Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve

We got sunshine on a rainy day!
We didn’t let a little drizzle (sometimes downpour) stop us from celebrating our favorite pollinators yesterday at the preserve! We gathered in the annex (where we meet when weather does not cooperate) for a wild and wonderful pollinator-themed story time where we read several favorite stories, practiced being bees & butterflies pollinating flowers, and enjoyed the sights of some stunning pollinator flowers.

Master Naturalist and Instructor Kelly brought a few special guests yesterday: a recently eclosed (emerged from chrysalis) black swallowtail butterfly (papilio polyxenes) and two others in different development stages—metamorphosis (when the internal structures of the caterpillar completely dissolve and reorganize into the adult butterfly’s wings, legs, and organs) and pharate phase (the final 24 to 48 hours before emerging, where the chrysalis becomes transparent and the adult butterfly’s wing colors become visible inside)!

that the word chrysalis is derived from the Greek word for gold (chrysos), due to the metallic spots on many species?

Here are our favorite pollinator books right now:
• Waiting For Wings by Lois Ehlert
• The Honeybee by Kristen Hall
• Hello, Little One by Zeena Pliska
• Monarch Butterflies by Ann Hobbie
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston
• Little Yellow Bee by Ginger Swift

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to learn, explore, and play! Whether it’s bees, hummingbirds, or butterflies, every creature makes a huge difference for our local ecosystem. Continue celebrating with a June Pollinator Hunt Hike on Saturday at 9:30am!

Nurturing the next generation of naturalists, one wing flutter and buzz at a time! Join us for Storytime Gone Wild & Nature Walk every 4th Tuesday at 9:30am: Snakes on 7/28 and Spiders on 7/25!

The Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services’ Loudoun Trails and Waterways program is seeking volunteers to participate in a volunteer event this Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to help prepare future equestrian trails at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve.

Volunteers will work on opening access between Evergreen Mills Trailhead and Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve by clearing vegetation and hardening trail tread. Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes and dress for the weather, including sun and insect protection. Please bring a water bottle and come nourished to work on the trails!

Register online here: https://cerv.is/0403x1236
What: Trail Building
When: Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Where: Evergreen Mills Trailhead
21332 Marcum Farm Ct, Leesburg, VA 20175

Following the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors’ approval of the equestrian trails plan at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, staff from the Loudoun Trails and Waterways program have begun trail improvements at the preserve. Trails are anticipated to open for equestrian use in two phases later in the year. A formal announcement of the equestrian trail opening will be made at a later date.

More information about future equestrian trails at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve can be found at https://bit.ly/44seLCi.

We spy…every color of the rainbow!
It’s easy to look outside this time of year and only see green, but look closer and you will find every color of the rainbow—and that is exactly what we did to celebrate not only National Trails Day, but also Great Outdoors Month & Pride Month!

Nature definitely understood the assignment! From vibrant wildflower yellows to deep canopy greens and bright fungi oranges, the trails were alive with color. Master Naturalist & Trail Guide Kelly Roach led the group through nearly three miles of varied ecosystems for the third annual rainbow hike.

We challenge you to take a rainbow hike this summer! Here are a few things to look out for:
• Red: false strawberries, black raspberries, new oak leaves, red clover blossoms
• Orange: mushrooms and fungi, millipedes, jewelweed, milkweed beetles, fritillaries* *even one who landed on a hiker’s head—swipe to the final photo!
• Yellow: tulip blossoms, honeysuckle, dandelion, tickseed, daisy centers
• Green: foliage, ferns, moss, and much more!
• Blue: blue-eyed grass, Carolina horse nettle, bluets
• Purple: false indigo, wineberry buds

Spending time in the great outdoors reminds us how beautiful diversity is—both in nature and in our community. Happy Pride, happy adventuring, and see you on the trails!


Rainbow Pride Hike

Join us June 21 to celebrate summer solstice and Father's Day with our drop-in "Dad Skills" challenge and lawn games.

