Purcellville, VA, November 15, 2019 — Join the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Sunday, November 24 at 1 p.m. for the next in their series of free nature walks at the Chapman DeMary Trail. This walk will be led by Loudoun County Urban Forester, Kyle Dingus. He will explain why the forest “sleeps” through the winter, how trees adapt to colder weather, and why trees stop growing in the fall. He will share information about the habitat, the type of forest cover along the trail, and tips about how to identify trees in the winter. Dress appropriately for the weather. Register online to participate.
Kyle has been working as the Loudoun County Urban Forester since March 2019. Before going to work for the county, he worked for the Virginia Department of Forestry for 5 years as one of the NOVA Work area foresters covering Rappahannock, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, and Prince William counties, and the City of Alexandria. He earned his degree in forestry from Virginia Tech.
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.
