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Loudoun Wildlife ConservancyLoudoun Wildlife Conservancy
  • About Us
    • Mission & Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Volunteer Program Coordinators
    • Our Partners
    • Contributing Photographers
  • Events
  • Our Work
    • Education
      • Programs and Field Trips
      • Youth and Family Program
      • Peterson Young Naturalist Program
      • Habitat Herald
      • Eagle Cam at Dulles Wetlands
    • Citizen Science
      • Stream Monitoring
      • Butterfly Count
      • Amphibian Monitoring
      • Bluebird Monitoring
      • Bird Counts
    • Habitat Conservation
      • Habitat Restoration in the Community
      • Protecting Pollinators
      • Wildlife Sanctuary Program
      • Plant NoVA Natives
      • Native Plant Sales
      • Greening Your Neighborhood
    • Conservation Advocacy
      • Current Campaigns
      • Dark Skies
      • Past Campaigns
    • JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary
      • Overview of JK Black Oak
      • What’s Happening
      • Vernal Pools
      • Flora and Fauna
      • Volunteers at Work
      • Support the Sanctuary
  • Store
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  • Volunteer
    • Volunteer opportunities
    • Volunteer application
    • Waiver form
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  • Contact
  • Stay Informed!
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Volunteers at Work

Volunteers at Work

All projects undertaken at JK Black Oak are done by volunteers. Work days take place each month from April to December, usually on the first Saturday of the month, and are listed on the Volunteer Opportunities page when registration opens. The photo galleries below show some of the habitat restoration activities taking place during those work days. Volunteer citizen scientists are also shown below.

Invasive Removal
Like many natural areas in Northern Virginia, the Sanctuary is overrun with invasive plants. Some of the worst offenders are Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) and Mile-a-Minute (Persicaria perfoliata). There is also a population of Wavyleaf Basketgrass (Oplismenus undulatifolius) that is spreading rapidly.  Removing these invaders will give native plants a chance to recover and grow, dramatically improving habitat for wildlife.
Click on a photo to enlarge it.

  • Volunteers work in meadow
  • Clearing privet seedlings
  • cut Privet
  • group who cleared area of invasives
  • Finding invasive Wavyleaf Basketgrass
  • Piling up invasives
  • Invasive vine removal from tree cage
  • Autumn Olive removal
  • Removing invasive Mile-a-Minute vine
  • Volunteers pull invasive vines

Protecting Trees from Deer
White-tailed Deer browse has had a major impact on the forest understory, all but eliminating emerging native trees and shrubs.  Volunteers installed three deer exclosures and individual cages to protect young trees. (Watch the video.) This work is funded by a generous grant from Microsoft in partnership with the Society for Ecological Restoration.
Click on a photo to enlarge it.

  • Caging small tree
  • Adding posts to tree cage
  • Using the pole pounder
  • Working on the deer fence
  • Getting pole attachments
  • Installing deer exclosure fence
  • Volunteer measuring for fence
  • Volunteers install tree cages in oak-hickory forest
  • Volunteers pull wire for third fence
  • Working on the third fence

Native Plant Rescue
In preparation for the wetlands mitigation project in the east meadow at JK Black Oak, plants were relocated from the project area in 2021 and 2022 to similar meadows on the west side of the property.  Before the plant rescues, volunteers spent a couple of months identifying and marking plants to be transplanted.
Click on a photo to enlarge it.

  • marking plants for rescue
  • In the 2021 planting area
  • Volunteers digging native plants
  • Planting in meadow
  • Digging plants in the east meadow
  • Volunteers in new planting area
  • Two volunteers planting and watering
  • Plant rescue group

Tree Planting
The first tree-planting project took place in 2019, with a smaller projects taking place in 2022 and 2024.  Additional plantings of trees and shrubs will take place in 2025.
Click on a photo to enlarge it.

  • Volunteers with tree pot and shovel
  • Volunteers begin planting trees
  • Three volunteers with two trees
  • Planting elderberry shrub
  • Volunteers plant trees near LeSabre pool

Citizen Science
Citizen science projects taking place at JK Black Oak include amphibian and reptile monitoring, bat monitoring, native plant and insect surveys and stream monitoring.
Click on a photo to enlarge it.

  • Consulting field guide to identify native plants
  • Photographing insects during survey
  • Working on bat monitoring rig
  • Identifying plants in the oak-hickory forest
  • Identifying insects next to dry vernal pool
  • Stream monitoring team at JK Black Oak
  • juvenile Jefferson Salamander
  • Volunteer looking for amphibians at night

Our Work

  • DISCOVER: Education
    • Programs and Field Trips
    • Youth and Family Program
    • Peterson Young Naturalist Program
    • Habitat Herald
    • Eagle Cam at Dulles Wetlands
  • EXPLORE: Citizen Science
    • Stream Monitoring
      • Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys
      • Clean Drinking Water for Lucketts
      • Salt Watch
    • Butterfly Count
    • Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring
    • Bluebird Trails/Nestbox Monitoring
    • Bird Counts:
      • Christmas Bird Count
      • Celebrate Birds/Birdathon
      • Young Birding Program
      • Bird Atlas
  • RESTORE: Habitat Conservation
    • Habitat Restoration In the Community
    • Protecting Pollinators
      • Native Bees
      • Bringing Back the Monarch
    • Wildlife Sanctuary Program
    • Plant NoVA Natives
    • Native Plant Sales
    • Greening Your Neighborhood
  • PROTECT: Conservation Advocacy
    • Current Campaigns
    • Dark Skies
    • Past Campaigns
  • PRESERVE: JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary
    • Overview of JK Black Oak
    • What’s Happening
    • Vernal Pools
    • Flora and Fauna
    • Volunteers at Work
    • Support the Sanctuary
LOUDOUN'S GREAT PLACES

Habitat Restoration News

  • Mistakes Were Made …The Challenges and Successes of 2 Habitat Restorations Volume 30 Issue 2, Spring 2025 by BJ Lecrone and...
    Read More
  • Back to the LeSabre Vernal Pool for the May Work Day Volunteers removing trash from the LeSabre pool.Photo by Zahra Husrieh...
    Read More
  • 2025 Work Days at JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary Planting trees and shrubs near the LeSabre pool.Photo by Gerco...
    Read More

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