The Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board hosts a series of monthly nature walks the last Sunday of each month at the Chapman DeMary Trail. Many of the walks this year are jointly hosted by the Purcellville Arts Council and the Tree and Environment Sustainability Committee. These free walks led by local experts start at 1 p.m. 

Discover Creek Critters of the Catoctin on Sunday, March 26
at the Chapman DeMary Trail!

Join the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Purcellville Tree and Environment Sustainability Committee, and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s Stream Team on Sunday, March 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. to observe creek critters up close at the Chapman DeMary Trail! The South Fork of the Catoctin Creek, part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, runs along the Chapman DeMary Trail. Creek critters that live in this stream include water penny larvae, dragonfly nymphs, mayfly nymphs, crayfish, hellgrammites, and clams. Attendees will learn about these critters, help find and identify them, and find out how they can determine the health of the stream.  

Register online to attend! 

In addition to the fun activities about creek critters, nature journals and pencils will be provided to attendees, courtesy of the Purcellville Arts Council.  Those who already received journaling supplies at previous events at the Chapman DeMary Trail are encouraged to bring their journals to observe, write, draw, and capture the seasonal changes as well as to get a sticker. Participants with six or more stickers from the monthly nature walks through November 2023 will get a prize. 

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.

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.