How will you enjoy the longest day of the year?

PRCS is joining Parks and Recreation Departments around Virginia for Play All Day VA on Sunday, June 21, which marks the official start of astronomical summer.

It's a day of celebration, and the VRPS: Virginia Recreation & Park Society has organized a statewide initiative to provide free programs and services for the community from sunrise to sunset.

PRCS is inviting residents to make time to play at multiple free activities and programs at parks and centers across the County.

Plus, enjoy free admission* to open recreation, indoor aquatics, and community centers on this day.

Visit loudoun.gov/PlayAllDay for further details on events and programs offered by Loudoun PRCS for Play All Day VA.

*Additional fees for programs still apply. Outdoor pools are not included in this promotion.

Come check out Banshee Reek’s seasonal events happening throughout the summer months for all ages ☀️🎣🦦🐠🥾

No registration required!

Sign up for all of our amazing events and programming this June! Registration cutoff is 24 hours before program.

Shhhh…can you keep a secret?
We are really lucky here at Banshee Reeks, like a 1-in-10,000 kind of luck…{read on for why}

Yesterday’s Storytime Gone Wild with Virginia Master Naturalist Instructor Kelly Roach started like any other: 9:30am with dozens of young naturalists gathering together no matter the weather. May’s theme was wildflowers as it is National Wildflower Month and the best time of the year to see native blooms in wild places like Banshee Reeks!

Once the rainy week wiggles started, we all knew it was time for the hands-on outdoor segment of storytime. We were greeted by blanket flower and beardtongue bursting with beautiful blooms but the best of all might surprise you—the swathes of wild white clover (trifolium repens) and this is why our story gets exciting!

For the storytime craft, we opted for a flower fan favorite, the sticky bracelet. *Foraging among only approved plants that are normally mowed as Banshee does not permit foraging.

Then it happened: “I found a four-leaf clover!” and another and another and on and on! In 15-minutes a few in the group found over 20 4-leaf clovers!

that the chance of finding a 4-leaf clover is 1 in 10,000? Finding one is a sign of immense good luck. The standard clover has three leaves, representing faith, hope, and love; the ultra-rare fourth leaf represents luck. The fourth leaf of a clover is the result of a rare genetic mutation combined with specific environmental conditions (like soil pH, temperature, or pollution). These traits are inheritable, and environmental stressors that cause the mutation will affect all clovers in a localized patch = Banshee Reeks is a hotspot.

Clovers spread through interconnected root systems called stolons, meaning a patch with the genetic mutation will often produce multiple four-leaf leaves, so when you spot one, keep searching!

Share this only with your nature-loving friends and make a date to visit the preserve to forage for four-leaf clovers.

Swipe to photo 11 for Master Naturalist’s Kelly Roach’s favorite books right now as our word count luck ran out on this post. See you at the next Storytimes: 6/23 Pollinators & 7/28 Snakes.

While these things may seem small, they are important in their own way and are always a fun sight.

Ephemeral streams like this one typically only flow during rain events.

Log jams and other features within these streams can help slow the flow of water, spreading it out and reducing harmful force.

We just love moss. That would take a whole other post.

Decaying trees provide habitat for insects and break down to become soil for the next generation of plants.

Root balls and their fallen trees can create small ephemeral pools, bring light to the forest floor, and bring rocks contained in the roots to the surface. Evidence of these trees will remain in the soil for years to come.

What are some of your favorite small things to see in the forest?

Join us for an Invasive Plant Identification Walk on Friday, June 5th from 10:00am to 10:45am. Discover how to spot plants like the Autumn Olive and learn about their impact on our environment.

To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability to participate, contact [email protected] or call 703-777-0343. Advance notice is requested.

Si usted requiere asistencia por discapacidad o necesita un intérprete para participar, por favor contáctenos en [email protected] o llame al 703-777-0343.