Program and Event Descriptions:

Creating Meadow Habitat at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship ― Saturday, December 3, 1:00 p.m.  In October over a dozen people began restoring two meadows, the most threatened habitat in the U.S., at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship in northwestern Loudoun County near Harpers Ferry.  To restore this habitat and the wildlife that depends on it we must first cut down all the Autumn Olive, a highly aggressive invasive alien shrub, and several other trees and shrubs which are rapidly taking over the two meadows.  After the trees and shrubs are cut down we are using them to build brush piles which wildlife can use for shelter.  While we accomplished a lot in October we didn't finish.   If you are a high school student or older and interested in helping contact Joe Coleman at jcoleman@loudounwilldife.org or 540-554-2542.

Bird Walk at Dulles Greenway Wetlands ― Sunday, December 4, 8:00 a.m.  Registration Required.  Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy on a bird walk at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project where we will look for ducks, raptors, and sparrows.  Waterproof footgear recommended.  To register sign-up online or contact Joe Coleman at jcoleman@loudounwildlife.orgor 540-554-2542.

In Our Backyard: A Celebration of Loudoun's Historic and Environmental Heritage ― Sunday, December 4, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition, a group of local organizations dedicated to the preservation, enhancement, and celebration of Loudoun's unique historic and environmental assets, to honor the incoming Board of Supervisors. Come and enjoy multiple exhibits highlighting each organization's activities. Enjoy light refreshments and a short talk by Kathleen Kilpatrick, Director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Tour the Fort Evans Civil War site. Fort Evans was the first of three earthworks of similar configuration built in 1861 by the Confederates to protect the approaches to Leesburg. Named for Col. Nathan "Shanks" Evans, the fort is about 1.5 acres in extent and was placed to cover the Edwards Ferry Road and the turnpike from Alexandria (today Route 7). The event is free and the public is invited. Location: REHAU, 1501 Edwards Ferry Road NW, Leesburg (approximately opposite Costco and Target stores) For more information, contact: Al Van Huyck (avanhuyck@aol.com) or Patty Rogers-Renner (marandder@aol.com). Visit Loudoun Preservation Society on Facebook for updates and last minute information.

Birding Banshee ― Saturday, December 10, 8:00 a.m. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Friends of Banshee Reeks at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve for the monthly bird walk. Because of its rich and varied habitat, this part of the county is a birding hot spot. Please bring binoculars. Questions: contact Joe Coleman at 540-554-2542 or jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org.

Sharing Your Enthusiasm for Nature ― Saturday, December 10, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Registration required. Join naturalist Phil Daley for this informative seminar, co-sponsored by the Blue Ridge enter for Environmental Stewardship.  Participants will discuss the ‘how to’s’ on leading small groups exploring the out-of-doors.  We will discuss reference materials and equipment that will enhance a groups experience whether it is for children, family or adults.  The basic purpose of this program is to increase the participants’ knowledge and confidence in sharing their enthusiasm for nature with others.  Classroom: 1 ½ hours; followed by an interpretive walk; 1 ½ hours.  Limited to 15 participants.  Meet at the Blue Ridge Center’s Education Center, located just north of Neersville, at 11611 Harpers Ferry Road, Rte 671. This program is co-sponsored between Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship. Detailed directions can be found on the website, www.brces.org.   To register sign up online at http://brces.org/calendar.

Birding Hotspots in Loudoun County ― Sunday, December 11, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.   Pre-registration required.   Join Joe Coleman and Laura McGranaghan on a daylong search for sparrows, hawks, waterfowl, and other seasonal birds at some of Loudoun County's richest birding destinations.  The group will meet at ANS’s Rust Nature Sanctuary in Leesburg and then travel to Beaverdam Reservoir, Banshee Reeks, and the Dulles Wetlands, before ending the day at Lucketts. All levels of birders are welcome.  This program is co-sponsored between Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Audubon Naturalist Society. Fee: members (ANS & LWC)/$30; nonmembers/$42.  To register contact ANS at 301-652-9188 x16.

Life on the Edge: America’s Atlantic Coast ― Wednesday, December 14, 7:30 p.m. at the Rust Library in Leesburg. Join Tom Ramsay and Nancy Goetzinger for this free program on America’s Atlantic coast.  This 50-minute multi-media presentation utilizes video, stills, and graphics to demonstrate the beauty of coastal habitats and the diversity of the resulting life forms there, all within the context of the geologic and hydrologic formation of the East Coast shoreline from Georgia to Newfoundland. Tom and Nancy will discuss the beautiful images of landscapes; nesting and migrating birds along the entire coast; blue crabs, mating horseshoe crabs, and other marine life; and an exquisite close-up video sequence of monarch butterflies on goldenrod bushes in full bloom, captured along the Delaware coast during the fall migration period. The program traces coastline origins in the tectonic formation and subsequent erosion of the Appalachian Mountains, in the advance and retreat of glaciers, and in the ongoing effects of wind and water on sand.  Questions: contact Joe Coleman at jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org or 540-554-2542.

Sunday in the Preserve ― Sunday, December 18, 1:00 p.m.  Join a naturalist from Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Friends of Banshee Reeks for a free, informal family walk around the preserve. Search for the many natural wonders that make this a special place. For information call the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve at 703-669-0316.

Annual Central Loudoun Christmas Bird Count ― Wednesday, December 28.  Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy as we participate in the National Audubon Society’s Annual Christmas Bird Count.  Started in 1899, these surveys are held all over the country, with the results used to better understand bird populations and dynamics.  Our count-circle has a 15-mile diameter and covers 177 square miles of Loudoun’s countryside:  north to Waterford, south to Aldie, east to Ashburn, and west to Purcellville.  This part of Loudoun County includes beautiful scenery and a variety of birds.  Everyone is welcome, both beginners and expert birders (amateurs are teamed with experienced birders). Learn more about our Christmas Bird Count here. If you are interested in participating for the whole day or just part of the day, sign up online or contact Joe Coleman at 540-554-2542 or jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org.

Tweet