Program and Event Descriptions:

SUMMER NATURE CAMP, A NATURAL HISTORY DAY CAMP — Two sessions: July 7-11 and July 14-18. Plan now for some summer fun and adventure for your children at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve. Campers entering grades three through six will have the opportunity to learn about and enjoy nature as they explore the woods, fields, and waters of this special place. This is a fee-based program ($120/week) and spaces will be filled on a first-come basis. The camp is jointly sponsored by LWC, PEC, FOBR, and PRCS. For more information contact Phil Daley at 540-338-6528 or pedaley@verizon.net.

BIRDING BANSHEE ― Saturday, July 12, 8:00 a.m.  Join the 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

HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT: PURPLE LOOSTRIFE REMOVAL ― Saturday, July 12, 8:00 a.m. Purple Loostrife, while beautiful, is an aggressive alien plant that has the potential to take over a wetlands in no time.  This plant has established itself along a stream that flows into the Town of Round Hill in an area across Business Rte 7 from a riparian restoration project that the North Fork Goose Creek Project completed about five years ago. On June 21 we removed ten large bags of purple loosestrife, and hope to wrap this up on Saturday, July 12.  We plan to meet at 8:00 a.m. to beat the heat but its okay to come later if you wish.   Please bring work gloves and waders or shoes you don't mind getting wet (the project is in and along a stream bank and wetlands) and any other tools you prefer. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers are needed! If you are interested in helping with this project please contact Joseph Villari at joeyvillari@yahoo.com or Joe Coleman at jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org or 540-554-2542.

BUTTERFLIES AND DRAGONFLIES at CLAUDE MOORE PARK ― Saturday, July 19, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon.  Join Mona Miller and Andy Rabin for one of LWC’s free, family butterfly and dragonfly walks.  We will investigate some of the many diverse natural areas that comprise this beautiful park and identify all of the butterflies and dragonflies we can find.  Claude Moore Park is located at 21544 Vestal’s Gap Rd. in Sterling Va.   If you own binoculars, please bring them.  Questions: contact Andy Rabin at stylurus@gmail.com.

HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT: MILE-A-MINUTE REMOVAL ―Monday, July 21, 8:30 a.m. On June 23rd, at the Phillips Farm, we pulled mile-a-minute, an aggressive alien plant with reverse thorns, from around the 36 gray dogwoods we planted there on March 1. Because mile-a-minute can literally grow a foot a day we are going to remove it from around the saplings again on Monday, July 21.  We plan to meet at the Waterford Mill at 8:30 a.m. and should be finished by 11. You will need work gloves and might find it more comfortable to wear long sleeves and long pants due to the thorns.  Volunteers are needed. If you are interested please contact kategentry@rstarmail.com or 571-246-2037 or Joe Coleman jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org or 540-554-2542.

LWC BOOK CLUB ― Tuesday, July 22nd 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Rust Nature Sanctuary. Join us for a casual discussion of readings from The Virginia Naturalist, by John Trott. This book has an amazing collection of about 200 short articles all on local virginia wildlife and plants. Arranged by season, each article is about 2 pages in length, written in a conversational style, giving a satisfying look at each topic. John Trott was a Loudoun resident and his writings are drawn from experiences he had right here. We thought this would be a nice book for the summer since it's easy to pick up and put down, and it is packed with excellent, accurate information relevant to the wildlife right here in our back yards. Truly a great read and excellent resouce for Virginia/Loudoun residents. Thankfully, this collection was published by the Virginia Native Plant Society. It can be purchased through them or here through our store. It is also available through the Loudoun County Public Library. If you'd like to join us for the discussion, please RSVP by signing up here.

BIRDING THE BLUE RIDGE CENTER ― Saturday, July 26, 8:00 a.m.  On the fourth Saturday of each month, the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy leads a free bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES).  This beautiful 900-acre preserve is located on Harpers Ferry Road, Rt. 671, in northwestern Loudoun County.   Only a few miles south of Harpers Ferry and the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, the property includes meadows in the valley and heavily forested slopes on the Blue Ridge.  Meet at the Neersville Volunteer Fire Station on Rt. 671 at 8:00 a.m.  Questions:  contact Joe Coleman at 540-554-2542 or jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org

BUTTERFLY WALK, ORGANIC FARM TOUR, AND POTLUCK AT THE BLUE RIDGE CENTER ― Saturday July 26, 1:00 p.m.  Join us for a butterfly walk (1:00 p.m.) and tour of a seven-acre organic farm (2:00 p.m.).  A potluck picnic lunch will follow, either outside on picnic tables or inside an open barn, depending on the weather.  Guests are free to roam the trails and enjoy the different habitats, which include wetlands, meadows, rocky outcrops, creeks, seeps, and springs.  This refreshing and informative event is co-sponsored by the Great Falls Group of the Sierra Club and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.  The center is located just north of Neersville, at 11611 Harpers Ferry Road (Rte 671).  Detailed directions can be found on the website, www.blueridgecenter.org.  Questions: Contact Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or larva@attglobal.net.

BLUEMONT CONCERT SERIES: PAN MASTERS CARIBBEAN ―Sunday, July 27, 7:00 p.m.  The Bluemont Concert Series is a great opportunity to enjoy the rhythms and sounds of wonderful bands while supporting programs and projects for local schools and communities. On July 27th, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will be supporting this event by providing the refreshments and helping out as needed. The band for this concert is the popular Pan Masters Steel Orchestra which thrills audiences with exotic island instruments and great music. Their eclectic repertoire ranges from traditional island calypso, reggae and soca to the band's interpretations of Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, J.S. Bach and more. For more information, visit the Bluemont Concert Series website. Hope to see you out there, dancing on the green!