Shenandoah National Park Fee Free Days 2021

There will be seven fee-free days at Shenandoah National Park in 2021. Six of the days celebrate significant national events and all national parks will waive their entrance fees on those days. The seventh day, Neighbor Appreciation Day, is a special fee-free day for Shenandoah National Park alone.

 Shenandoah National Park fee-free days for 2021 are:

● Monday, January 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
● Saturday, April 17 – First Day of National Park Week/National Junior Ranger Day
● Saturday, June 19 – Neighbor Appreciation Day
● Wednesday, August 4: One year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
● Wednesday, August 25 – National Park Service Birthday
● Saturday, September 25 – National Public Lands Day
● Thursday, November 11 – Veterans Day

The entrance fee waiver for the fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping or special tours. Shenandoah National Park’s entrance fee is normally $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle and $15 per individual providing entry for seven consecutive days.

Shenandoah National Park overlook

With over 200,000 acres of protected lands, Shenandoah National Park is one of the most popular outdoor destinations in Virginia.

The park is known for its cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, wildflowers, and quiet woodlands and other habitats. 

Old Rag is the most popular destination in Shenandoah National Park. The mountain is popular with hikers, climbers, and explorers.

Shenandoah National Park is within a two or three hour drive from Washington, D.C., Hampton Roads, and other metropolitan areas.

In 1976, Congress designated 79,579 acres of Shenandoah National Park as Wilderness under the Eastern Wilderness Areas Act.

The Shenandoah National Park smartphone app allows users to explore the park with detailed maps, self-guided digital tours, points of interest, and park information.

For more information, visit the Shenandoah National Park website: https://www.nps.gov/shen/

Friends of the Rappahannock Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2018

Friends of the Rappahannock’s 8th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival kicks off Saturday, March 24 at Rappahannock High School in Warsaw, Virginia. Doors open at 3:00 and the festival concludes at 5:30 p.m.

The festival will then travel to Fredericksburg for a showing at UMW's Dodd Aunditorium on March 31. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with movies playing from 6:45 to 9:00 pm.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival takes audiences to the world’s most beautiful places, introduces you to the amazing creatures that inhabit them and the adventurous and courageous people who work to protect them.

The festival highlights short and inspirational movies about environmental issues, wildlife, and outdoor adventures.

These movies are suitable for people of all ages, and will be showing in both Fredericksburg and Warsaw.

Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) is a non-profit, watershed advocacy group in its 33rd year of protecting the Rappahannock River, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

Seal Sightings in Virginia

Each winter, ​Virginia’s coastline is visited by migrating seals, whales, and other marine life.

During these periods, the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team receives dozens of calls informing them of the locations of “hauled out” seals.

Hauling out is when seals or other marine mammals temporarily leave the water between feedings. This information is helpful for the aquarium’s population surveys and research.

As sightings continue to increase, the Stranding Response Team encourages residents and visitors to leave the animals alone. It is normal behavior for seals to haul out onto beaches and rocky outcroppings to rest.

Approaching them can be dangerous. Like most marine mammals, seals are protected by federal law and should not be approached or harassed.

If threatened, they may bite people or other animals. Please also refrain from feeding them as it may result in the seals associating people with food.

When seal sightings occur, the public is advised to call the Stranding Response Program at (757) 385-7575 as soon as possible, regardless of the animal’s condition.

Taking a picture and/or video with a phone, while maintaining a safe distance, can help stranding response staff assess the condition of the animal.

The team may need to come out and evaluate the health of the animal, determine the species and location, and take photos for individual identification. ​

source: City of Virginia Beach

Eastern Shore Birding Festival 2015

Eastern Shore Birding Festival
October 8 - October 11, 2015
Cape Charles, VA

Held on the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula near Cape Charles, Virginia, the Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife Festival celebrates the peak of fall bird migration in a pristine coastal environment.

The region is surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, which creates a natural “funnel” effect for migrating hawks, warblers and other songbirds in the Fall.

The festival includes lectures, field trips (by land and boat), kayaking tours, an oyster roast, photography contest, and other activities.

In addition to birding, visitors can explore historic Cape Charles and other seaside villages.

For more information, visit www.esbirdingfestival.com.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan

Planners from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are developing a new 15-year management plan, known as a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).

The plan is expected to address issues that will affect wildlife and habitat management, administration and public uses of the refuge.

According to USFWS, accomplish the refuge’s wildlife conservation mission, while promoting sustainable, compatible enjoyment of the refuge by over one million people who visit annually.

The August 2012 CCP newsletter is now available and can be found on the refuge website at: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/Chincoteague/ccphome.html

The draft CCP is expected to be published for public review and comment at the end of 2012.

For more information, contact the refuge at 757.336.6122.

2011 Virginia Earthquake

According to a Preliminary Earthquake Report from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurred in Virginia on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 01:51:03 PM.

The epicenter of the quake was reported to be 37.975°N, 77.969°W, which is approximately 27 miles E of Charlottesville, 34 miles SW of Fredericksburg, 39 miles NW of Richmond and 50 miles NNE of Farmville, Virginia.