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 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 […]
Come join us to bird watch 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). Registration is REQUIRED. Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us […]
In 2022 we started a collaborative research project with the Turtle Conservation Ecology Lab and Joe Kolowski at the Smithsonian’s NZCBI to study Box Turtles. We are studying Box Turtle movements and habitat selection so that we can learn when it’s safe to mow fields in our area. In the third installment of this event, […]
Join us at the residence of our co-directors to experience a remnant prairie, a planted meadow, and a native plant garden. The remnant prairie on the property hosts a remarkable assemblage of native wildflowers and grasses over sandstone bedrock. Bert and Eleanor are managing the prairie with mowing, burning, and invasive plant control. They have […]
We love going out on a summer evening to see hundreds of fireflies flashing in the trees and we’d love you to have you join us for this magical display. In this program, Co-Director Eleanor Harris will give a brief talk about the biology and identification of fireflies (there are several species in our area!) […]
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. […]
Join us for a day of counting dragonflies across Rappahannock County! Our goals are to learn which species of dragonflies and damselflies are found in our area, to monitor changes in their populations, and to help everyone learn more about odonates. A map of the count circle is here. The circle includes a wide variety […]
*Please note that the website will say that it is “full” until registration opens on 10th Feb.* During Young Explorers, campers spend the morning learning about the natural world through hands-on activities and pure adventuring over our beautiful 900-acre field station. Topics may vary from insects to pond life to the science of smell! The […]
Come join us to bird watch 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). Registration is REQUIRED. Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us […]
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. […]
Dragonflies and damselflies are some of the most mysterious and beautiful animals that live at the Clifton Institute, and June is the perfect time to search for them. Join us for a workshop that will cover the basics of dragonfly identification and biology. We will then practice what we learned by visiting lakes, streams, and […]
Coral Hairstreaks, the star of our logo, are rare in Virginia but we’re lucky to have one of the best sites in the state to see them and on a good day in June we can see many of them flitting from patch to patch of blooming butterfly weed. We thought it was high time […]
