The Suzanne R. Kane Nature Preserve is located between Rt. 690 North and Hatcher Avenue. This area was named for the late Suzanne Kane in 2005. She served on the Purcellville Planning Commission and on the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Sue was responsible for the planting of hundreds of trees in Purcellville and spearheaded the Town’s first Arbor Day celebration.

This land was donated to the Town in two phases.  The first phase involved a donation by Lynn Cornwell and Partners when the Valley Industrial Park was developed.  The second donation that linked the 690 corridor was donated by Jim Wilson and family when he originally developed the concrete plant in the industrial park.  

Students and scouts have worked on projects in this area. Some of these projects include plantings, walkways, bat boxes, owl boxes, and signage. 

Besides offering the residents of Purcellville a place to walk their dogs, go for a run, or search for birds and flowers, the Suzanne R. Kane Nature Preserve currently provides about 15% of the Town’s water supply through the use of two groundwater wells.  

To visit the Suzanne R. Kane Nature Preserve, you can walk from the Chapman DeMary Trail across Hatcher Avenue or you can park on 21st Street near the entrance to the area on that side.

One of the most prevalent trees in this habitat are Eastern White Pines.

We created a fun scavenger hunt for the nature preserve. You can find that, and a lot of other fun things to do, on the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Facebook page. The preserve is open dawn to dusk. Remember to leave no trace!

Town Wins Recreational Trails Grant to Establish a Multi-Use Path through the Suzanne R. Kane Nature Preserve

In October, 2021, the Town of Purcellville was awarded funding from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Federal Highway Administration through the Recreational Trails Program. Thirty-five applications were received of which nine, including the Town of Purcellville, were successful. The Town of Purcellville’s project will establish a new multi-use trail through the Suzanne R. Kane Nature Preserve to improve accessibility and to establish connections between existing and planned trails and sidewalks.  The grant award is for $328,734, which is 80% of the total project estimate of $410,918.

The multi-use trail through the Suzanne R. Kane Nature Preserve will help increase the use of and access to the nature preserve for recreation, fitness, and environmental education; provide those using the W&OD Regional Trail with a loop through the Town to enjoy a scenic route along the South Fork Catoctin Creek; and create connections to schools, neighborhoods, other trails, and to the historic downtown business district. The trail will also provide meaningful access to new recreational opportunities for those who are disabled. Elements of the project include a paved 2,100-foot-long path that meets the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for grading and width; additional parking spaces with two ADA accessible spaces; wayfinding signs designed for increased visibility and readability; and two rest areas along the path with benches and signage located near the creek. 

The project will be completed in two phases, each lasting up to 18-months. The first phase is design and engineering; the second phase is the construction.

Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grant, 2021

The Town of Purcellville is pleased to announce that it is a recipient of the Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grant issued by the Virginia Department of Forestry. The project is to plant new trees at the Suzanne R. Kane Nature Preserve to help maintain and improve the habitat, increase the number of native species in the area, and improve water quality so the preserve continues to provide the food, water, shelter, and shade necessary for native wildlife to thrive. The elements of the project include tree plantings, community engagement, and education. 

The tree plantings will be held in the spring and the fall, and completed with the help of volunteers. For the educational component, the Tree and Environment Sustainability Committee (TESC) will host a series of workshops about trees, the first of which will be held virtually on Thursday, March 25 at 7 p.m. The first workshop will be about how to plant trees, the second will cover the benefits of native trees, and the third will be about how to care for trees throughout the year. Other efforts that will be conducted through this project include flyers, signage, and online outreach through the Town’s website and social media.