The Clifton Institute

Bird Walk
2025-01-15 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-01-25 08:30 - 10:30, 2025-02-12 08:00 - 10:00, 2025-02-22 08:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-09 07:00 - 09:30, 2025-04-26 07:30 - 09:00 (America/New_York) | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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.
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 last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.).
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

How to iNaturalist
2025-02-01 10:00 - 12:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 talk about how valuable iNaturalist is for scientists and why we love it so much before giving a tour of the app and website. Then we’ll practice taking pictures and uploading them to the app. Depending on weather and interest we may spend a brief amount of time exploring outdoors. Please download the iNaturalist app onto your phone before you arrive.
Cost:
Children 18 and under – Free
Adults – $15 ($10 for Friends of Clifton.) All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
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 the morning of the event.
COVID-19 Information: This program will be partially indoors, partially outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend if you are experiencing or have experienced in the last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. Refunds not given for participant cancellation. Refunds will be given if Clifton cancels.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Nature Crafternoon for Grownups
2025-02-01 14:00 - 16:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 will also provide warm drinks and light snacks.
Cost:
Adults – $15 ($10 for Friends of Clifton.) All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
Age: Adults only.
Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event.
COVID-19 Information: This program will be partially indoors, partially outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend if you are experiencing or have experienced in the last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. Refunds not given for participant cancellation. Refunds will be given if Clifton cancels.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

**Virtual** Piedmont Prairie Restoration: What We've Learned from our Restoration Experiment
2025-02-06 19:00 - 20:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
**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 to register after that time, you can email Eleanor at eharris@cliftoninstitute.org, but we cannot guarantee we will see your email in time. Thank you!
Since 2019 we have been working on restoring an overgrazed cattle pasture into a diverse native grassland. In collaboration with Virginia Working Landscapes and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, we designed an experiment to test the effects of four ways of establishing native plants and two ways (mowing and burning) of maintaining a grassland. Native grasslands take a long time to reestablish themselves, but five years in we are starting to have an understanding of how to restore grasslands in the Piedmont region and what happens when we recreate the habitat that used to be much more widespread in our region. In this Zoom presentation, Co-Director Bert Harris, Ph.D., will give an update on what we’ve learned from the grassland restoration experiment so far and where we’re going next.
Cost: Free!
Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult.
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. Refunds not given for participant cancellation. Refunds will be given if Clifton cancels.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Spotted Salamander Walk
2025-02-11 19:00 - 21:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 sacks, which causes them to lay their eggs, about 50-100 per female. Join us on a walk to our vernal pools to witness this spectacle of nature.
We’ll be watching the weather closely to adjust our time and date that looks most promising for us to see this wonderful migration. For now, this date is a best-guess placeholder for us. We will contact registered attendees if the date changes.

Cost:
Children 18 and under – Free
Adults – $15 ($10 for Friends of Clifton.) All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult.
Please bring: A flashlight and waterproof boots. Dress for the weather.
Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event.
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 last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. Refunds not given for participant cancellation. Refunds will be given if Clifton cancels.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Winter Tree Identification Workshop
2025-02-15 10:00 - 12:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
*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 program, we will take you on a short walk in the woods and talk about the tips and tricks to identify the most common trees in our forests. This program is meant for beginners. Advanced botanists are welcome but you may teach us more than we teach you! If you would like to start practicing now or if you would like to bring some resources with you, we recommend the book Winter Tree Finder by May Theilgaard Watts and Tom Watts, the Flora of Virginia app, and the Virginia Tech Tree ID app.
Cost:
Children under 18 – Free!
Adults – $15 ($10 for Friends of the Clifton Institute)
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.
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 last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.).
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. No refunds will be given upon registrant cancellation.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Intermediate Lichen Workshop
2025-02-15 10:00 - 15:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 their identification abilities.
We’ll start with a presentation on lichen identification, with a focus on the terminology that is used in dichotomous keys. After the presentation we’ll go and collect lichens in the mature forests and metabasalt rock outcrops on the institute’s 900 acres. After lunch (included), we’ll look at the specimens under dissecting and compound microscopes. We’ll do chemical tests and examine spores. We will also key things out as a group and individually.
We will provide microscopes, dichotomous keys, and chemicals.
Age: Adults only.
Cost: $75, which goes toward supporting programs at Clifton.
Maximum enrollment: 4 people but up to 8 people welcome if you can bring your own microscopes
About the program leader: Bert Harris is a Co-Director of the Clifton Institute. He is an amateur lichenologist who has the goal of producing a reference to make Mid Atlantic lichen identification easier for beginners.
Email Bert with any questions bharris@cliftoninstitute.org

