In response to ongoing COVID-19 developments, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is going to limit our programs and events. We care about the safety and health of our staff, volunteers, members, and participants, and we will follow guidelines set forth by local, state, and federal agencies. We have many members who are part of at-risk population segments. Our collective actions are not for those who are healthy, but for those who are most at-risk.

This situation is fluid and dynamic, and we will continue to post updates on our website and social media as necessary. On March 15 the CDC issued a recommendation for organizers to cancel all events greater than 50 people for 8 weeks. This recommendation impacts many of our events, including our iconic spring fundraiser, Wine for Wildlife, and our annual Spring Native Plant Sale.

We are going to postpone some of our activities indefinitely, and some of our events will be cancelled altogether. As of now, we’re still going to host outdoor nature walks where we can practice proper hygiene and social distancing. Getting outside in nature has a variety of health benefits, especially in times of stress, so we will do our best to still offer nature programs while taking precautions to prevent the spread of illness. For indoor programs, we will handle them on a case-by-case basis.

If you have registered for a fee-based event that has been postponed or cancelled, or if you wish to withdraw from an event, we ask you to consider donating the registration fee as a way to help Loudoun Wildlife during this financially challenging spring season. Of course, we will provide a full refund to anyone who requests it. You can contact us at info@loudounwildlife.org with any questions you may have. Please consider making a donation today to Loudoun Wildlife.

If you have volunteered for an event that has been postponed or cancelled, our Volunteer Coordinator, Kim, will contact you.

Here is a list of impacted events:

• Sustainable Farming at JK Community Farm, 3/21/20, is postponed.
• Stream Monitoring Kick-Off at the Ashburn Library, 3/22/20, is cancelled.
• Writing in Nature at the Gatehouse, 3/25/20, is postponed.
• Wine for Wildlife at Sunset Hills Vineyard, 3/27/20, is postponed. We are exploring our options to reschedule this event.
• Landscape for Wildlife talk at Landsdowne Woods, 4/1/20, will be streamed live virtually.
• Spring Native Plant Sale at Morven Park, 4/4/20, is postponed. We are exploring our options to reschedule this event .
• We will not be participating in any outreach events at this time. This includes the Leesburg Flower and Garden Show and other various Earth Day related events.
• All Stream Monitoring data collection surveys will be closed to the public.
• We will continue to post updates on our website and social media about future events.

Here is a list of impacted programs:

• Youth and Family programs have been postponed.
• The Wild Shop is closed until further notice. Our online store will remain open.
• Audubon-at-Home will not be conducting site visits, but you can still contact us about a future visit or how to certify your property.

This situation is constantly evolving, and we will relay information as we have it available.

As always, please take precautions including practicing good hygiene, social distancing, and if you are sick or showing symptoms of illness, please stay at home. Thank you for your support, and remember that Spring Beauties and Bluebells are blooming, Spring Peepers are calling, butterflies are emerging, and better days lie ahead.

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