PURCELLVILLE, Va., October 15, 2019 — Join the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Purcellville Arts Council, the co-hosts of the next nature walk at the Chapman DeMary Trail, on Sunday, October 27 at 1 p.m. to learn the fundamentals of nature photography. This walk will be led by Luke Greer, a heritage photographer, who will share the lessons he has learned from over a decade of natural world photography. He will give tips about focal ranges, lens selection, physical practices, lighting, weather adaptation, and techniques for working with wildlife. Dress appropriately for being in a wooded area. Register online to participate.
A native of Loudoun County, Virginia, Luke Greer began his research based-heritage photography to preserve the scenes and collective history of the rapidly vanishing rural lifestyle within Civil War landscapes. His high-contrast black and white images pay homage to photographic processes from the 1860's through the early 1900's. These processes are juxtaposed by his contemporary digital practices and strongly dynamic aesthetic style. He seeks to “give reverence and encourage preservation through the creation of powerful images.” Most recently, his work was selected by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for display at the U.S. Senate Russell Rotunda on Capitol Hill in cooperation with congressional sponsor Richard Burr for their "United By The Appalachian Trail" exhibition. Mr. Greer was one of 13 photographers selected, one from each of the trail states, to commemorate the beauty and importance of the Appalachian Trail during the 50th anniversary of their inclusion with the National Park Service. In 2016, he was also entrusted as one of three photographers to work with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians in the Everglades for their environmental study while documenting the islands where their families had lived over the past few hundred years. He has collaborated with the Mosby Heritage Area Association and The Loudoun Freedom center on historic preservation projects and currently serves as a board member for the Short Hill Historical Society.
The Chapman DeMary Trail is a 10-acre area considered to be the last stand of old-growth forest in the Town of Purcellville. It runs along the South Fork Catoctin Creek, part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The area is open to the public for environmental recreation, exploration, and education. The Town of Purcellville holds the conservation easement for this privately-owned property. The entrance and parking for the Chapman DeMary Trail is behind the building at 205 East Hirst Road in Purcellville.
The Discover Nature’s Secrets guided nature walks are held the last Sunday of each month and hosted by the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Throughout 2019, walks will be led by experts from The Piedmont Environmental Council, the Virginia Department of
Forestry, Loudoun County Tree Stewards, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, and a variety of other experts. Topics include wildlife clues, wildflowers, natural dyes, native plants, pollinators, art and nature, tree identification, and more.
Learn more and register online on the Monthly Nature Walks page in the Events and Activities section of the Town of Purcellville’s website at www.PurcellvilleVa.gov.
