Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve

Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve is permanently protected for people & wildlife.

Come check out Banshee Reek’s seasonal events happening throughout the summer months for all ages ☀️🎣🦦🐠🥾 No registration...
06/01/2026

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. ...
06/01/2026

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...
05/27/2026

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...
05/26/2026

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 pl...
05/26/2026

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.

Join us for an Invasive Plant Identification Walk on Friday, June 5th, from 10:00am to 10:45am. Led by Natali Walker, an...
05/24/2026

Join us for an Invasive Plant Identification Walk on Friday, June 5th, from 10:00am to 10:45am. Led by Natali Walker, an Invasive Management Specialist with Blue Ridge PRISM, this educational hike will teach you how to identify invasive plants and manage them effectively. The event is free, but registration is required. Meet us in front of the Visitor Center. Ages 12 and up are welcome.

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.

We had a great group of Junior Rangers on Saturday! They put up tents, used maps and compasses to lead us to the river, ...
05/19/2026

We had a great group of Junior Rangers on Saturday! They put up tents, used maps and compasses to lead us to the river, and built us a fire for s’mores!

Annual Lemonade Group Hike Check List:✔️ 40+ Hikers✔️ Lemonade❌ Ability to pass the “boop noodle” (opposite of a “danger...
05/18/2026

Annual Lemonade Group Hike Check List:
✔️ 40+ Hikers
✔️ Lemonade
❌ Ability to pass the “boop noodle” (opposite of a “danger noodle”) aka non-venomous snake on trail

Proof that you can hike down a trail a hundred times and still experience something for the first time! This happened to Trail Guide & Virginia Master Naturalist Kelly Roach yesterday while leading hikers along lower Lookout Loop Trail.

A large non-venomous Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) stood his/her ground in a very defensive S-position blocking hikers from passing. The snake even vibrated its tail in an evolutionary survival strategy known as ‘batesian mimicry’—when a harmless animal (the mimic) copies the warnings of a dangerous animal to avoid harm. This ratsnake was mimicking the sound of a venomous rattlesnake!

After several minutes of the group observing the snake from a safe distance (6-foot rule), Kelly decided it was safest to take an alternate trail. It is best to respect wildlife in their home = never try to move a snake, especially one exhibiting such a strong defensive behavior designed to warn potential predators/threats (us humans) to stay away.

Visitors are encouranged to OBSERVE rather than disturb the natural inhabitants of the preserve. When hiking, always protect the wildlife and practice .

Eastern Ratsnakes are the most common snake you will encounter at Banshee Reeks and in Loudoun County; they are a vital species to Virginia’s ecosystem because they serve as natural, non-toxic pest control for homeowners and farmers, maintaining ecological balance by managing small mammal populations.

Hikers even encountered a second ratsnake on a different trail *but this one was smaller, less dramatic, and slithered off-trail. Other hike highlights: dissecting coyote s**t, a bright six-spotted tiger beetle, identifying poison ivy galore, wildflowers like fleabane and daisies, and a friendly Fowler’s Toad. There is always something to discover and explore on our trails!

JOIN for the next themed hike of this monthly series: June Pollinator Hunt Hike on Saturday, June 27th at 9:30am!




Do you know who loves this weather? The focus of this month’s Storytime Gone Wild: frogs and worms! 🪱🐸 April showers mad...
04/29/2026

Do you know who loves this weather? The focus of this month’s Storytime Gone Wild: frogs and worms! 🪱🐸
April showers made for perfect worm hunting conditions and that’s exactly what all the young naturalists did after a toad-ally awesome time wiggling through our favorite books!

From deep in the dirt to lily pad leaps—storytime was a ribbiting success full of giggles about worm castings (p**p) & awes over frog-eating crocodiles (not in Virginia)! We talked about the importance of worms as “ecosystem engineers”, critical for nature and gardens. Worms have been around for 500 million years?! That’s long before the dinosaurs!

Did you know that Banshee Reeks has one of the best habitats for frog finding in our region thanks to our ponds, streams, and vernal pools?! Green frogs, American bullfrogs, spring peepers, northern cricket frogs, gray tree frogs, wood frogs, pickerel frogs, and chorus frogs are a few you may find!

Master Naturalist’s Kelly Roach’s favorite books right now:
• Just a Worm by Marie Boyd
• Worm Weather by Jean Taft
• The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner
• Up in The Garden and Down in The Dirt by Kate Messner
• Five Speckled Frogs by Yu-Hsuan Huang
• How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival
• Little Green Frog by Ginger Swift
• The Frog Book by Steve Jenkins
• Over and Under in The Pond by Kate Messner

Nurturing the next generation of naturalists, one wiggle and one hop at a time! Join us for Storytime Gone Wild every 4th Tuesday at 9:30am: Wildflowers on 5/26 and Pollinators on 6/23 🌼🐝





Join us today 4-7pm as we dedicate a Liberty Tree and celebrate Arbor Day with free family fun on the front lawn!
04/24/2026

Join us today 4-7pm as we dedicate a Liberty Tree and celebrate Arbor Day with free family fun on the front lawn!

Address

21085 The Woods Road
Leesburg, VA
20175

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve:

Shortcuts

Share

Category