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 […]
Just like that it’s rock season once again! This year we will be returning to the rolling hills of the Western Piedmont for Clifton’s annual Geology of the Piedmont Tour. We will start on the eastern limb of the Blue Ridge Anticlinorium, right here at the foot of Pignut Mountain and head west. This route […]
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 […]
**Virtual event** Register here: https://www.ndal.org/upcoming-events/fire Co-Director Bert Harris will present the Clifton Institute’s recent research on remnant Piedmont grasslands as part of the New Directions in the American Landscape's Spring Virtual Series! He'll discuss how Clifton is using these results to set goals for meadow plantings and grassland restoration projects including the 50 acres that […]
In this installment of our Science Saturdays series participants will have the opportunity to participate in our vernal pool monitoring project. Vernal pools are fish-free bodies of water that are safe for amphibians to breed in. Here at Clifton, we have multiple made by beavers, humans, and natural depressions, where Spotted Salamanders, Jefferson Salamanders, Eastern […]
**Please note that this is a virtual event. We will be closing registration at noon on April 3 so that we can the Zoom link to participants in time. If you would like to register after that, you can email Eleanor at eharris@cliftoninstitute.org but there is a chance we won't see it in time for […]
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. […]
*This is a virtual event. Registration will close at noon on April 11 to make sure everyone gets the Zoom link. If you have not received a Zoom link by that time please email Eleanor at eharris@cliftoninstitute.org. If you would like to register at that time, you can email Eleanor but she may not see […]
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 mature forests of the Clifton Institute. We have some exciting lichens here, but we are just starting to study our lichen community, so […]
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. You can always nature journal by yourself, but it can be really fun to go out with other people to get inspired together and see other ways […]
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 […]
We are using GPS transmitters to track kestrel habitat selection and learn why they are declining. In this installment of our Science Saturdays series, participants will have the opportunity to shadow our kestrel research team. We will start with a brief presentation on the kestrel research project. Then we’ll go out into the field to […]
American Kestrels are North America’s smallest falcon and one of our most charismatic birds of prey. Unfortunately, they are experiencing precipitous declines across the country. Despite their popularity and wide geographic range, relatively little is known about how to manage land to support breeding kestrels. In 2021 we started a long-term research project to track […]
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. […]
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. Co-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 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 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. […]
In 2022 we started a collaborative research project with the Turtle Conservation Ecology Lab and Joe Kolowski at the Smithsonian's NZCBI to study Box Turtles. We are studying Box Turtle movements and habitat selection so that we can learn when it's safe to mow fields in our area. In the third installment of this event, […]
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. […]
*This event has been cancelled due to weather. Check your emails if you signed up!* Join us for an 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. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult. […]
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 […]
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 […]
