Events in Virginia State Parks

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

Have you ever heard of a timberdoodle?

Join a ranger on a spring birding hike at beautiful New River Trail State Park. Peak songbird migration along the New River is mid-April to mid-May.

Spring is in the air; this is prime time for bird watching!

Now that spring and warm weather is finally here, many bird species will begin slowly making their journey back north to Virginia.

Meet a Ranger at the Visitor Center for a guided hike to see if you can spot any of our springtime birds.

A breeding colony of great blue herons is not a rookery, it is a heronry.

Adventure into the outdoors and discover wildlife along the Trail with a ranger. All tiny participants will be given helpful hands-on bug finding tools for investigating nature signs.   Let's try to use all of our senses to see, smell, touch, track and observe.

Fun-ji, fun-gi, fun-gee?

Mason Neck is home to many Ospreys during the spring and summer months.

Are you age 55+ with an interest in spending time in nature?

See the majestic osprey right behind our Visitor Center.

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park will offer a monthly "Birding in the Gap" program on the second Saturday of each month (with the exception of October and December).

Come walk the park's bluebird trail with a Virginia Master Naturalist as she checks the nestboxes and records data for the Virginia Bluebird Society.

Come and discover the majestic aerial hunters and their habitats.

Meet a Ranger at the Visitor Center for a guided hike to see if you can spot any of our springtime birds.

Come join a ranger for a fun bird identification hike!

Join a ranger to learn about many of the birds you see soaring the skies at Belle Isle.

Join a ranger on a guided hike to learn more about different ecosystems found in the park.

Are you age 55+ with an interest in spending time in nature?

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

Perfect for beginners, this class will help you connect with nature and start your bird-watching journey.

Join us for our spring Nature Photography Series!  April 19 - Wildflowers and Wildlife  May 17 - Bird ID and Photography  June 21 - Wildlife Photography and Scavenger Hunt  On April 19, we'll meet outside the visitor center to review tips for photographing spring flowers and wildlife.  After meeting at the visitor center, we will explore selected areas of the park.  Be prepared to encounter muddy areas!  All types of cameras, from smartphones to professional cameras, and levels of photographers are welcomed.

Meet at the Visitor Center to start learning about our native birds.

Eggs come in a range of colors and sizes and not just during Easter.

Spring is in the air; this is prime time for bird watching!

Welcome springtime back by making a bird feeder using leftover Easter eggs as molds.

Join us for our annual Earth Day Bird Count on the newly developed Ivanhoe Birding Trail.

Are you age 55+ with an interest in spending time in nature?

Let’s show off how amazing our parks can be for wildlife this spring!

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

Join us and discover the basics of birding followed by the opportunity to explore some of our most popular birding habitats.

Happy Earth Week!

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900-acre preserve to see what lives in it and visit its diverse habitats.

In a partnership program with High Bridge Trail, the Margaret Watson Bird Club will have volunteers available to share their knowledge during this birding adventure.

Did you know that almost 1/3 of all Americans go birdwatching or birding?

Stop by the nature center booth to borrow a Family Learning Adventures adventure pack for the day.

Meet at the Visitor Center to start learning about our native birds.

Adventure into the outdoors and discover wildlife along the Trail with a ranger. All tiny participants will be given helpful hands-on bug finding tools for investigating nature signs.   Let's try to use all of our senses to see, smell, touch, track and observe.

Happy Earth Week!

Learn how to recycle your two-liter soda bottles into bird feeders.

Did you know owls get 'hairballs?' About once a day, an owl spits up a ball of hair and bones called an owl pellet which is actually the 'leftovers' from their most recent meals.

Come walk the park's bluebird trail with a Virginia Master Naturalist as she checks the nestboxes and records data for the Virginia Bluebird Society.

Are you age 55+ with an interest in spending time in nature?

The peepers are peepin', and Spring has sprung; come enjoy the park while the season is young!

Live birds in the historical Lincoln Theater!

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

Who, who, who are you?

What could be a better way to kick off your Saturday morning than enjoying a lovely two-mile round trip hike while searching for your favorite winged friends?

Join a ranger on a spring birding hike along the beautiful New River Trail State Park. Peak songbird migration along the New River is mid-April to mid-May.

