Volunteer Day: Trail Construction

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

We love adding to our trail system and exploring new parts of the property! Come help us finish our Far Woods trail. Make sure to wear good shoes and work clothes, and bring loppers, clippers, and work gloves if you have them.   Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. […]

Free

Volunteer Day: Plant Propagation

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

It's officially spring, and that means there is a lot to do in our gardens and greenhouse. Help us weed, re-pot, plant, and organize our native plants. All you need to bring is sunscreen, bug spray, and good working gloves.   Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather […]

Free

Walk With A Naturalist

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Join us for a walk on our trails with one our naturalists. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case of extreme weather (e.g. thunderstorm or significant snow fall).  Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. What to bring: […]

Free

Volunteer Day: Trail Sign Installation

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Help us finish installing our trail signs! We may also do some light trail maintenance. Please wear good sturdy shoes, and bring shovels and work gloves if you have them.   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 check […]

Free

Froggy Friday

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Join us for an exploration of our trails and vernal pools while we listen for frog calls and look for breeding activity and salamander egg masses. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult. Bring: Please bring a flashlight and waterproof shoes if you have them. Weather policy: Rain or shine except in […]

Free

Box Turtle Community Science Survey

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

We are starting a research project study box turtles. We want to know what habitats they use, what time of year they're most active, how big their territories are and how much overlap neighboring territories have, and most importantly what we can do to help conserve this long-lived species. To start, we need to have […]

Free

Native Plant Sale

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 […]

Nature Journaling Meetup and Walk POSTPONED FROM MAY 7

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Please note: this event is the one that was postponed from May 7. No need to re-register if you were already registered. But if you weren't you can sign up now! From Co-Director Eleanor Harris: Nature journaling is my favorite hobby, a great way to spend time outside, and a powerful tool for learning about […]

Free

Family Nature Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 […]

Free

Piedmont Polliwogs

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Piedmont Polliwogs is a monthly pre-K program that includes an outdoor story time and short nature walk. Cost: Free! Age: Children ages 2-5, accompanied by a caregiver Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case of extreme weather (e.g. thunderstorm or significant snow fall). Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. What to […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather […]

Free

Tree Wrapping for Beavers: Workshop and Volunteer Day

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

During this workshop and volunteer day, join Alison Zak, M.A., founder of the Human-Beaver Coexistence Fund, to learn about the importance of coexisting with beavers and how to protect your favorite trees from being chewed down. After a brief talk, you’ll get hands-on experience wrapping trees using HBCF’s recommended methods. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and […]

Free

City Nature Challenge

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Every year the community science platform iNaturalist organizes the City Nature Challenge, a friendly competition between cities all over the world to see who can find the most species, make the most observations, and involve the most people in community science. This year the Challenge will take place from April 29 to May 2, but […]

Volunteer Day: Tree Planting

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Come help us plant trees for a riparian buffer in our pasture! If you have any of the following items, please bring them with you: pick ax, shovel, gardening gloves, watering can, mallet. Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. […]

Free

Walk With A Naturalist

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Join us for a walk on our trails with one our naturalists. Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case of extreme weather (e.g. thunderstorm or significant snow fall). Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. What […]

Free

Volunteer Day: Tree Planting

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Come help us plant trees for a riparian buffer in our pasture! If you have any of the following items, please bring them with you: pick ax, shovel, gardening gloves, watering can, mallet. Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. […]

Free

Earth Day Scavenger Hunt

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Happy Earth Day! Bring your family on a self-guided exploration of our trails and search for clues that will help you spell out a special message from our mascot, Blossom the Possum.

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather […]

Free

Warbler Song Bootcamp Virtual Program

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 […]

Free

Volunteer Day: Tree Planting

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Come help us plant trees for a riparian buffer in our pasture! If you have any of the following items, please bring them with you: pick ax, shovel, gardening gloves, watering can, mallet. Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. […]

Free

Piedmont Polliwogs

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Piedmont Polliwogs is a monthly pre-K program that includes an outdoor story time and short nature walk. Cost: Free! Age: Children ages 2-5, accompanied by a caregiver Weather policy: Rain or shine except in case of extreme weather (e.g. thunderstorm or significant snow fall). Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event. What to […]

Free

Family Nature Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 […]

Free

Volunteer Day: Tree Planting

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Come help us plant trees for a riparian buffer in our pasture! If you have any of the following items, please bring them with you: pick ax, shovel, gardening gloves, watering can, mallet. Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. […]

Free

Volunteer Day: Tree Planting

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Come help us plant trees for a riparian buffer in our pasture! If you have any of the following items, please bring them with you: pick ax, shovel, gardening gloves, watering can, mallet. Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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. Don't forget to bring your binoculars! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather […]

Free

Early Spring Wildflower Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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 children 12 […]

Free

Volunteer Day: Tree Planting

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Come help us plant trees for a riparian buffer in our pasture! If you have any of the following items, please bring them with you: pick ax, shovel, gardening gloves, watering can, mallet. Age: Adults only and children ages 12 and up, accompanied by an adult. Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent […]

Free

Bird Walk

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

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. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars! Cost: Free! Age: Adults and children 12 and up, accompanied by an adult Weather […]

Free

Beginner Bird Song Workshop

The Clifton Institute 6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA

Learning to bird by ear is a great skill for any birdwatcher. In this program, co-Directors Bert and Eleanor Harris will teach the common songs and calls of Virginia's birds and give tips to identifying birds by ear. Come back for our bird walk the following day and put your new skills to the test! […]

Free