Bird Seed Sale

 You can help resident birds stay healthy this winter 

... and also support Boxerwood Nature Center! 

2014 Bird Seed Sale 

 Rockbridge Bird Club and Rockbridge Farmers Co-op are co-sponsoring a bird seed sale to benefit Boxerwood. Orders must be received by Wednesday, October 27. Orders will be available for pick-up at the Rockbridge Farmers Co-op on Saturday, November 22 from 8AM to Noon. 

SEED VARIETIES

Black Oil Sunflower Seed (25 lbs or 50 lbs) Premium-quality seed. Recleaned (no chaff), high in protein and fat. Attracts Cardinals, Finches, Chickadees, Grosbeaks, Juncos, Titmice, Woodpeckers and more.

Quality Wild Bird Mix (25 lbs or 50 lbs)

A quality mixture containing only recleaned seed, no filler. Contains 15% oil sunflower, 25% milo, 60% white millet. Meets nutritional needs and preferences of many species.

Gourmet Wild Bird Mix (20 lbs or 40 lbs)

The highest quality seed mix available, attracting a wide variety of birds. Contains 40% sunflower, 54% millet, 2%

nyjer, 2% sunflower kernels, 2% safflower.

Nijer Thistle Seed (10 lbs or 20 lbs)

The seed of choice for finches and other songbirds. Attracts Chickadees ,Goldfinches, House Finches, Juncos, Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, Sparrows, Titmice.

ORDER FORM

Name                                                                                                                                                                                  Address                                                                                                                                                                             City/State/Zip                                                                                                                                                                   Phone                                                               Email                                                                                                       

Prices include Virginia Sales Tax.

Prepaid orders must be received by Wednesday, October 27. Please write checks to Boxerwood. Mail them with your order form to:

Boxerwood Nature Center 963 Ross Road

Lexington, VA 24450

Orders will be ready for pick-up on Saturday, November 22 from 8 am to Noon at the Farmers Co-op. Please call Bonnie Bernstein (460-9147) if you need to make alternate plans to pick up your order.

PRODUCT	QUANTITY	EACH	SUBTOTAL
25 lbs. Black Oil Sunflower Seed		$16.00
50 lbs. Black Oil Sunflower Seed		$31.00
25 lbs. Quality Wild Bird Mix		$16.00
50 lbs. Quality Wild Bird Mix		$30.00
20 lbs. Gourmet Wild Bird Mix		$16.00
40 lbs. Gourmet Wild Bird Mix		$30.00
10 lbs. Nyjer Thistle Seed		$17.00
20 lbs. Nyjer Thistle Seed		$32.00
TOTAL Amount Enclosed:

SPECIAL NOTE: The Rockbridge Farmers Co-op will also donate 10% of gross receipts on items purchased in the Co-op Store on November 22 by Seed Sale customers!

Thanks for participating in the 2014 Seed Sale!

Dale's Creek on the Play Trail Gets a Face Lift

Work has been competed by local contractor Walter Garrett to rebuild Dale's Creek on the Boxerwood Play Trail.  The Creek bed has been completely redone with larger stones in the hopes that this popular feature of the Trail will be more stable and require less maintenance by volunteers and staff.

A new water pump was also purchased and placed in the Creek just prior to this most recent rebuild.

And thanks to the work of volunteers, we have replaced the Play Trail Fence along the Ross Road side of the Trail.  The new fence expands the space in the Play Trail area and is higher and much more securely placed than the old fence.

Stop by when you can to check out this beautiful update at Boxerwood.

Fall Family Festival September 27

Play Trail Work

If you visit the Boxerwood Play Trail you may note a few improvements.

Volunteers worked to replace the fencing and place planting beds along the Ross Road side of the area.    This will also allow for development of a children's touch garden.

Plans are in the works for a new music area where children will be able to make their own tunes or just fun noise.

There are now large "Lincoln Logs" made by our talented Staff Member Ben for children to build with.

And Walter Garrett, a local artisan stone mason, is working to rebuild and improve Dale's Creek so children can safely experience water flowing over the rocks.

Bio Blitz and Plant Sale At Boxerwood Saturday October 4

Boxerwood BioBlitz - See FaceBook for updates as they unfold!

This description of the term is from Wikapedia: A BioBlitz is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. Groups of scientists, naturalists and volunteers conduct an intensive field study over a continuous time period (e.g., usually 24 hours). There is a public component to many BioBlitzes, with the goal of getting the public interested in biodiversity. To encourage more public participation, these BioBlitzes are often held in urban parks or nature reserves close to cities. The term "BioBlitz" was first coined by U.S. National Park Service naturalist Susan Rudy while assisting with the first BioBlitz. The first BioBlitz was held at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington D.C. in 1996. Since the success of the first BiobBitz, many organizations around the world have repeated this concept. Since then, most BioBlitz contain a public component so that adults, kids, teens and anyone interested can join experts and scientists in the field. Participating in these hands-on field studies is a fun and exciting way for people to learn about biodiversity and better understand how to protect it.

