Prince William Conservation Alliance

PWCAAnnual Bluebell Festival at Merrimac Farm WMA!
Sunday, April 17, 10am to 4pm
15020 Deepwood Lane, Nokesville
Read this e-newsletter online here
Bluebell Festival Fun
Fun for everyonePlease join us to welcome spring, celebrate nature close to home and meet local organizations and people who are working to improve our community.

With some of the best Northern Virginia naturalists leading tours and activities, we're looking forward to a special day at an outstanding natural area. We hope you can join us.

At the Bluebell Festival

Live Music! Americana Roots by Brett Wine

PWCAPrince William Conservation Alliance
Find out who's living in nearby ponds. Discover local aquatic critters, from insects to frogs.

Virginia Native Plant SocietyPrince William Wildflower Society
Try your hand at orchid-gami! Discover more about the parts of flowers with a fun 3D model and pick up a NoVA Natives Guide.
FoPRRFriends of Potomac River Refuges
Dig into some owl pellets and learn about local food webs, owls, and other animals that live along our Potomac River shoreline.
DGIFVirginia Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries
Discover mammal characteristics with skulls and pelts. Learn more about hunting in Virginia.
Chapman MillChapman Mill Historic Site
See and hold artifacts - prehistoric through mid twentieth century - that have been unearthed by our archaeologists over the past four years. Take home a piece of history by 'adopting' one of the Mill's over 3,000 stones or purchasing a Mill stone magnet made from pieces of stone taken from the Mill during its stabilization.
PWSWCDPrince William Soil & Water Conservation District
Learn about the Adopt a Stream program and how you can be a water quality monitor. Have fun with an interactive watershed model.
PWC Forest Pest Mgt.PWC Forest Pest Management
Meet a friendly snake and more while you learn about threats to our local forests and how you can help.
Bull Run Mountain ConservancyBull Run Mountain Conservancy
Discover mountain ecosystems and meet local wildlife, from insects to mammals.
MCB QuanticoMCB Quantico Natural Resources
With about 7,000 acres in the Coastal Plain and 52,000 acres in the Piedmont, Quantico covers diverse habitats. Learn more about their efforts to protect natural resources.
Potomac RiverkeeperPotomac Riverkeeper
Find out the latest on clean up requirements for PWC coal ash ponds.
Historic Prince WilliamHistoric Prince William
Discover historic sites and cemeteries close to home.
RAFFLE!
Hand-Painted Rain Barrel2015 Rain Barrel Raffle!
Thanks to local artist
James Gallagher.
Tickets are $5/each or 5 for $20, click HERE to purchase tickets before the Festival.
Drawing is 3:30pm at the Bluebell Festival. You do not need to be present to win.
Proceeds benefit locally grown stewardship programs.

Tour Schedule

Tours last about 90 minutes and take an easy one-mile walk through the floodplain. Each tour has a special focus, although leaders will cover other interesting sights you encounter along the way. Bring binoculars, cameras and the kids!

10:20 am Dave Larson
NoVA Birder		 Birding the Bluebell Trail
10:40 am Ernie Sears
PWCA		 Visit the best places for photos with camera and guide
11:00 am Charlie Grymes
PWCA		 The story of Merrimac Farm
11:15 pm Charles Smith
PWCA, PWWS		 Native plants - interaction with wildlife and role in the floodplain environment
11:30 pm Harry Glasgow
PWCA, PWSWCD		 Birding the Bluebell Trail
11:45 pm Larry Meade
NoVA Bird Club		 Things that fly -- Birds, butterflies and dragonflies
12:00 pm Jeannie Crouch
VCE Prince William Master Gardeners		 Native wildflowers and habitat connections
12:20 pm Julie Flanagan
PWC Arborist		 Native trees and forest ecosystems
12:35 pm Kevin Parker
PWCA		 A home for every bird
12:50 pm Tom Dombrowski
PWC Watershed Management		 Floodplain Wetlands - Values and Interactions
1:10 pm Nancy Vehrs
PWCA/VNPS		 Woodland wildflowers and other native plants
1:30 pm Janis Stone
Audubon Society of NoVA		 Farm to field to forest - how human interactions shaped today's Merrimac Farm
1:50 pm Judy Gallagher
VA Master Naturalists		 Bees & other pollinators that make wildflowers possible
2:10 pm Dr. Larry Underwood
BRUU Green Team		 Forest Ecosystems
2:30 pm Jeff Irwin and Bill Olson
Historic PW/PWCA		 History in the woods at Green Level Cemetery
2:50 pm Randy Strueffert
Friends of Potomac River Refuges		 The ABCs of Nature Photography
3:05 pm Jim McGlone
VA Dept. of Forestry		 Forest Ecosystems

New Earth Photography
Exhibit and Sale by Julia Flanagan
Black-crowned Night-heron by Julia Flanagan

Bluebell Festival