Get answers to habitat questions at the third annual Wildlife Habitat Open House
“By far the biggest problem in protecting the world’s biodiversity is habitat destruction,” says biologist E.O. Wilson in his book Biodiversity. Wilson is credited with coining the term “biodiversity” and is an ardent promoter of protecting diversity among the world’s plants, animals, and ecosystems.
While habitat loss and fragmentation continue around the world, efforts to protect, maintain, and even increase habitat are also on the rise at the global level and on down to the local level. If the problem seems daunting, the good news is that all of us can contribute to this effort in our own backyards. Find out how on Saturday, Feb. 7th at the third annual Wildlife Habitat Open House, sponsored by the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection’s Biodiversity Task Force and the Piedmont Environmental Council. Last year’s event attracted an estimated 400 visitors.
At the open house, habitat experts from 20 conservation government agencies and nonprofit organizations will be available to talk with you about your specific habitat issues, explain what their organizations are doing for habitat, and provide literature and other resources on habitat restoration and protection. Whether you live on less than an acre or own hundreds, you can find out how to help restore and enhance habitat by starting with simple projects, develop a habitat plan for large properties, or just let nature take its course—letting fields lie fallow, grass unmowed, dead trees standing. All these measures can help support Virginia native species, and biodiversity among our native species is important to the health of our environment and to our own species’ survival.
The trick is knowing what to do and what not to do. What trees should you plant, and which should you cut down? How do you get rid of nonnative plants that are squeezing out native plants and wildlife? What do you plant where? How do you attract specific bird species to your property? How do you provide a place to live for such unassuming but important creatures as box turtles, salamanders, and beetles? How do you get a spectacular show of native butterflies in your garden or give a home to bats, who can each eat between 600 and 1,000 mosquitoes and other insect pests in an hour (far more than any bird). The experts at the open house will be available throughout the event to answer these and other habitat questions.
The open house will also offer special presentations on how to attract bluebirds and other wildlife species to your property, how to prioritize habitat projects in terms of complexity and cost, and how to landscape with native plants and get rid of unwanted invasive nonnatives.
Don’t miss out on the silent auction at the RLEP table in the hall at the high school. Stop by and see all the wonderful things that were donated, including…
A two-hour trail ride along the Jordan and Rappahannock Rivers, hosted and guided by Gale Johnson. Bring up to four horses and riders and also enjoy brunch or lunch at Saga Farm.
Nature-themed prints and photos, including a framed Currier & Ives print.
Cowboy-boot bird house and a bird-bath de-icer.
Photo greeting cards of animals.
Nature books for adults and children.
More…
Kids aged four years and up will have their own special children’s room for habitat-related activities. The youngest can create nature-related crafts, and children ten years and up can assemble bluebird boxes to take home. Weather permitting, kids can also take part in outdoor nature-related games.
Shenandoah National Park Association will offer books for sale. Some of the other participating organizations will offer nature-related products and references for sale or for free.
When: Saturday, February 7, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Following the main program, Virginia Master Naturalist Jack Price will guide a habitat walk on a nearby property that has great diversity of habitat and native species, including wild turkey.
Schedule of presentations and activities: Click here.
Where: Rappahannock County High School, 12576 Lee Highway, Washington, VA 22747. Click here for map.
Admittance: The event is free. Hot beverages will be available at the open house, but not food. Visitors are encouraged to bring a bag lunch or take advantage of nearby eateries.
Sponsors: The Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection’s Biodiversity Task Force and the Piedmont Environmental Council.
Participating organizations: The American Chestnut Foundation, National Audubon Society, Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District, Four County Master Gardener Association, National Park Service Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team, Old Rag Master Naturalists, Piedmont Environmental Council, Rappahannock County Conservation Alliance, RappFLOW (Rappahannock Friends and Lovers of Our Watershed), Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection, Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah National Park Association, Smithsonian’s National Zoo Conservation and Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Virginia Bluebird Society, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Dept. of Forestry, Virginia Native Plant Society.
For more information email Biodiversity@RLEP.org.
