Since Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s foundation in 1995, this region has seen a great transformation. From a largely rural area, Loudoun County has grown and changed to a county that encompasses not only hills, farmland and open areas but also increasing suburban development as the population grows.
Change brings with it a greater responsibility to preserve and protect important elements of what makes this area so attractive – the habitat and the wildlife that live among and beside us. That is the role of Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.
UPDATE: This item was deferred to the July 5 Board of Supervisors Business Meeting UPDATE 6.18.22: Board of Supervisors Business Meeting – June 21 Be a voice for wildlife by writing comments or speaking about Item 4 Route 15 North Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) at the Board of Supervisors’ June 21 business meeting at 5:00 […]
Photo by Michael Sciortino Saturday’s monthly bird walk on the 25th was a good reminder that late June is a productive time to bird at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship. The 13 individuals who joined Joe Coleman, Michael Sciortino and Scott Harris for the walk recorded a whopping 59 species. The group traveled […]
Monarchs on MilkweedPhoto by Janet Locklear In a recent National Geographic newsletter, Jason Bittel reported that Monarch butterflies may be doing better than thought. This is based on a study of the data collected for the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) by citizen scientists all over the US. The study is controversial, but seems to […]
Fringe tree in Sue Robinson’s yard. Sue has been a Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy member since 2015 and received our Audubon At Home Wildlife Sanctuary certification in 2017. She volunteers at plant sales and with the Butterfly Count as well as monitoring bluebird nest boxes on the trail at Tuscarora High School. Sue was instrumental in […]
Eastern KingbirdPhoto by Michael Sciortino Seventeen birders, led by Allison Gallo and Bryan Henson, enjoyed a wonderful, but windy Father’s Day walk at Bles Park. We found the highlight of the walk while lingering in the parking lot—a Mississippi Kite flying in the distant sky. It provided everyone with good looks and was even visible […]
UPDATE 6.18.22: Board of Supervisors Business Meeting – June 21 Be a voice for wildlife by writing comments or speaking about Item 4 Route 15 North Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) at the Board of Supervisors’ June 21 business meeting at 5:00 pm at the Government Center at 1 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg, VA 20175. The […]
Bats are an important part of a healthy ecosystem, not to mention being fascinating animals. While our knowledge about bats is growing, we still have a lot to learn. To improve our knowledge about bats in Loudoun County, the Banshee Reeks Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists (VMN) has launched a decade-long project to identify bats […]
JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary’s diverse landscape provides habitat for many different bird species throughout the seasons. Spring and fall migration is dominated by warblers, and in the winter a few interesting flocks of sparrows can be found. During the breeding season, you can hear the Wood Thrush singing, the Pileated Woodpeckers calling, Red-tailed and […]
The elusive Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii), often referred to as a toad, is in fact a primitive fossorial frog. What does fossorial mean? It means that an animal is adapted for digging (fossorial comes from the Latin word fossor which means “digger”). The Eastern Spadefoot is adapted for a life spent mainly in underground burrows […]
Photo by BJ Lecrone The annual Loudoun Wildlife Milkweed Sale with the Leesburg branch of the Northwest Federal Credit Union (NWFCU) was a success despite starting with overcast skies and drizzle in the morning. Over 550 plants were sold in advance through our online store with an additional 120 plants sold onsite. This year we […]