There will also be an annual plant sale at Boxerwood on October 4 at 1pm to 4pm.

Fall Family Festival September 27th

The Boxerwood Fall Family Festival will be held on Saturday September 27th from 1pm to 4pm.

This years festivities include performances by the Halestone Dance Studio, music by the Rockbridge County High School Ukulele Club, and other fun.  There will also be the traditional apple cider pressing, fresh donuts, and vine head wreath making.

So set you sights on Boxerwood for September 27th.

Here some scenes from past Fall Family Festivals

Results of Monthly Bird Walk at Boxerwood

On September 6th the Rockbridge Bird Club held its first monthly bird walk at
the Boxerwood Nature Center and Woodland Gardens (www.boxerwood.org). The
joint event will take place in the future on the first Saturday of each
month. Today, a group of 10 birders saw a total of 31 species with the
highlight being a Blue Winged Warbler and a calling nearby Eastern Screech
Owl. Several feeding flocks provided additional warblers as migration
begins. The Gardens are open to the public daily. The detailed bird list is
below:

Blue Winged Warbler

 
Boxerwood Gardens - MRR03, Rockbridge, US-VA
Sep 6, 2014 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Sunny Day '80s
31 species
 
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
Mourning Dove 10
Eastern Screech-Owl 1 heard
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 6
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2 heard
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 14
Carolina Chickadee 12
Tufted Titmouse 6
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 2
Carolina Wren 12
Eastern Bluebird 8
American Robin 2
Gray Catbird 4
Brown Thrasher 4
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 1
Worm-eating Warbler 1
Blue-winged Warbler 1
American Redstart 2
Magnolia Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 8
Indigo Bunting 1
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 8
 
Kieran Kilday, Lexington, Virginia

New Art At Boxerwood

Local artist John Auciello donated a piece of his statuary art made from re-used items.  It has been placed near the entrance to Boxerwood outside the gates of the Play Trail.

BOXERWOOD BIRD WALKS STARTING THIS SATURDAY!

Boxerwood is pleased to announce that the Rockbridge Bird Club will offer monthly bird walks at Boxerwood, starting this Saturday (September 6). The early morning walks will take place on the first Saturday of each month. Walkers will meet in the parking area at 7:30 a.m. The walks will generally run about 2 hours. The Bird Club will provide a leader with birding knowledge to share with beginners (of all ages) as well as those with more experience. In the event of heavy rain, the walk will be canceled. If you have any questions, feel free to call Kerry Kilday (561-389-9612).

This is another example of how Boxerwood is working to partner with other local groups to bring the outdoors and our environment alive.

Play Trail Use Increasing

The Play Trail at Boxerwood was designed for children aged 7 and younger to explore the outdoors and even get a little muddy.  The Play Trail has become one of the most popular destinations for young families visiting Boxerwood.

With this increase in use comes a proportionate amount of wear and tear on the infrastructure and maintenance workload for staff and volunteers to keep the Play Trail fun and safe.  We ask that users of  Boxerwood follow a few simple guidelines when using the Play Trail.

Boxerwood Play Trail Guidelines --

The Play Trail is designed for young children, ages 7 and under. Older children should explore other areas of Boxerwood.

THE PLAY TRAIL IS UNSUPERVISED. A parent or a designated caregiver who assumes full responsibility for their behavior and safety must accompany children. Use this area at your own risk.  Visitors who are playing in a way that is not safe or friendly may be asked to leave.

Organizational groups of more than 10 people must contact Boxerwood at least three weeks in advance to inquire if a group visit is possible without conflicting with other scheduled activities and to determine if a use fee is appropriate. Boxerwood staff will discuss with them if the Play Trail or other areas of Boxerwood are more appropriate for their groups needs.

Small family groups of young children (10 or fewer) are welcome without advance notice. Since school visits may be taking place at the same time, some sharing of space may be necessary.

Please do not allow children to wash off muddy pans in Dale’s Creek.  This is operated with an electric pump and mud will clog and damage this equipment.

Clean up – Unpaid volunteers are the main workforce at Boxerwood.  We appreciate your assistance in maintaining the Play Trail.  Each area should be ready for the visitor who follows in your footsteps. Help your child "tidy up" -- especially in the mud kitchen.