Join us to learn about butterfly biology and identification. Dr. Bert Harris will give a short presentation followed by a guided walk around the field station to look for butterflies (and dragonflies). All skill levels welcome! Cost: $10; $8 for Friends of Clifton Age: Adults and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult […]
Novice and experienced birders will enjoy this guided 1-2 mile hike to look for the many species of birds that can be found on the field station.
We look forward to hosting our 26th annual butterfly count and celebrating our 19th year in collaboration with the North American Butterfly Association.
Novice and experienced birders will enjoy this guided 1-2 mile hike to look for the many species of birds that can be found on the field station.
This summer, we will read and discuss the essay collection World of Wonders...
Piedmont Polliwogs is a monthly pre-K program...
Novice and experienced birders will enjoy this guided 1-2 mile hike...
Join us for a walk on our trails with one our naturalists.
This August we are offering our first ever weekend-long Nature Camp for Grownups.
Come on out for our Nature Club! You’ll have the opportunity to explore the field station, learn about local plants and animals, and spend time with like-minded, nature-loving peers. Bring your friends! Cost: $10 ($8 for Friends of Clifton) Age: Youth grades 6-12; this program is drop off only Weather policy: Date and time subject to […]
Join mushroom expert Mayor Carter Nevill and Executive Director Bert Harris on a walk in the woods to find and identify as many species of mushrooms as we can.
Join Clifton Institute Executive Director Bert Harris to look and listen for creatures of the night! We’ll start by listening to the evening chorus of cicadas and birds. Then we will take a gentle walk through fields and woods to look for nocturnal animals. Late summer is an ideal time to observe several species of […]
Novice and experienced birders will enjoy this guided 1-2 mile hike to look for the many species of birds that can be found on the field station. We will explore successional fields, meadows, lake edges, and forest. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case […]
Back by popular demand...We’re offering another semester of Nature School this fall! Each class will include a structured learning activity on a particular topic and an exploratory nature walk...
Come and see our native Piedmont grassland at its best!
Join us on a native garden tour to enjoy late summer blooms and pollinators, and to learn tips on how to establish and maintain your own garden. This program will be co-hosted by Audubon at Home and the Clifton Institute. We will start the tour at Clifton and then drive to two other properties. The […]
Families with children in grades K-8 are invited to come along as we explore the field station AT NIGHT! We'll see how long we can walk without flashlights and then explore the woods to look for nocturnal animals and listen to the sounds of the night. We might hear owls screeching and flying squirrels calling […]
Come and witness the peak migration of Broad-winged Hawks. If we’re lucky we might see thousands!
Join us for a walk on our trails with one our naturalists. Unlike most of our programs, we won’t be looking for anything in particular. Instead we’ll amble and explore and see what we can find! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent […]
For the first time ever, we are offering after-school programs! Students in grades 3-8 are invited to join us on the third Tuesday of every month for an adventure in nature. Activities will vary from month to month and will include science projects, art projects, and lessons in outdoor skills; but every month we will […]
Join us way down yonder for a Pawpaw party! We are excited to host this celebration of our only native tropical fruit tree! With many colorful nicknames such as the hillbilly mango, the pawpaw’s cultural flavor is as intriguing as its taste. We will give a brief talk on the ecology and cultural history of […]
Novice and experienced birders will enjoy this guided 1-2 mile hike to look for the many species of birds that can be found on the field station. We will explore successional fields, meadows, lake edges, and forest. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case […]
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 that in addition to being native they are […]
We have been collecting seeds from native plants in the area and we need your help separating the seeds from the other plant material and getting them ready to plant! Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please […]
Come on out for our Nature Club! You’ll have the opportunity to explore the field station, learn about local plants and animals, and spend time with like-minded, nature-loving peers. Bring your friends! Cost: $10 ($8 for Friends of Clifton) Age: Youth grades 6-12; this program is drop off only Weather policy: Date and time subject to […]
For the last two years we have collecting seeds from native plants in the area to grow into seedlings for our own restoration projects and to sell to our community. We need your help collecting seeds on our property! Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date […]
Families with children in grades K-8 are invited to come along as we explore the field station and experience autumn in Virginia. We'll explore the woods to look for changes in the landscape and migrating birds. This program is a wonderful opportunity for families to explore nature together. We pick a different trail to explore […]
Join us to explore Fauquier County's newest park. Riverside Preserve protects a fascinating variety of habitats, from mature riparian forest to mesic upland forest, and native meadows. In early October we will see late wildflowers in the meadows and the last insects of summer, including butterflies, hoverflies, and katydids. We will also look for and […]
Novice and experienced birders will enjoy this guided 1-2 mile hike to look for the many species of birds that can be found on the field station. We will explore successional fields, meadows, lake edges, and forest. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case […]
Every October we offer a series of programs all about birds: Octobird Fest! Whether you come to one program or all three, you'll learn a lot about the amazing birds that call Virginia home. The first program in the series is a winter bird identification workshop on Zoom. Every season brings its own challenges for […]