Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

Education is the heart of Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy's mission, and we offer hundreds of free educational programs and events each year to the community, including field trips, nature walks, lectures, and hands-on educational outreach. Our varied programs and events provide a rich source of information on local wildlife habitat sustainability and other vital environmental issues affecting Loudoun County. The quality of our programs and field trips is enhanced through community partnerships that provide access to properties for our events and occasionally speakers for our programs. Our Peterson Young Naturalist Program is our main "formal" education offering, a partnership with Loudoun County Public Schools. The Peterson Program trains teachers to implement nature journaling in an outdoor classroom environment, connecting thousands of K-12 students each year (including many in Title 1 schools) to the proven educational and personal benefits of outdoor learning. Our Eagle Cam program, a partnership with the Dulles Greenway, also reaches students and others around the world by providing an inside look at the lives of Bald Eagles through two live-stream cameras inconspicuously placed in their nest. Finally, our quarterly printed newsletter, the Habitat Herald, provides a wealth of timely and informative articles each year related to local environmental topics. It's distributed to our members and the general public.

JK Black Oak is an 89-acre, globally rare wetlands in Lucketts, Va., owned and managed by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. Our vision is to forever preserve and enhance its sensitive vernal pools, unique geologic setting, and the rich amphibian and wildlife populations that currently thrive there. Additionally, Loudoun Wildlife seeks to manage the property as a model and for the conservation of adjacent lands while creating an ecologically significant sanctuary for the conservation and study of native flora and fauna. JK Black Oak is managed by volunteers in accordance with our management plan, and this program collaborates and contributes to many of our other programs.