The Clifton Institute

Our mission is to inspire a deeper understanding and appreciation of nature, to study the ecology of our region, to restore habitat, and to conserve native biodiversity.

Help us preserve the incredible natural landscapes of northern Virginia for generations to come!

We provide environmental education, conduct ecological research, and restore habitat for native biodiversity. 

In 2024 alone we ran 196 outdoor education programs for 2,737 children and 1,524 adults. An incredible team of 12 researchers and interns tracked 40 American Kestrels and 60 Eastern Box Turtles to better understand what habitats they use at different times of year and we will be sharing those results soon. We managed our 900-acre property as high-quality habitat for thousands of native species and we provided advice to landowners managing over 3,000 acres on how to do the same.

Our goals for 2025 are 

1. to improve the management of 3,000 acres of habitat for native plants and animals through our Landowner Outreach program, 
2. to work with the farmers enrolled in our Native Seed Project to cultivate the first ever crops of native wildflower seeds in Virginia, 
3. to share actionable land management strategies with the public based on the results of our American Kestrel and Box Turtle research projects, 
4. for 200 students to study Lawn Lab, the land management experiment we set up at Grace Miller Elementary School and Liberty High School, 
5. and for 4,000 children and adults to attend our hands-on environmental education programs.

Your donation today will help us accomplish those goals! Thank you for your support!

A donation of $40 or more makes you and your family Friends of the Clifton Institute for a year starting on the date of your donation. Our trails are open for Friends of the Clifton Institute every Tuesday and Saturday from mid-January to mid-October (the exact dates are on our website calendar). Friends also receive discounts on selected programs and at our biannual plant sales; just select the Friends price at checkout when you register for a program on our calendar.