How can a person kayak by ear?

Join a ranger on a guided hike to learn more about different ecosystems found in the park.

Native plants can't survive without birds, and birds can't survive without native plants.

Edge habitat is some of the best bird habitat.

The birding community would like the outdoors to be safe and inclusive to all.

Discover new birds at the Salt Fields during our Saltville field trip for the Life's Extras Birding Celebration.

Have you ever wondered about the birds in your area?

Mason Neck is home to many Ospreys during the spring and summer months.

Invaders are taking over Fairy Stone State Park and your own backyard.

Are you age 55+ with an interest in spending time in nature?

The peepers are peepin', and Spring has sprung; come enjoy the park while the season is young!

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park will offer a monthly "Birding in the Gap" program on the second Saturday of each month (with the exception of October and December).

Spring is in the air; this is prime time for bird watching!

Come walk the park's bluebird trail with a Virginia Master Naturalist as she checks the nestboxes and records data for the Virginia Bluebird Society.

Did you know owls get 'hairballs?' About once a day, an owl spits up a ball of hair and bones called an owl pellet which is actually the 'leftovers' from their most recent meals.

Spring is here and we want to help our pollinator friends like bees, birds and butterflies.

Join a ranger on a spring birding hike at beautiful New River Trail State Park. Peak songbird migration along the New River is mid-April to mid-May.

The peepers are peepin', and Spring has sprung; come enjoy the park while the season is young!

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

Join us for our nature photography series!  April 19 - Wildflowers and Wildlife  May 17 - Bird ID and Photography  June 21 - Wildlife Photography and Scavenger Hunt  On May 17, we will meet at the visitor center to review bird identification and tips for photographing birds.  After the meeting at the visitor center, we will explore habitats that birds frequent to observe them and photograph these flying wonders.

Celebrate National Kids to Parks Day with a fun-filled day in nature!

Adventure into the outdoors and discover wildlife along the Trail with a ranger. All tiny participants will be given helpful hands-on bug finding tools for investigating nature signs.   Let's try to use all of our senses to see, smell, touch, track and observe.

Embark on a day of aquatic adventure "going up the food chain" through educational explorations and outdoor games.

Stop by from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. to explore the amazing variety of Virginia's RAPTORS with hands-on activities and touchable models.

Celebrate National Kids to Parks Day our little park that's close to home.

Come young and young-at-heart on National Kids to Parks Day to meet some incredible predators of the sky!

Bird feeders are a great food source for Virginia’s birds and a wonderful way to bring nature into your own yard.

Are you age 55+ with an interest in spending time in nature?

Invaders are taking over Fairy Stone State Park and your own backyard.

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900-acre preserve to see what lives in it and visit its diverse habitats.

Stop by this tabletop program and discover the basics of birding followed by the opportunity to explore some of our most popular birding habitats.

Come join our Rangers on a hike of Long Pond Trail!

Challenge yourself to name various songbirds found around Smith Mountain Lake State Park. Join the interpretive ranger and see how many of our common birds you can identify.

Celebrate Southwest Virginia's rich tradition of old-time, bluegrass, blues, and Americana music with performances by regionally and nationally renowned musicians, including a star-studded main stage lineup!  Also enjoy instrument competitions, songwriting competitions and jam sessions.

Invaders are taking over Fairy Stone State Park and your own backyard.

Come join our Rangers on a hike of Long Pond Trail!

Come walk the park's bluebird trail with a Virginia Master Naturalist as she checks the nestboxes and records data for the Virginia Bluebird Society.

Spring is in the air; this is prime time for bird watching!

Fly on over and learn how to make a bird feeder from natural materials which you can keep.

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

Rise and shine!

Learn about birds of the woods and fields and how they utilize their habitat for survival and nesting.

Join a ranger on a guided hike to learn more about different ecosystems found in the park.

Each night when the sun goes down, the owls of First Landing come out to hunt!

What bird lives most of its life on the ground, can fly as fast as a car, and was almost our national bird?

Fly on over and learn how to make a bird feeder from natural materials which you can keep.

Ever wondered how you stack up against some of the largest birds in the sky?