Birds, Butterflies and Wildflowers — Saturday, September 3, 9 a.m., Blue Ridge Center. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for a family-friendly field trip to see birds, butterflies and wildflowers that are found around the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES). BRCES is a beautiful 900-acre preserve in northwestern Loudoun County that includes diverse wildlife habitats, including meadows, streams and heavily forested slopes. Meet at the Education Center; bring binoculars if you have them. BRCES is located just north of Neersville at 11661 Harpers Ferry Road (Rte 671); detailed directions at www.brces.org Registration required: Sign up at www.loudounwildlife.org/SignUp.htm. Questions: Contact info@loudounwildlife.org.

Birding Banshee — Saturday, September 10, 8:00 a.m. The warblers are beginning to come through again! Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Friends of Banshee Reeks on the monthly bird walk at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, south of Leesburg, to see what species are around. Because of its rich and varied habitat, this beautiful preserve is a birding hot spot. Bring binoculars if you have them. Questions: Contact Joe Coleman at 540-554-2542 or jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org.

Native Plant Sale — Saturday, September 10, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Morven Park. Each patch of habitat in a native plant garden becomes a collective effort to nurture and sustain the landscape for birds, butterflies, bees and other animals. Restoring native habitat is essential to preserve biodiversity. A Fall planting of natives generally outperforms those installed in the Spring. Root growth in the Fall, when soils are warmer and more aerated, is more extensive, compared to Spring when there is rapid top growth. Hill House Farm and Nursery (www.hillhousenativeplants.com), Nature by Design (www.nature-by-design.com) and Watermark Woods (www.watermarkwoods.com) will be selling native plants, shrubs and trees at this sale sponsored by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. To see the plants each nursery carries or to place orders ahead of time (all nursery stock is not present at the sale), visit their websites. Questions: Contact Ann Garvey at agarvey@loudunwildlife.org.

Meet Your Trees! A "We're Going Wild" Family Nature Walk — Sunday, September 11, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m., Morven Park. What tree is that? Fall is a great time of year for going on a nature hike with Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy to learn about trees. Trail guide Alex Darr will offer tips and tricks for identifying our local trees by observing basic characteristics and a few other secrets trees can reveal. Meet in the Coach House parking lot above the Carriage Museum for the Ridgetop trail head (GPS location: 17165 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg). Space is limited to 15 children, ages 7+, with accompanying adult(s). NOTE: no strollers or pets. Registration required: Sign up at www.loudounwildlife.org/SignUp.htm. Questions: Contact info@loudounwildlife.org.

Natural History of the Appalachian Trail — Saturday, September 17, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Blackburn Trail Center. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club as we discuss the natural history of the AT. The program will be followed with a short hike up to the AT and the nearby overlook, followed by light refreshments. Limit 20 participants. Registration required. Questions: Contact info@loudounwildlife.org

Birding the Blue Ridge Center — Saturday, September 24, 8:00 a.m. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy on the monthly bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES), a beautiful 900-acre preserve in northwestern Loudoun County. The property includes diverse wildlife habitats, including meadows, streams and heavily forested slopes. Meet at the Education Center; bring binoculars if you have them. BRCES is located just north of Neersville at 11661 Harpers Ferry Road (Rte 671); detailed directions at www.brces.org. Questions: Contact Joe Coleman at 540-554-2542 or jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org.