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!) […]
Come join us to birdwatch 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). COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend […]
Online registration is closed but you are still welcome to join us! Please email bharris@cliftoninstitute.org to learn more. Join us for a day of counting dragonflies across Rappahannock county! Co-Director Bert Harris will be leading and organizing, so keep an eye on your email for more information as the event gets closer! Cost: Free! Age: […]
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 […]
Online registration is closed but you are still welcome to join us! Please email bharris@cliftoninstitute.org to learn more. Join us for our fifth 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 […]
In partnership with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, Co-director Bert Harris will explain what iNaturalist is and why it's an essential tool. Then he'll help get you started with the app! Registration is through MGFRC: https://www.mgfrc.org/events/twilight-talk-how-to-inaturalist-26
Come join us to birdwatch 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 know […]
Come join us to birdwatch 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 know […]
Join us for a night-time exploration of our trails and vernal pools while we listen for frog calls, look for insects, and see what animals are swimming on the ponds. Please register EVERY person in your group so we have an accurate count. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult. Bring: Please […]
Online registration is closed but you are still welcome to join us. Email bharris@cliftoninstitute.org if you're interested. 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 […]
In partnership with our friends at the Turtle Conservation Ecology Lab at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, we're hosting a summer Eastern Box Turtle workshop! This workshop will focus on life history, threats, and movements from the perspective of nesting season and summer activity. We've been seeing Box turtles nesting lately, and our telemetry data […]
Online registration is closed but you are welcome to join us! Email bharris@cliftoninstitute.org to sign up. Every year community scientists help count the butterflies in 15-mile-diameter circles all around the country and contribute their data to the North American Butterfly Association. This summer we will host our 30th annual butterfly count and celebrate our 23rd […]
Come join us to birdwatch 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). COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend […]
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 […]
Join us for a bird walk around the field station! Led by an expert birder. All levels welcome! 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. […]
Join us way down yonder for a Pawpaw party! We are excited to host this celebration of our only native tropical fruit tree! With many colorful nicknames such as the hillbilly mango, the pawpaw’s cultural flavor is as intriguing as its taste. We will give a brief talk on the ecology and cultural history of […]
We are so grateful for our volunteers’ help and support. We could not accomplish our mission without you! We would like to thank you by hosting you and your families for an evening at the Clifton Institute. This will be a very casual event. We will provide food and drinks from a local barbecue restaurant. […]
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 […]
Join us for a walk on our trails with one our naturalists! May include a mile or two of slow to moderate hiking over varied terrain. Please bring water/snacks as needed and dress for the weather. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Rain or shine […]
*Cancelled due to weather* Come join us to birdwatch 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, […]
Hey grownups! Have you ever wished you could go to summer camp? Well, now you can! This October we are offering our fifth annual weekend-long Nature Camp for Grownups! Activities will start on the morning of October 11 and conclude on the afternoon of October 12. Activities will include short workshops (for example on insect […]
Come join us to birdwatch 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). COVID-19 Information: This program will be entirely outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend […]
Collecting and propagating native seeds is a great way to help spread native plant populations, add 100% native species to your gardens, and learn about the native plants in your backyard. Although it may seem daunting, learning a few simple guidelines will get you well on your way to collecting and sowing your own seeds.Participants […]
Nature journaling is a powerful tool for learning about plants and animals, a mindful practice for connecting to nature, and just a great way to spend time outside. Managing Director and passionate nature journaler Eleanor Harris runs quarterly nature journaling meetups to help people develop their nature journaling skills and meet other nature journalers in […]
Spend an evening learning, breaking down your perceptions of reality, and enjoying snacks with Dr. Emily Slezak, whose work has focused on color vision in humans and the mind-bending lengths we go to to create our own versions of the world. This workshop will cover the imperfect but incredible organs that are animal eyes and demonstrate […]
We get questions all the time about how to manage invasive plants and we want to help you rid your property of unwanted invaders! In this program, Landowner Outreach Associate Kadiera Ingram and Habitat Specialist Andrew Eberly will give a talk and demonstration on their recommended methods for dealing with various species of invasive plants. […]
Cost: Free! Come join us to bird watch around the field station! 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 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 […]
Online registration has closed but we still have a few spaces for this program. Please email bharris@cliftoninstitute.org if you'd like to join us! In this program Co-Director and amateur lichenologist Bert Harris will teach participants the basics of lichen biology and identification. He’ll then lead participants on a lichen tour of the rocky outcrops and […]
Grasses have a reputation for being really challenging to identify, but with a little practice and expert guidance it’s not too hard to learn to recognize the most common grasses in our fields. In this workshop we will give a brief introduction to biology and identification of common grass species. Then we’ll walk a loop […]
