Originally from Fairfax, Mike is a lifelong Virginian and a resident of Loudoun since 2015. He and his wife live in Leesburg with their two boys and labradoodle. Mike has always enjoyed being outdoors exploring nature, especially birds. His interest in birds did not become the full-on addiction it is today until he attended his first guided bird walk with Loudoun Wildlife in 2015. The patient and collaborative attitude of the walk leaders sparked a new level of interest and a strong sense of belonging at LWC. Mike has been a member and field trip leader ever since, and he…

Amy is a lifelong western Loudoun resident and became involved with Loudoun Wildlife over 15 years ago, attending numerous educational programs and monitoring bluebirds. In 2019 she became a certified stream monitor and took on the role of Stream Monitoring Program Coordinator. Since then, she’s increased the number of benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring sites from 5 to 19, started a Salt Watch program at 50 sites around the county, and become a Virginia Save Our Streams certified trainer and trained 12 new stream monitors. Under her leadership, the Stream Monitoring Program was awarded the 2023 Environmental Excellence award from the Loudoun…

After getting his geology degrees (BS from Syracuse University and MA and PhD from Harvard), Peter spent 40 years working for the U.S. Geological Survey, retiring in 2015.  His years with the USGS can basically be divided into two parts.  During the first 20 years he was an active scientist conducting geologic mapping in the central and northern Appalachians to understand how a particular area developed over hundreds of millions of years (tectonic history).  He was the head of a project that geologically mapped all of Loudoun County (one can see the map on display at Banshee Reeks). In the second…

Bruce Kimmel’s love for the natural world began during his childhood, when he visited many national parks with his family and learned from his father’s passion for bird watching. Although he initially dreamed of becoming a national park ranger, his fascination with science led him to pursue a PhD in biochemistry from the University of California Berkeley. His scientific career included work in the pharmaceutical industry, directing the Drosophila Genome Project, leading large neuroscience team projects at the Janelia Research Campus, and as CEO, successfully starting/growing the neuroscience imaging company Vidrio Technologies. Now in retirement, Bruce is finally able to…

A longtime Loudoun County resident, Bruce has lived in Sterling and Ashburn with his wife Jan for the past 30 years. He has always enjoyed exploring the outdoors, and since moving to Loudoun, has developed a passion for birding and bird conservation-related activities. As a member of Loudoun Wildlife, Bruce has led a number of bird walks around Loudoun over the years, and is a member of the Raven Loonatics team in the organization’s annual Birdathon.   He has also been an active contributor to both the Loudoun County Bird Atlas project (2010-2014) and the larger Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas. Bruce…

Allison’s love of nature began early; in kindergarten, she couldn’t wait for recess so she could run to the creek and look for salamanders and crayfish. In 1994, she started a business that didn’t leave much time to pursue her interest in nature, but always carried binoculars and field guides in her car in case the opportunity presented itself. Allison sold her business in 2013 and was thrilled to be able to spend much of her time birding, hiking and learning as much as she could about nature. In that time, she’s become a Virginia Master Naturalist, an Audubon At Home Ambassador and her home was certified as an Audubon at Home wildlife habitat and…

Julie is a 17-year Loudoun resident originally from Northern Illinois, where she grew up along the Mississippi River. Julie is a VNLA Certified Horticulturist Chesapeake Bay Landscaping certified. She also currently serves on the Rural Economic Development Council for Loudoun County. Before becoming passionate about wildlife, Julie worked professionally as a computer analyst and training coordinator. She lives in Hamilton with her husband, Chris, and two teenagers where they work hard running Watermark Woods Native Plant Nursery, the only pesticide-free nursery in Loudoun County.

Michael has been a resident of Loudoun County since 1997 and has lived in South Riding the entire time. He has witnessed vast change in the Dulles South area for more than two decades. Michael is an avid hiker and loves to photograph the birds of Loudoun County. He became interested in Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy through the monthly bird walks held around the county. Michael has over 20 years experience with financial management, budgeting, financial systems, internal controls, financial reporting and auditing. Currently, Michael oversees financial operations at a large federal agency in Falls Church. His federal experience also includes…

For the last six years Jim has been a volunteer with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. Over that time, Jim has led the Programs and Field Trip committee in developing and hosting hundreds of educational programs, events and field trips throughout the county. Jim’s love for wildlife conservation goes back to his childhood days where he spent countless hours exploring nature. As a resident of Loudoun County for almost 25 years, Jim wanted to give back to the county to help educate residents and preserve the natural environment as the County faces unprecedented growth. Jim currently lives in Upperville, Va. and…

Sherri is the owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Ashburn, VA which opened in 2015. She grew up around the lakes in central Florida where she developed a passion for birds and nature at a young age, observing herons, egrets and shorebirds literally in her backyard. Sherri also lived in California and Colorado, before moving to Loudoun County in 2009. Sherri is the proud mother of two adult children and holds bachelor’s degrees in both education and nursing. In her spare time, she enjoys bird watching, music and spending time with friends and family.

Brian has been a member of Loudoun Wildlife for more than 10 years and was born and raised in Loudoun County. Brian enjoys photography and he regularly participates in the annual butterfly count and the Christmas bird count. More recently, he has volunteered as a plant expert at the native plant sale, and he is passionate about gardening and native plants. His yard is an Audubon at Home certified wildlife sanctuary, Monarch waystation and NABA certified butterfly garden. Brian works in IT for Loudoun County Public Schools.

Jennifer is currently the Education Specialist at Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District where she promotes conservation education in local Loudoun schools and community through various programs. She has lived in Loudoun County for over 20 years with her husband and two children. Before pursuing a career in the environment, she worked as a software developer for 18 years. Her passion for learning about and sharing knowledge of the natural world to help people make a nature connection led her to change careers. After attending a program on Monarchs provided by LWC, she planted a single milkweed plant and was…

Jay is a 20-year Loudoun resident originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  He has been with Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District for 15 years as a Conservation Specialist focusing on implementing the Virginia Agricultural BMP program.  He serves on the Agricultural and Forestal District Advisory Committee and the John M. Rowley Goose Creek Land Conservation Fund.  He also volunteers his time as a member of the Lucketts Ruritans.  He completed studies at the University of Richmond, Penn State and Virginia Tech.

Scott graduated with two degrees from Georgia Tech and in 2009, along with his wife Becky, founded Catoctin Creek Distilling Company—the first legal distillery in Loudoun County since before Prohibition.  Today they sell their award-winning Virginia rye whisky in over 40 states and eight countries. An Army brat for most of his early life, Scott never lived in any one place longer than three years, until settling in Loudoun County in 1997 to raise a family.  Scott and Becky now call Purcellville home and intend to retire there someday. In his spare time, Scott has embraced the role of citizen…

Pat has lived most of her life in the Washington, D.C. area, moving with her family to Loudoun in 1997. She has always had an interest in nature. She had an organic garden in high school, led the creation of a bluebird trail on the golf course of her college, and spent several years monitoring the trail on the golf course at Algonkian Regional Park. Degreed in both Biology and Computer Science, she has worked as a high school biology teacher, a software engineer, a homeschool mom, a Latin teacher and an artist. Studying birds and learning more about the…