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 […]
**This is a virtual event** In this Zoom event, Co-Director Bert Harris will present the latest results from our grassland restoration experiment! He will cover which management methods were most successful at converting fescue to native grasses and wildflowers. He will also talk about our study of the native seed bank and the recovery of […]
*This is a virtual event. Registration will close at noon on April 12 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 […]
Help us plant native seedlings! This is a great opportunity to learn more about how we grow native plants. Please bring water, gardening gloves if desired, and appropriate dress for the weather. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent […]
Families with children in grades K-8 are invited to come along as we explore the field station. This program is a wonderful opportunity for families to explore nature together. We pick a different trail to explore each month and usually move slowly as we stop often to look at and learn about the plants and […]
In early spring, ephemeral wildflowers appear on the forest floor, taking advantage of a brief moment of sunlight before the canopy above fills out with trees. Join us for a walk exploring our wooded trails in search of early spring ephemerals such as Bloodroot, Cutleaf toothwort, Rue-anemone, and Skunk Cabbage. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and […]
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 […]
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 […]
In this installment of our Science Saturdays series participants will have the opportunity to shadow our kestrel research team. We have been attaching GPS transmitters to kestrels since 2021. This summer we will be attaching fewer transmitters in the past, but we will still be keeping an eye on a few birds from previous summers […]
We need help repotting some of our native seedlings into bigger pots! Habitat Specialist Andrew Eberly will be leading this event and will be happy to answer any participant questions about growing native plants. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Bring: Please bring gardening gloves if desired. […]
Join us for a bird walk 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 […]
*POSTPONED FROM MAY 4 DUE TO RAIN* 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 […]
Families with children in grades K-8 are invited to come along as we explore the field station. This program is a wonderful opportunity for families to explore nature together. We pick a different trail to explore each month and usually move slowly as we stop often to look at and learn about the plants and […]
Sedges are one of the most diverse and ecologically important plant groups in Virginia. There are 201 species just in the genus Carex in the state! But what are sedges and how can they be identified? Join sedge expert Greg Chapman to get answers to these questions and more, as we partner with Virginia Working […]
In 2022 we started a research project to study what habitats Box Turtles use at different times of year so that we and other landowners can know what the best time of year is to mow fields and do other land management practices that might disrupt or even kill Box Turtles. On this second installment […]
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: All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Bring: Please bring a flashlight. Weather policy: Date and time subject to […]
Native plants provide better food for insects, which in turn provide food for birds. You can make a huge difference for wildlife by planting native species on your property. Since fall 2019 we have been collecting seeds of native grassland plants from around the area, which means in addition to being native they are of […]
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 […]
Join us for a bird walk 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 […]
We invite Friends of the Clifton Institute to come explore the field station on their own every Saturday from mid-January to mid-October. You can become a Friend of Clifton with a minimum annual donation of $40. Your support will help us reach our goals of expanding and improving our education, restoration, and research programs this […]
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 invite Friends of the Clifton Institute to come explore the field station on their own every Saturday from mid-January to mid-October. You can become a Friend of Clifton with a minimum annual donation of $40. Your support will help us reach our goals of expanding and improving our education, restoration, and research programs this […]
We invite Friends of the Clifton Institute to come explore the field station on their own every Saturday from mid-January to mid-October. You can become a Friend of Clifton with a minimum annual donation of $40. Your support will help us reach our goals of expanding and improving our education, restoration, and research programs this […]
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!) […]
We invite Friends of the Clifton Institute to come explore the field station on their own every Saturday from mid-January to mid-October. You can become a Friend of Clifton with a minimum annual donation of $40. Your support will help us reach our goals of expanding and improving our education, restoration, and research programs this […]
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED BUT WE WOULD STILL LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US! If you're interested email Bert at bharris@cliftoninstitute.org before Friday at 5 PM. 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 […]
*If you are registering multiple campers, it is easier if you check-out one at a time (i.e., select +1 ticket, fill out the forms and pay, then go back and +1 again. For some reason, our website software is bewildered by getting info for 2 people on the same transaction. Sorry for the inconvenience!* During […]
We invite Friends of the Clifton Institute to come explore the field station on their own every Saturday from mid-January to mid-October. You can become a Friend of Clifton with a minimum annual donation of $40. Your support will help us reach our goals of expanding and improving our education, restoration, and research programs this […]
Join us for a bird walk 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 […]
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 […]
