Spooky Blacklight Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Did you know that flying squirrels glow pink? Or that some lichens fluoresce chartreuse or orange? We are still discovering the hidden world of fluorescence—plants, animals, fungi, and minerals that glow under UV light. During this program, we will wander slowly through fields and forests with UV flashlights turning over rocks and logs, inspecting leaves […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 if you are experiencing or have experienced in the […]

Free

Nature Journaling Meetup and Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 if you are experiencing or have experienced in the […]

Free

Winter Sparrow Identification Workshop

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

** This event will be held over Zoom ** Get ready for winter by brushing up on sparrow identification! Every season brings its own challenges for birdwatching. In winter, similar-looking sparrows can be hard to tell apart and birding by ear becomes more difficult as birds sing less and call more. Join Executive Director and […]

Free

Lichens of Wildcat Mountain

6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

WE WILL BE MEETING AT WILDCAT MOUNTAIN. Email Bert bharris@cliftoninstitute.org if you haven't received the directions. On this program Executive Director and amateur lichenologist Bert Harris will lead participants on a tour of the greenstone barrens and adjacent oak-hickory forests of Wildcat Mountain in Fauquier County. The full-sun greenstone outcrops and mature hardwoods at this […]

Free

RESCHEDULED: Leonid Meteor Shower Viewing Party

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

**This event has been RESCHEDULED due to weather. Please check your email for more information** Every year the Leonids grace our skies with a shower of meteors. On this program we’ll take advantage of the long winter nights to look for meteors, as well as learn a few constellations and look at the stars through […]

Free

Science Saturday: Grass Identification Workshop and Survey

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Since 2019 we have been working to restore a 100-acre field that was dominated by Tall Fescue into a diverse native grassland. In cooperation with Virginia Working Landscapes and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, we are conducting an experiment to test which of eight methods are best for establishing and maintaining native plants. In this […]

Free

Walk With a Naturalist

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 if you are experiencing or have experienced in […]

Free

The 24th Annual The Plains/Airlie Christmas Bird Count

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Join us for the 24th Annual The Plains/Airlie Christmas Bird Count this December!  Our goal?  Count as many birds as we can in our 15-mile-diameter count circle, which includes a variety of habitats--grasslands, forests, lakes, backyards, and even parking lots.  There’s always a chance for Short-eared Owl and American Tree Sparrow, and counters get to […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 if you are experiencing or have experienced in […]

Free

Winter Tree Identification

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Winter is a great time of year to learn how to identify trees and to practice looking at bark and twigs. We will start this program with a brief presentation indoors about the tips and tricks to identify the most common trees in our forests. Then we will take you on a mile-long walk in […]

Free

**Cancelled** Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

**THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER** 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 […]

Free

*POSTPONED TO Feb 17th* Walk with a Naturalist: All-day Hike

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

On this special Walk with a Naturalist, we will walk one of the longer trails on our property. We expect to walk about 5 miles on varied terrain, some of which is steep, but we'll go slow as we look for plants and animals! Please bring a lunch and / or snacks to eat on […]

Free

How to iNaturalist

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

iNaturalist is a powerful tool for people to learn about nature and to contribute to science, but we’ve heard from lots of people that they aren’t sure how to use it. In this program, Co-Directors Bert and Eleanor Harris will give a brief introduction to the iNaturalist app and website and some background and why […]

Free

American Kestrel Research Update (Virtual)

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

**This is a virtual event. We will close registration at noon on February 9 to make sure everyone gets the Zoom link. If you have registered and have not yet received a Zoom link please email Eleanor at eharris@cliftoninstitute.org. If you would like to register after noon on February 9 you can email Eleanor, but […]

Free

Nature Journaling Meetup and Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 […]

Free

Nature Crafternoon

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Join us in the farmhouse for an afternoon making nature-inspired crafts, just in time to make something for your valentines. We will provide instructions and materials for participants to make linocut prints. If you would like to bring your own materials or crafts to work on (knitting projects! whittling projects! Coloring books!) please do. We […]

Free

Spotted Salamander Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Join us for a morning of birding at the field station. Led by expert birders. Includes a mile or two of slow walking over varied terrain. Please bring water/snacks as needed and dress for the weather. All levels welcome! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Rain or shine except […]

Free

Mid Atlantic Lichen Identification Workshop

Oak Spring Garden Foundation 1776 Loughborough Ln, Upperville

Are you ready to take a casual interest in lichens to the next level? This special all-day workshop is intended for keen beginners who would like to advance their identification abilities. We'll start with a short presentation on lichen basics, with a focus on the terminology that is used in dichotomous keys. After the presentation we'll […]

$75.00

Walk with a Naturalist: All-Day Hike

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

On this special Walk with a Naturalist, we will walk one of the longer trails on our property. We expect to walk about 5 miles on varied terrain, some of which is steep, but we’ll go slow as we look for plants and animals! Please bring a lunch and / or snacks to eat on […]

Free

The Sounds of Nature: How Natural Sounds are Made and Why They Sound Like They Do *Virtual*

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

**This is a virtual program. We will close registration at noon on February 22 to make sure everyone gets the Zoom link. If you registered and have not received a Zoom link by that time please email Eleanor at eharris@cliftoninstitute.org. If you would like to register after that time you can email Eleanor, but she […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Join us for a morning of birding at the field station. Led by expert birders. Includes a mile or two of slow walking over varied terrain. Please bring water/snacks as needed and dress for the weather. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case of […]

Free

Woodcock Watch

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

The American Woodcock is one of our stealthiest birds, but it’s also one of the most fun to watch when they do show themselves. On early spring evenings, the males perform their mating displays, flying high into the air and falling back to the ground, making calls and sounds with their wings as they do […]

Free

Geology of the Piedmont Tour

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

It’s winter and that means that rock season is upon us! This year we thought it would be nice to branch out and check out a whole new geologic province. The last two years we took a close look at rocks of the Piedmont Plateau and learned that several times in the geologic past, huge […]

Free

Walk with a Naturalist

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 if you are experiencing or have experienced in […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 if you are experiencing or have experienced in […]

Free