Preserve Manger Joe Villari here. I recently posed near some glorious elm trees where I had the chance to reflect on the difference that 800 acres can make… Close in size to our South Section at VOF’s Preserve at Bull Run Mountains, NYC’s Central Park is a far cry from our wild NOVA mountainscape. Unlike our state-designated…
The first President of these United States of America, George Washington, started surveying at such a young age that he was once known as the “boy surveyor”.Starting his career as a youthful surveyor for a Lord Fairfax, one of George’s early jobs was to survey the Bull Run Mountains. Just North of Thoroughfare Gap is…
What we now recognize as Black History Month, began as Negro History Week in 1926. It was first celebrated spanning the week of February 7th, so that it would encompass the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass (February 14th) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12th). The holiday we enjoy today, was born in the mind of Carter…
Positioned on the Northern face of our historic Thoroughfare Gap, our Lady gazes down upon the historic Spout Spring that has quenched the thirst of thousands of Mountain locals and passers-through long before the railroad was built. Thoroughfare gap and the stream that helped make it over the millenia, Broad Run, has been a human…
If I had a nickel for every time, I check bringfido.com to see if my pups could join me on an errand or adventure, I’d be one rich dog mom. Usually, I’m the definition of “If my dog can’t come, I’m not going.” My fox terrier mix Eddie got accustomed to joining me at work…
Located at our confluence, our beloved beech was the definition of a trooper.Its root system half pulled out of the Earth by a windstorm decades ago and its trunk since laying horizontally across Catlett’s Branch. Despite this waterlogged existence, it continued to hang on and keep-on-keeping-on for more than a decade.Sadly, its time had come…
So many of the Preserve’s thousands of annual visitors capture incredible moments and creatures in photography. Let’s look back at some of the amazing photos captured by visitors this past Fall! We love seeing your images and featuring them, so please send us your visual “souvenirs” from BRMNAP.
I recently had the chance to visit the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley ‘s incredible National Geographic Photo Ark exhibition. Featuring dozens of portraits by award-winning nature photographer, Joel Sartore, Photographer , this unique exhibition showcases wildlife from all over the world, many of whom are endangered or threatened. By sharing these expressive individuals living in…
With the first frosts of the year occurring, the earlier and earlier nights, and the last of the leaves beginning to drop, our thoughts naturally turn towards winter.Most people consider our mid-atlantic winters devoid of life and that is a fair assumption based on the witnessable preparations of our deciduous treescape, but life is still…
With the equinox behind us, fall is finally here! While it is sometimes bittersweet to say goodbye to the warmth of summer, I for one am so excited for the changes happening at the Preserve over the next several weeks. Read on to see which five reasons top my list to visit Bull Run for…