Meet at the Beall Tract lot at the end of Beall Lane on Canaan Valley NWR at 10 am

Leader: Aaron Graham

Join Friends of Blackwater for a trip out to see some of the area’s butterflies! The old hayfields and wood edges offer excellent pollinator habitat where we will hope to see a variety of Swallowtails, Northern Pearly-eye, Appalachian Brown, Common Ringlet, a variety of grass skipper, and perhaps specialties such as Pink-edged Sulphur. We hope for some up-close views of these species on the area’s wildflowers and might have the catch to net a few individuals to see them in hand. This site also offers a variety of grassland breeding birds to encounter such as Savannah Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows, and Northern Harriers.  If time allows, we might check some other spots in the valley for butterflies and grab lunch somewhere after. Wear appropriate gear for hiking.