April is a great month to enjoy spring ephemerals, the short-lived wildflowers that light up the forest floor before the leaves from the tree canopy above return.

In it's 25th season, this annual quilt show exhibit honors both past and present quilters and features quilts, not only from the Museum's collection, but also from members of the community who display quilts from their own collections.

Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower The Eta Aquarids is an above average shower, capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak.

Join other Women In Nature (WIN) as we enjoy companionship and the outdoors at the beautiful Seven Bends State Park.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side with this monthly series of true nature walks.

A stroll through a woodland can have a calming influence on people, but in that forest neighborhood there’s a lot going on, silently.

Have you ever done a leaf rubbing or created your very own leaf print masterpiece?  This special craft activity is a fun way to combine art and the natural world around us.

Just as caterpillars grow and change, our Caterpillar Club programs are designed to help your little one grow and change.

This special program is designed to provide an in depth look at the fossils that have been found along the Potomac River. We will explore the world of fossils and extinction.

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations, and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own Staurolite crystal or "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for and the telling of the legend, we will travel to the site.

This special program, for all ages, is designed to be an introduction to tree rounds of the northeast region.  Participants can closely observe tree rings and patterns of growth.  “Trees are sanctuaries.

Build your very own bug hotel to help provide a habitat for beneficial insects.  Your creation will offer insects a special space to hunker down, where they can breed, and grow!

Did you know we couldn't live without trees?

Got a question?

Wondering where to take your first steps to become a hiker?

By May of 1775, men, women, and children were heading west, deep into the harsh wilderness.

Take a 4 hour guided tour through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park!

The Chesapeake Bay can hold many secrets.  Sometimes those secrets wash ashore!  Join a Park Ranger as we comb the beach.  Identify shells, animals, and other treasures commonly found at Kiptopeke on the beach.   Meet at the South Beach entrance.  All ages welcomed! .

Come out and enjoy Clinch River's beautiful hiking trails in the Spring.

You may have seen the foxes, deer, and other mammals that live at the park, but have you ever felt their fur?

Learn about Kiptopeke State Park's natural history and the animals that live here.

This special program is designed to provide an in depth look at the fossils that have been found along the Potomac River.  Participants will be able to touch and see many unique fossil types up close and in person.  We will explore the world of fossils and extinction.

Rangers have to know a lot about different subjects including park history, wildlife, and plant species.

The Jones-Stewart Mansion is a stunning example of an antebellum plantation house built in 1854.

Learn about some of our native owl species while you dissect a barn owl pellet.  Hoot have thought reconstructing skeletons could be so cool?   This program only has 6 slots available. Please pay in advance at the Visitor Center.

What's next?

Join a Park Ranger on a Nature Hike.  During the Nature Hike learn about flora and fauna, ecology, and history of Kiptopeke State Park.  The Nature Hike is an opportunity for our visitors to ask questions and learn!  The Nature Hike will be roughly 1 mile long, and take about 1 hour.  Please dress appropriately to be out in nature and bring water.  .

Fire and smoke were used by Virginia’s First Peoples for clearing land, felling trees, hollowing out massive logs, and “s’more”!

From cypress swamps to maritime forests, marshlands to the Chesapeake Bay let's investigate the plants, animals, ecosystems and history of First Landing State Park. Each day offers a different activity booklet.

Take a 4 hour guided tour through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park!

From the tiniest of shark teeth to a whopping whale skeleton, the fossils of Horsehead Cliffs show that life was once very different at Westmoreland.

Westmoreland State Park Trail Corps are calling all volunteers, established or new to help tackle some trail work. There has been some work done on Beaver Dam Trail so far, but the amount of rough spots left from the end of March was too much work for one morning in April.

Weather permitting, Adventure Packs will be available from 9:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. Adventure Packs are backpacks or totes filled with things like art project supplies, board games, book and other activities you and your family can borrow for free.

Join the Burson Camp Host, Becky Benes, as she leads you through a yoga sequence.

From woodlands to wetlands, fields and pastures, let's investigate the plants, animals and history of farming at Sky Meadows State Park.

Bird is the verb!

Tour the Shot Tower that overlooks the beautiful New River and learn about the history and process of making lead shot.

From planting seeds to composting, there is so much to learn in our Children's Garden.

Become an owl or squirrel and discover your role in the food chain with this interactive predator-prey simulation. You'll quickly learn that it is not easy to survive, even if you are a predator.

You don't have to be a nature expert to enjoy the great outdoors.

Explore the beautiful wetlands with us.

Do you want to know how you can support environmental sustainability in your own backyard?  How you can boost our region's stressed pollinators and birds?  Spend less money on landscaping?  Northern Virginia's native plant species are as beautiful and as interesting as any invasive flora.  As part of the Leesylvania State Park’s 2022 Sustainability Series, please join the park in welcoming the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Master Gardeners for a discussion on the benefits of planting indigenous species.  Guests are also invited to participate in the planting of the park’s own native plant garden at the Visitor Center.  For any questions or inquiries, please contact the Visitor Center at (703)583-6904 or via e-mail at leesylvaniavc@dcr.virginia.gov.

