The Clifton Institute

Volunteer Day: Native Plant Propagation
2025-04-05 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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.
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!

Open-access Day for Friends of the Clifton Institute
2025-04-05 08:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-01 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-29 08:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-25 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-22 08:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-18 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-15 08:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-11 09:00 - 16:00 and 4 more dates | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
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 year. Thank you!
Before attending an open-access day, please read the information included on our liability release form (click here). As you walk our trails, you can help us take care of the field station by keeping your eyes and ears open to help us learn about the ecosystem we’re a part of and by enjoying and respecting the plants and animals that live here.

A trail map is available here. Please note that some trails are in the process of being built and many are not marked. Navigation skills and a GPS are recommended. Please stay on the trails, use common sense, and proceed at your own risk.
The farmhouse is closed to all visitors at this time. There are port-a-potties available in both parking lots.
We reserve the right to deny access to our property to anyone who does not obey the rules posted below or is otherwise disruptive to our field station operations.

On open-access days, you may park either at the lower parking area (“the Gap”) or at the farm house.
All children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
You are welcome to bring your family with you on open-access days. One or two visitors are acceptable as well, but if this starts to be abused we reserve the right to limit the benefit to family members.
No dogs are permitted.
Leave no trace. We expect you to take all litter with you. It would be even better if you helped us pick up any litter you find! We do not have trash collection facilities.
Take nothing but photographs. We use our trails to teach kids about the environment and their experiences are much richer if there are still feathers and bones and everything else for them to look at.
No swimming, fishing, boating, or any other entry in the ponds.
No alcohol is permitted.
No horses, bicycles, automobiles, ATVs, or any other vehicles are allowed on the trails.
No hunting is permitted.

**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.

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!

Volunteer Day: Native Habitat Restoration
2025-03-29 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-15 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-08 09:00 - 12:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
Come help us make the field station habitat the best it can be! Led by Habitat Specialist Andrew Eberly. All levels of experience welcome. May involve clearing invasive plants, light trail maintenance, or planting, please contact aeberly@cliftoninstitute.org with any concerns.
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.
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

Walk with a Naturalist
2025-03-22 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!

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!

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.

**Virtual** Five Lessons We Can Learn From Plants
2025-03-13 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 noon on March 13 to make sure we can get the Zoom link out in time. If you would like to register after then, you can email Eleanor at eharris@cliftoninstitute.org but we may not be able to respond in time.**
As pet owners, bird watchers, and animals ourselves, we are very familiar with how animal bodies work and what animals need to survive. It’s easy to overlook the plants that are quietly living their lives around us all the time. But there’s a lot we can learn by paying attention to plants. In this Zoom presentation, Co-Director and plant enthusiast Eleanor Harris, Ph.D., will share some of the life lessons we can learn from plants, some of the mind boggling ways they are different from animals, and some things we all have in common. Consider this a little Botany 101 to kickstart your relationship with plants before the growing season really gets going.
Cost: Free! But if you are able, there is a suggested donation amount of $10.
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!

Piedmont Polliwogs
2025-03-13 10:00 - 11:30 | 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
Piedmont Polliwogs is a monthly program for pre-K children that includes a lesson on a different topic every month, story time and short nature walk. Students get to know each other, grow their independence, and gain confidence in the outdoors with our skilled instructors.
The 9-month series will take place on the second Thursday of each month from 10 to 11:30 on the following dates: September 12, October 10, November 14, December 12, January 9, February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8.
We understand that you may have children outside the 2-5-year-old range that need to come along with you to Polliwogs. You are welcome to keep them with you or for them to entertain themselves during the class. It is also fine with us if slightly older children participate.
When you register below, please register and pay for the number of children you expect to participate in the class each month.
Registration Notes: *If you are purchasing tickets for multiple students, please write all of their names together in the same box, i.e. “Sam, Martie, and Alex Bradshaw” when registering. The form does not give you separate spaces to enter different names for each ticket.*
Cost: $90 per child ($75 for Friends of the Clifton Institute)
Age: Children ages 2-5, accompanied by a caregiver
Bring: Please bring a snack and drink. There will be a snack break.
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 series, 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 within 1 month of the program’s start date. No refunds will be given for any missed programs. 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.

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!

Nature Club
2025-03-08 13:00 - 15:30 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
Nature Club is a program where middle and high school students who are interested in the natural world can spend time in a nerd-friendly environment. If they like bones, insects, tools, plants, fungi, research, or simply to be outdoors, then they have found their people.
The club meets on the second Saturday of every month throughout the school year. In the 2024-25 year, we will be focusing on the three tenants of our work at Clifton: Research, Restoration, and Education. Members will help various Clifton staff with what they do around the field station–propagating plants, building structures, removing invasive species, studying turtles and kestrels, and making educational materials. There will be a chance for students to share their work with the families at the final gathering in May!
Nature Club meets from 1-3:30 PM on the following dates: September 14, October 12, November 9, December 14, January 11, February 8, March 8, April 12, May 10.
Scholarship Opportunity: We have 5 full merit-based scholarships available. To apply, please fill out our Scholarship Application Google Form by September 5th, 2024. Wait to register until you have heard back from Bridget (she will register you so you will not have to pay the program fee). If you have any questions, please email Bridget Bradshaw (bbradshaw@cliftoninstitute.org)
Registration Notes: *If you are purchasing tickets for multiple students, please write all of their names together in the same box, i.e. “Sam, Martie, and Alex Bradshaw” when registering. The form does not give you separate spaces to enter different names for each ticket.*
Cost: $125 per student ($100 for Friends of the Clifton Institute)
Age: Youth grades 7-12; this program is drop off only.
Bring: Please bring a water bottle and snack.
Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case of extreme weather (e.g. thunderstorm or significant snowfall).
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this series, 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 within 1 month of the program’s start date. No refunds will be given for any missed programs. 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!

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!

Young Birder Workshop
2025-02-22 10:00 - 12:00 | The Clifton Institute, 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA, 20187, United States
Despite the sometimes gloomy weather, February is a great time to get outside and look at birds: our ponds are full of wintering waterfowl and our fields are full of sparrows. In this workshop, our educators will give a brief introduction into how to identify the birds of Virginia and then we’ll spend most of the morning exploring various habitats in search of feathered friends. This workshop is a great opportunity for young birders to meet other enthusiasts and for young people to learn about the art of bird watching! If attendance is strong we plan on making this a recurring series.
Cost: $10
Age: Students must be in at least 4th grade. This is a drop-off program only. Adults are welcome to explore on their own during the program.
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!
