Staycation

Exploring volunteer opportunities in Loudoun County, Virginia.

I recently spent a Saturday morning building fences for Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy in Leesburg Virginia. This is one of many projects hosted by the organization that boast to “inspire, motivate, and engage people to protect, preserve, and restore wildlife habitat in Loudoun County.” For this particular project, the group gathered at JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary in the Oak-Hickory Forest of Leesburg. This sanctuary is currently working on a decade-long project of bat species identification, as well as amphibian, reptile, and stream monitoring. The location itself is not open to the general public, just volunteers and those working with the organization.

Our group was split into two, one assembling metal cages to place around tree saplings, and the other removing invasive plant species. It was about 3 hours of tedious labor in one of the most humid and buggy days of the year, but very fulfilling work. I met several employees and volunteers just as devoted to nature (and birding!) as I am. I’m definitely excited to continue working with this group on the upkeep of the sanctuary and other wildlife projects.

Click the links below to learn more about volunteer opportunities and activities hosted by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.