Volunteer Day: Tree Trail Cleanup
2025-03-01 13:00 - 16:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 invasive species.
We have a tree trail we use to teach people about native trees and how their phenology is changing over time due to climate change. Each spring it needs a little work, cleaning up the trail and removing invasive species around the trees we’re studying. All levels of experience welcome.
Cost: Free!
Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult.
Bring: Please bring clothing appropriate for the weather, gloves and/or small garden tools if desired.
Weather policy: Date subject to change depending on weather. Please check your email for updates.
Registration is REQUIRED.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Nature Journaling Meetup
2025-03-01 13:30 - 16:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 the area. Whether you have been nature journaling for years or have never nature journaled before but want to try it out, this event is for you!
*POSTPONED from February 8 due to weather.* In February, we’ll be focusing on waterfowl! Eleanor will give a brief introduction to the biology of waterfowl and some ideas for how to include them in your nature journal. Then we’ll go out to the ponds and sketch what we see.
Cost: Free!
Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult.
Bring: Please bring a journal and art supplies. Just a piece of paper and pencil will be enough. Eleanor will have a limited number of John Muir Laws’ nature journals for sale.
Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Woodcock Watch
2025-03-08 17:45 - 19:15 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 so.
During this program we will give a brief introduction to these interesting birds and then we’ll go out into our fields where we will be able to watch and hear the birds perform. We’ll be watching the weather to pick a date that looks most promising for us to see a good show (if the weather is too cloudy, windy, or cold they stay hunkered down).
If March 8 looks good we will hold the event then. Otherwise we expect to pick one of March 14 or 15 at the same time. We will email you a few days beforehand when we know more.   Please bring a flashlight. We will be standing out in the field for around 30 minutes. We will have sit pads to lend out. Some people like to bring a small camping stool, chair, or blanket, but keep in mind that we will have to walk about a quarter mile and we may relocate depending on where the birds are.
Cost:
Children 18 and under – Free
Adults – $15 ($10 for Friends of Clifton.) All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
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 the morning of the event.
COVID-19 Information: This program will be outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend if you are experiencing or have experienced in the last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. Refunds not given for participant cancellation. Refunds will be given if Clifton cancels.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Bird Walk
2025-03-12 08:00 - 10:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
Join us for birding 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 if you are experiencing or have experienced in the last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.).
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute.

Bird Walk
2025-03-22 08:00 - 10:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 if you are experiencing or have experienced in the last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.).
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute.

Geology of the Piedmont Tour
2025-03-22 09:00 - 16:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 takes us right into the heart of a warped and folded thrust sheet that contains some of the oldest rocks in the state. From here we will be travelling up to the foot of today’s Blue Ridge Mountains, making stops along the way.
This route takes us right through the igneous core of a chain of mountains that rose along the edge of a barren continent long before the evolution of land plants. We will see lava that flooded across an ancient valley, and the cooled, crystallized remains of huge magma bubbles that never quite reached the surface. This route also takes us across the sands and pebbles of rivers that flowed across these inhospitable lands more than half a billion years ago.
In addition to telling the story of these long-ago landscapes and how they changed over time, we will look at the processes that continue to shape the Virginia Piedmont today. How do creeks and rivers find their particular paths across the landscape? How do today’s forests and savannahs help shape the rocks underneath? Why do the hills and mountains continue to rise without getting any bigger?
We will meet at Clifton at 9:00am where we will check out some of our greenstone outcrops then head out toward Little Washington, making about 5 or 6 stops along the way. We will eat lunch along the way and wrap up around 4:00pm. Many of the stops will be the same as our first tour in 2022 but there is no limit to concepts to cover so this will be a unique adventure.
Cost:
Children 18 and under – Free
Adults – $30 ($25 for Friends of Clifton.) All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
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 the morning of the event.
Please bring: A lunch, snacks, a water bottle, warm clothes, and comfortable walking shoes.
Travel Information: We will be trying to carpool as much as possible due to limited parking at some sites. Please do not attend if you are experiencing or have experienced in the last two weeks any symptoms associated with flu or COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. Refunds not given for participant cancellation. Refunds will be given if Clifton cancels.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Walk with a Naturalist
2025-03-22 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-04-19 13:00 - 15:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 the morning of the event.
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 last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.).
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

**Virtual** Prescribed Fire as a Foundational Landscape Tool: From Campus to Residence
2025-03-26 14:00 - 16:45 | 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
**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 are burned annually at the Institute. He’ll then talk about the Institute’s 100-acre grassland restoration experiment that is testing eight different methods (e.g. fire, mowing, tilling, planting, herbicide) to convert non-native fields to native meadows. He’ll finish by covering how even the timing of prescribed fire can affect the resulting plant communities and pollinator habitat.
Fritz Reuter, a conservation-based landscape designer and land planner, and founder of Virginica LL, will discuss how he incorporates fire into small landscape design and practices. He’ll demonstrate how his “burn on the run” techniques have resulted in the type of vegetative vigor that only a practice done for thousands of years – before centuries-long wholesale suppression – could re-offer. He will also cover how he advocates for and explains the benefits of prescribed burning to his clients.

