Too Hot to Handle: How Wildlife Copes with Heat Waves
As temperatures soar into the 90s and beyond, most of us head indoors, take a dip in a pool, or reach for an iced drink. But what about the animals? Wildlife doesn’t have air conditioning, but they’ve evolved clever strategies to survive, and understanding those can help us protect them. ...
Pollinator Detectives: Keep the Buzz Going with iNaturalist!
Pollinator Week May Be Over, But Your Mission Isn’t! Pollinator Week may be behind us, but pollinators are still hard at work, and you can be too. From gardens and trails to fields and forests, the world around you is buzzing with life. At Willowsford Conservancy, we know that conservation ...
The Magic of Fireflies
Summer evenings in Willowsford often come alive with a quiet kind of magic, the gentle flicker of fireflies lighting up the dark. Despite their name, fireflies are actually beetles, not flies. Their glow, called bioluminescence, is used mainly to attract mates and to warn predators. Many predators know that bright ...
Protecting our Aquatic Ecosystems
Last week, Ranger Emily and our Land Stewardship team conducted a stream monitoring survey on Lenah Run, a tributary that flows through Willowsford into Broad Run, which eventually feeds into the Potomac River. Emily, who is certified as a stream monitor through Loudoun Wildlife, guided the team through the process ...
Raising Our New Flock!
The Farm Team recently made an exciting announcement: we’ve been raising chicks to replace our aging flock of laying hens! This process is different from our usual flock transition and has provided an excellent opportunity for members of the team to learn new animal husbandry skills. In the past, we ...
Species Spotlight: Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa)
The wood duck is (Aix sponsa) is one of the most beautiful of American waterfowl with males boasting an iridescent mix of greens, blacks, whites, and chestnut browns. Contrary to mallards which nest on the ground around lake margins, wood ducks build their nests in tree cavities high off the ...
Starry, Starry Night – Protecting Dark Skies at Willowsford
Do you enjoy stargazing from your backyard or a Willowsford camp site, such as Grant Family Campground or the Hidden Meadow? Discovering the night can be as simple as stepping off your porch with your outdoor (and indoor!) lights turned off. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness, and if ...
Growing Garlic
With our recent warm February weather, almost 60 degrees, the garlic has popped tiny sprouts out in the field. This is the beginning of the season-long process that gives us a multitude of opportunities to harvest and use the garlic as it grows. If you joined us for our ...
Identifying Wildlife Tracks in the Snow
When it snows, we are given a wonderful glimpse into the paths and activities of the animals that visit our backyards, trails, and Open Space. Animal tracks are perfectly captured in the fresh snow cover. Most animals tend to stay put during blizzards and many hibernate (learn more in our ...
Getting Ready for Winter Hiking
As long as you prepare, hiking in the winter can be an excellent opportunity for fun! The outdoors in the winter months offers unique and beautiful scenery that you can only experience while cold hiking. When cooler temperatures begin, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy nature – we'll show you how ...
Spotted Lanternflies & Tree of Heaven Overview and Policy
Spotted Lanternflies As many of you have been noticing, the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) has been spreading in the Mid Atlantic over the last few years. Also known as SLF, the spotted lanternfly is native to China and parts of Vietnam where its populations are kept under control since ...
2024 Bluebird Monitoring Update
Bird populations have been decreasing across the globe for the past 50 years. Bluebird populations in particular experienced a dramatic decrease in population size in the early 20th century, reaching a 90% population decrease at one point. Largely due to habitat loss and introduction of aggressive species that outcompeted bluebirds ...
