […]
Skippers, the Little Brown Jobs of the butterfly world, can be hard to identify, but with a little practice you can learn the variations in color, pattern, size, and shape that distinguish each species from the next. If you’re participating in any butterfly counts this summer this program will get you in good shape for […]
Every year community scientists help count butterflies in 15-mile-diameter circles all around the country and contribute their data to the North American Butterfly Association (NABA). This summer we will host our 30th annual butterfly count and celebrate our 23rd year contributing our data to NABA! Butterfly enthusiasts of all levels of experience are welcome! If […]
If biodiversity excites you, come learn about one of the most species-rich groups on the planet: beetles! Worldwide, there are over 400,000 beetle species, and that list grows longer every year. They are all around us, they are beautiful, and they are endlessly fascinating. Join Will Ponder, a former ground beetle parataxonomist with the National […]
Join us to look and listen for creatures of the night! Summer is an ideal time to observe several species of katydids, crickets, cicadas and birds. We will also look for beavers, reptiles and amphibians, and other animals! Back at the farm house we will see what kinds of moths and beetles we can attract […]
Did you know that bats offer numerous ecosystem services globally, including pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal? Here in Virginia, bats are critical members of our agricultural ecosystems, consuming thousands of insect pests each night. Erin Shibley, a wildlife biologist with the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, will present an interactive program about the behavior […]
Join us for a walk around the field station to see what we can see! Led by a staff naturalist, we’ll encounter birds, bugs, plants and more. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on […]
Hey grownups! Have you ever wished you could go to summer camp? Well, now you can! This September we are offering our sixth annual weekend-long Nature Camp for Grownups! Activities will start on the morning of September 26 and conclude on the afternoon of September 27. Activities will include short workshops (for example on insect […]
