Winter Lecture Series - Mapping a Conservation Vision for Northern Virginia

Join us for a series of informative lectures on the first Wednesday of each month from December through March. The lectures will be held indoors at the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy's headquarters, just a few minutes' drive away from Leopold's Preserve. Each lecture will feature a special guest speaker who will discuss a topic relating to the natural world. Light refreshments will be provided.

March 4: "Mapping a Conservation Vision for Northern Virginia" presented by Matt Gerhart, conservation director of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. Many organizations focused on natural resources conservation have limited means, which forces them to prioritize their interventions. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are an important tool for spatial targeting of conservation efforts. Matt will discuss the ways that the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust has used GIS analysis to prioritize their conservation efforts in our region.

The Leopold's Preserve Winter Lecture Series is presented through a partnership of the White House Farm Foundation and the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy. Other lectures in this series:

December 3: "Echoes in the Landscape: Uncovering How Bats Use Working Lands" presented by Erin Shibley, a wildlife biologist with the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Did you know that bats offer numerous ecosystem services globally, including pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal? Here in Virginia, bats are critical members of our agricultural ecosystems, consuming thousands of insect pests each night. This interactive program will focus on the behavior and ecological benefits of bats. The presentation will share Smithsonian research updates from a new Virginia Working Landscapes' study in Northern Virginia that explores how bats utilize foraging habitat across agricultural landscapes. Attendees will learn about conservation challenges to North American bat populations and how everyone can get involved to help support bats on their own properties.

January 7: "Toxic sewage sludge from Maryland coming to a VA farm near you!" presented by Dean Naujoks, the Potomac Riverkeeper. Is sewage sludge laced with ‘forever chemicals’ contaminating our farms? In this lecture, Dean will share information about PFAS found in sewage sludge that is being applied to Virginia farmlands. Learn about this emerging issue, see what the Potomac Riverkeeper Network has done to address it, and explore ways that you can take action to protect clean water.

February 4: "Old-Growth Forests: Ecosystems that Benefit Communities" presented by Brian Kane, the mid-Atlantic regional manager for the Old-Growth Forest Network. Brian will discuss the ecological qualities and benefits of old-growth forests and share several examples from notable old-growth forests in the mid-Atlantic. He will also discuss some of the common threats to the forests in the present day. Did you know? Two forests in Prince William County have been honored with membership in the Old-Growth Forest Network: the Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve and Leopold's Preserve.