Love them, fear them, or somewhere in-between, spiders are some of the most magical animals on the planet that are everywhere around us quietly keeping ecosystems running! Spend the afternoon […]
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 […]
Join us for a walk on our trails with one our naturalists! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and […]
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 […]
This fall the Clifton Institute, in collaboration with Fauquier County Public Schools and the Fauquier County We Need Bees Committee, is beginning an exciting new project: Lawn Lab. This experiment […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
**THIS IS A VIRTUAL EVENT** 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 […]
Join us for a walk on our trails with one our naturalists. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change […]
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 […]
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 […]
Join us for the 25th 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 […]
Our monthly Walks with a Naturalist are a chance to explore our trails with one of our staff naturalists and learn about the plants and animals that live on the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
**Virtual Event** Please note that we are closing registration at 12:00pm on February 6 so that we can get the Zoom link to everyone on time. If you would like […]
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 […]
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 […]
*POSTPONED from previous Saturday due to weather.* Winter is a great time of year to learn how to identify trees and to practice looking at bark and twigs. In this […]
Are you ready to take a casual interest in lichens to the next level? This special all-day workshop is intended for keen beginners and intermediates who would like to advance […]
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 […]
This event is officially part of National Invasive Species Awareness Week! We are proud to partner with Blue Ridge PRISM and many community organizations to bring awareness and education about […]
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 […]
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 […]
