| Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy People and Wildlife Living in Harmony |
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Citizen Science:
Our Environmental Monitoring Programs
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“Nature, wild nature, dwells in gardens just as she dwells in tangled woods, in the deep of the sea, and on the heights of the mountains; and the wilder the garden, the more you will see of her.” - Herbert Ravenel Sass |
| Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy has a number of ongoing monitoring activities designed to help us track the health of habitat and native species across Loudoun. The following pages and links provide information on these programs and data from the past few years. We’re always looking for new participants and training is provided. |
| Stream Monitoring | Bluebird Nestbox Monitoring |
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| The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy stream monitoring program was established in 1996 so that we could learn about the importance of healthy streams to people and wildlife and promote clean water in the county. Stream monitoring is an important stewardship program conducted by citizen environmental groups across the United States. Learn more... | Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy supports the Virginia Bluebird Society in setting up and monitoring nest box trails across the county. By monitoring the boxes, we collect information on our native cavity nesters, learn about their lives first hand, and track population trends. Learn more... |
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| Amphibian Monitoring | Annual Butterfly Count |
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| Amphibians are a special indicator of habitat health, because they have porous skin and because they require both land and water to survive. Participants of this program learn how to identify local amphibians by sight and sound and learn about the habitats they need to survive. Learn more... | Early August is the peak time for butterflies in our area. Since 1997, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy has coordinated the Loudoun Butterfly count. We report our data to the North American Butterfly Association each year. Tracking butterfly populations gives great insights into habitat health and diversity. Learn more... |
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| Annual Bird Counts (CBC and IMBD) and Loudoun County Bird Atlas | |
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Two major bird counts take place each year, the Christmas Bird Count (December) and the International Migratory Bird Day Count (May). Both are key sources of data for bird populations and habitat health and are contributors to our Bird Atlas Project. Join us on these big birding days! The Loudoun County Bird Atlas Project is a county-wide, year-round effort to document species living in and migrating through our county. The Bird Atlas Project will be complete in 2013. We need your eyes and ears to help document species in your neighborhoods and special nature spots. Please volunteer for this important effort. |