Pollinators help create some our favorite foods.

Splash a hand line in the water and see if you pull up a jimmy or a sook.

Stop by the RV Bathhouse to get a closer look at the skulls, tracks and scats of some of Shenandoah’s native animals.

Bows and arrows have been a part of human society for thousands of years and used for survival and sport.

Did you ever wonder why butterflies and moths have such amazing colors and patterns?

Did you know birds don't live in bird houses?

What is an eastern kingsnake?

What animal inspired a popular children's game?

From ants to millipedes and bees to cicadas, the whole family will discover how some creepy crawly critters don't deserve their bad reputation.

The Jones-Stewart Mansion is a stunning example of an antebellum plantation house built in 1854.

Scary?

Have you been looking for a reason to get out and explore New River Trail?

Are you an expert angler or looking to pick up a couple fishing tips?

Dig in as we discover what animals call our vernal pool home, and its importance to their survival.

For ages 10+.

Native plants are not only beautiful, but they serve as important habitat and food sources for pollinators and other wildlife.

What is a  red-eared slider?

Stop by and investigate the variety of flora and fauna found around Smith Mountain Lake.

Have you ever wondered how snakes can swallow something as big as their own heads?

Tour a replica of the Anderson Blockhouse as members of the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association provide information about the history of the building and area.

What’s your favorite kind of butterfly?

Just a quick look inside our Westmoreland State Park honey bee hives with Ranger Robby!  All are welcome! Don't bee shy!  Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes with socks.

Not all-aquatic wildlife has fins or scales!

Learn about oysters and their importance as keystone species as you create a holiday ornament, keychain, or charm using a real oyster shell.

Like them or loathe them, snakes are important to our ecosystems.

While we sleep a whole new set of nocturnal animals come out to begin their "daily" activities.

You never know what critters you will see around Belle Isle, there's dozens to pick from.

Are you a prospective park ranger or historian?

Just because we don’t always spot them, we know the animals are around by the tracks and traces they leave behind.

Join us for a monthly series on native Virginia reptiles and amphibians (known collectively as "herps") presented by Ty “Snakeman” Smith.

May is for Mom, but it is also for native Mountain Laurels in bloom along our trails.

Meet with a ranger to go on a hike and learn about the history of the old iron mining town of Fayerdale.

Ever wanted to know more about how our animal friends parented their young?

Not all bees live in hives.

Gather around the campfire with park staff and visitors on Saturday evenings this summer. Each week will feature different nature-related themes, while making sweet culinary creations.

When the sun goes down, our other senses become more alert than our sight.  Nocturnal creatures become more active in the pursuit of food and mates.  Hike with us for a magical natural journey through the night. .

Join us after dusk to get a glance at the moon.

"Beavers:  Nature's Engineers" examines the characteristics and habits of North America's largest rodent.  Learn about how beavers alter the environment more than any other creature except humans.  Find out how beavers contributed to the westward expansion as settlers arrived in the New World.  Following a short lecture about the beaver and a few "local stories", a beautiful movie will follow the life of a pair of beaver's lives throughout a year-long period.  Various items, including a beaver skull, pelt, and examples of wood cuttings, will be displayed.  A special gift will be given to all children who attend the program.

What kinds of owls live in our park? Join us by the campfire to relax and learn a bit about the owls commonly found in our park.

From cypress swamps to maritime forests, marshlands to the Chesapeake Bay let's investigate the plants, animals, ecosystems and history of First Landing State Park. Each day offers a different activity booklet.

Take a 4 hour guided tour through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park!

Try to catch different species of fish in the Shenandoah River.

From woodlands to wetlands, fields and pastures, let's investigate the plants, animals and history of farming at Sky Meadows State Park.

Tour the Shot Tower that overlooks the beautiful New River and learn about the history and process of making lead shot.

Have you ever wondered why donkeys have such long ears or why pigs like to roll in the mud?

Grab a wildlife scavenger hunt from the visitor center and discover a new way to explore.

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners of decades gone by.

Stop by the RV Bathhouse to get a closer look at the skulls, tracks and scats of some of Shenandoah’s native animals.

Walk through history by touring historic Mount Bleak House.

Do you know the difference between frogs and toads?

What's that buzzing?

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations, and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own Staurolite crystal or "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for and the telling of the legend, we will travel to the site.

The Jones-Stewart Mansion is a stunning example of an antebellum plantation house built in 1854.

The brackish waters of the York River has a unique variety of fish and shellfish.  Follow the Woodstock Pond Trail to the river access point past shelter #3 to the left of the pond, Rangers will be using 2-man seine and other nets to discover what is in the water.

Join a ranger as we look over Belmont Bay and learn about what makes Osprey master fishermen. You will be able to get an up-close look at an osprey nest and compare the raptor to other raptors that call Mason Neck home.

Tour a replica of the Anderson Blockhouse as members of the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association provide information about the history of the building and area.

Meet with a ranger and go on a guided hike along the Oak Hickory Trail.

Do you know what animals live in the park?