David Manning’s journey with Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy began with a Cub Scout meeting and a moment that stuck. When Phil Daley, a certified stream monitor and former LWC president, visited his son’s den to demonstrate stream monitoring, the kids’ attention lasted only a few minutes, but Dave was fascinated. Years later, after his son headed off to college, Dave returned to that moment, joined Phil’s stream monitoring team, and has not looked back since.
Today, Dave is a familiar face across several LWC programs. He spends much of his time volunteering at Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary, where the work can be tough but deeply satisfying. He also participates in stream monitoring and loves sharing those experiences with others, especially when a child gets their first close-up look at a hellgrammite. “I love seeing a little kid’s eyes light up,” he says.
Creek at Sweet Run State Park
For Dave, one of the most meaningful parts of volunteering is the people. Whether he is on a bird walk, at a workday, or out in the field, he is constantly learning from others who are passionate about nature and eager to share what they know.
One of his favorite memories captures that sense of discovery. On his first bird walk at Banshee Reeks, Dave struggled to spot birds using an old pair of binoculars he had at home. A walk leader named Pidge noticed and handed him her binoculars. “It was like WOW,” he recalls. “I felt like my eyes were open for the first time.” By the next walk, Dave had upgraded his gear and his birding journey had truly begun.
Outside of LWC, Dave has created his own space for wildlife at home. He describes it as his piece of the Homegrown National Park, a movement focused on restoring native habitat right at home. Over the 28 years he has lived there, he has planted more than 80 trees and recently started a native pollinator garden. Seeing the perennials emerge each spring and watching the habitat he has built come to life is one of his favorite ways to connect with nature.
When asked what keeps him coming back to LWC, Dave does not hesitate. It is the people. “They’re the salt of the earth,” he says.
If he were to recommend a place in Loudoun County to experience nature, Dave would point to Sweet Run State Park. In the summer, he especially loves “Butterfly Alley,” where butterflies, skippers, and bees move through native wildflowers in what he describes as an amazing, immersive experience.
Some may also recognize Dave as the first recipient of the rebranded Joe Coleman Award in 2018, an honor he describes as both surprising and humbling. Named for Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy co-founder and former Board president Joe Coleman, the award recognizes outstanding leadership, dedication, and long-term impact. Still, Dave says the real reward has been learning about the natural world from people like Joe Coleman and Phil Daley.
His advice for anyone considering volunteering? “It will open your eyes to the miracles of nature around you.” From discovering that hundreds of macro invertebrates can live in a single square foot of stream bed to taking part in bird counts that have been happening for over a century, Dave says being part of LWC offers endless opportunities to learn and be inspired.
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