Price: $58 (all proceeds go to NDAL)
Student & Wild Ones member discounts
Group and Gift Orders
Student Scholarships
Age: All ages

Science Saturday: Vernal Pool Monitoring
2025-03-29 13:00 - 15:30 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 Newts, Wood Frogs, and other amphibians breed. Each spring we monitor the water levels and quality in each pool and survey for eggs and adults to keep track of our amphibian populations are faring. It’s never a certainty, but it is likely that we will see adult amphibians in at least one of the pools. This is a special opportunity to visit an amazing habitat and to learn about the science going on here at Clifton.
Cost:
Children 18 and under – Free
Adults – $15 ($10 for Friends of Clifton.) All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult.
Bring: Please bring a lunch and water bottle.
Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event.
COVID-19 Information: This program may be partially indoors, partially outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend if you are experiencing or have experienced in the last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.).
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

**Virtual** American Kestrel Research Update
2025-04-03 19:00 - 20:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
**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 the live program. We will send out a link to a recording in a couple in case you aren’t able to make it.**
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 American Kestrels breeding in northern Virginia. For the last four summers, we have attached GPS transmitters to adult kestrels to see what kinds of fields they forage in when they’re hunting for food to feed their babies. Over time we have added other aspects to the project, measuring the vegetation, surveying for rodents, and counting dragonflies in their home ranges. We are still working to collect data, but we have enough information now to be able to draw some conclusions about their habitat requirements.
In this Zoom presentation, Co-Director Bert Harris, Ph.D., will share what we’ve learned about kestrels so far and where we’re going next.

Warbler Song Bootcamp
2025-04-11 18:00 - 19:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
*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 your email in time.*
Brush up on your warbler songs just before the migrants arrive in droves. We will listen to the songs of each of the migratory warblers that pass through our region in spring, while looking at spectrograms to help visual learners identify differences in similar songs. We will also briefly discuss habitats where breeding warblers can be found in our area and cover a handful of other migrants such as vireos and thrushes. This workshop will be of interest to birdwatchers of all skill levels. It will definitely be more fun than listening to a warbler song CD in your car! This event will take place over Zoom. A Zoom link will be emailed to participants shortly before the event.
Cost: Free! But if you are able, there is a suggested donation of $10. All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
Age: All ages.
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. No refunds will be given upon registrant cancellation.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Lichens for Beginners
2025-04-12 14:00 - 16:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 with a group of lichen-likers looking closely we may even find a new species!
We recommend bringing a hand lens if you have one, but we will have some to share if not.

Cost:
Children 18 and under – Free
Adults – $15 ($10 for Friends of Clifton.) All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
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 day before the event.
COVID-19 Information: This program will be partially indoors, partially outdoors (an outside porta potty will be available). Please do not attend if you are experiencing or have experienced in the last week any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. No refunds given for participant cancellation. Refunds will be issued in the event of Clifton cancelling.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Nature Journaling Field Trip
2025-04-19 10:30 - 12:30 | 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 of capturing the same phenomenon on paper. Join us for our first ever nature journaling field trip! In April Co-Director and passionate nature journaler Eleanor Harris will be nature journaling at Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve. We’ll meet at the trailhead, journal for a couple of hours, and then com back together to share what we discovered. Eleanor will stick around for a picnic lunch after journaling. More details about where to park and how to meetup will be emailed to registrants closer to the date. Please note that this event is not at the Clifton Institute! Whether you have been nature journaling for years or have never nature journaled before but want to try it out, this event is for you!
Cost: Free!
Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult.
Bring: Please bring a journal and art supplies. Just a piece of paper and pencil will be enough.
Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.

Science Saturday: Tracking American Kestrels
2025-04-19 13:00 - 16:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 demonstrate how we collect data. We can’t guarantee a kestrel sighting, but the goal will be to see and maybe even band one of our local birds.
Cost:
Children 18 and under – Free
Adults – $15 ($10 for Friends of Clifton.) All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult.
Bring: Please bring a lunch and water bottle. Binoculars are recommended.
Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event.
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 last two weeks any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.).
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Why Are American Kestrels Declining?
2025-04-19 16:30 - 17:30 | Chancellor’s Rock Farm, 1954 N Poes Rd, Flint Hill, VA, 22627, United States
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 American Kestrels in northern Virginia. We have learned a lot in the last four years and we now have clear recommendations for landowners who want to help to reverse the decline. Join us at Chancellor’s Rock Farm for an in-person update on our latest research results and land management recommendations.
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 day before the event.
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.

Nature Journaling Meetup
2025-05-10 09:30 - 12:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 area. Whether you have been nature journaling for years or have never nature journaled before but want to try it out, this event is for you!
In May, we’ll practice ways to conduct scientific investigations in our journals. Eleanor will give a brief introduction to nature journaling and strategies for coming up with scientific questions. Then we’ll go out on our trails and see what we can find!
Cost: Free!
Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult.
Bring: Please bring a journal and art supplies. Just a piece of paper and pencil will be enough. Eleanor will have a limited number of John Muir Laws’ nature journals for sale.
Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!

Bird Walk
2025-05-14 07:00 - 09:30 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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.
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!
