Program and Event Descriptions:

Nature Camp 2009: Nature lovers entering grades three through seven will not want to miss the Natural History Day Camps (July 6 - 10) taking place at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve this summer. Planning is under way for two fun-filled weeks in the outdoors sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Piedmont Environmental Council, Loudoun County Parks and Recreation, and the Friends of Banshee Reeks. This is a great camp filled with environmental education opportunities. Campers will explore the woods, fields and waters of the preserve and learn about the plants and animals that live there. The camps will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The cost will be only $130 per week, and space is limited. Banshee Reeks is located five miles south of Leesburg off of Route 15. For more information contact LWC’s Phil Daley at 540-338-6528 or pedaley@verizon.net. Here's a quick look back at Nature Camp 2008.

BIRDING BANSHEE ― Saturday, July 11, 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.

BUTTERFLIES AND DRAGONFLIES AT CLAUDE MOORE PARK― Saturday, July 18, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Join us for one of our free, family butterfly and dragonfly walks led by Nicole Hamilton and Andy Rabin. 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 Old Vestal’s Gap Road in Sterling. If you own binoculars, please bring them. Questions: contact Andy Rabin at stylurus@gmail.com.

BIRD WALK, TOUR AN ORGANIC FARM, AND PICNIC at THE BLUE RIDGE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWRDSHIP ― Saturday July 25, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.  Join us for our regular bird walk (8:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.), followed by a picnic lunch, either outside on picnic tables or inside an open barn, depending on the weather.  We will end the day with a tour of the organic farm.  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 Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Great Falls Group of the Sierra Club. The Blue Ridge Center is located just north of Neersville, at 11611 Harpers Ferry Road (Rt 671).  Detailed directions can be found on the website, www.brces.org  Questions: Contact Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or larva@attglobal.net.

GRAY TREE FROGS – ENJOYING THE CHORUS ― Saturday, July 25, 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Registration Required. Join us at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship for an evening with the gray tree frogs. We’ll begin the program with a discussion of gray tree frogs to learn about their habits, habitats needs and lifecycle. We’ll also discuss the different types of calls they make and look at photographs to further hone skills in identification of these frogs.  Then, we’ll head out into the field to listen to their calls and try to spot a few.  Please bring a flashlight or headlamp as well as a chair to sit on. Registration is required as we’re limiting the class size to just 15 participants. Please Sign Up online or contact Nicole Hamilton at nhamilton@loudounwildlife.org.  Note: We'll still hold the program if it's raining (frogs love the rain) but if it's thunderstorms we'll call it quits)

MAGIC OF MONARCH BUTTERFLIES ― Sunday, July 26, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., at the Ashburn Library. Nicole Hamilton traveled to the mountains of Mexico this past February to explore the monarch butterfly sanctuaries and visit with the monarchs that, last fall, departed from Virginia and other parts north to migrate to the sanctuaries for winter. What she saw in these mountain respites was phenomenal and she’s returned to not only share this experience with you but also talk about the great Monarch migration, their lifecycles and their habitats, both here and in Mexico. Handouts will be available on creating your own Monarch Waystation as well as travel tips for those wanting to make this pilgrimage. Join us at 2:00 p.m. at the Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn VA, to meet the speaker and have refreshments. This program is appropriate for all ages.  Questions: contact Nicole Hamilton at nhamilton@loudounwildlife.org.