Bird Lovers

Grab your coffee and binoculars- it's prime season to hear the musical morning songs of visiting passerines and other birds here in the Bull Run Mountains. Join Preserve staff on a 3.5-mile hike to listen and look for forest-dwelling birds like our scarlet tanager, waterthrush, towhee, and many more. This is a good chance to sharpen your identification skills or see something new! **What to bring:** Insect / tick repellent, water, snacks, binoculars, and hiking shoes. **Where is it:** The public south section of the preserve, located at the end of Beverly Mill Drive. We'll meet near the kiosk board at the trailhead **When:** 5:30 AM The early bird gets the worm. The late hiker gets to catch up to the group! **Who to Contact for Questions**: Deneith Reif, at dreif@vof.org If you're adventurous enough to wake up early on a weekend, you will be rewarded with a dawn chorus and a chance to glimpse some special birds! PS: Please leave your canine companions at home for this and any hike at the preserve.

Pack up a blanket, lawn chairs and a picnic dinner - or grab takeout at a local restaurant! Join us at the gazebo for a laid-back evening of good music and good times with your neighbors. Jameson Green Band delivers soulful Americana infused with rock, country, and blues influences. Their performances combine heartfelt songwriting, rich instrumentation, and an easygoing stage presence that connects instantly with audiences.

🎾 Welcome to Tennis Lovers DMV 3+ 🎾 This group is for intermediate & advanced players 💪 with a USTA NTRP rating of 3.0+ ⭐ We thrive on competitive doubles 🔥🤝 and invite you to join us and RSVP ✅ for our exciting meetup events! Let’s rally, compete, and have a blast — see you on the court soon! 🎾😄🏆

**You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer,** [https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf](https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf) **and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.** **This will be an "out and back" hike covering 9.2 miles with 469 feet of elevation gain. We'll start at the Bike Lane Bike Shop and Brewery and hike on the W&OD , the Twin Branch Trail and the Meadowlark Connector Trail. At the end of the hike we can gather for a beer or other cold beverage at the brewery.** **Meadowlark Botanical Garden is one of the true gems of Northern Virginia and features a Korean Bell Garden.** **To quote from the** ***Washington Post***\*\*:\*\* **"The only Korean Bell Garden in the Western Hemisphere is the place to start: The centerpiece is a natural wooden pavilion — built entirely without nails — holding a three-ton bell, handmade in South Korea and decorated with flora and fauna. The garden also contains a mix of plants native to Korea and Virginia, protective figures carved from volcanic rock called dol hareubangs, walls decorated with images of flowers and symbols of longevity, and a koi pond with a fountain. "** **To quote from the Meadowlark Garden website:** **" Koi swim in Lake Caroline as if parading their gem-like scales among the snapping turtles with decades of filamentous algae streaming from arching shells. October highlights are: False aster (Boltonia asteroides), azure monkshood (Acontium carmichaelii), Canadian burnet (Sanguisorba minor)."** **We'll stop at the Meadowlark Visitor Center where you can relax, browse the exhibits or take a stroll in the Gardens (General Admission $9 with $5 for those over 60).** **We hike at a pace of approximately 2.5 mph while moving.** **You must be experienced with hikes of this length and elevation gain.** **Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy.** **https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy** **Please note only service animals are allowed in the Garden and Visitor Center so canine hikers will have to wait outside during our stop.** **Leader: Steve Frith cell 703-629-0174** **Park Entry Fee: see above description for optional stroll through the Garden** **Map for hike:** **https://www.alltrails.com/explore/custom-routes/custom-route-1b24bc3?u=i&sh=iypgzx**

Regularly scheduled walk to see birds and sights.

**Our Meetup is off to another hiking adventure! Mt Kilimanjaro, as the tallest mountain in Africa, is included in the 7 Summits of the world.** **It is a bucket-list item for all hard-core hikers and mountain lovers.** We did this trek with Meetup in the summer of 2024 and it was a true experience of a lifetime (see photos below) Let's get to some numbers. It is 5,895m/19,340ft BUT . . . our starting elevation for the trek is 3795m/12541ft As such elevation gain is 2100m/6799ft To compare Everest Base Camp trek, is about 2754m/9035ft elevation change. And Mt Whitney is about 1828m/6000ft elevation change. The key to being able to succeed in this endeavor lays in the route and the support system. We are taking the Lemosho Route via the Northern Circuit. The Northern Circuit route is the longest and newest of the seven established Kilimanjaro routes. It's one of the best routes because it has the best acclimatization profile. This results in one of the highest summit success rates. Add to that stunning views, and comparatively relaxed pace. It is also much less crowded than the other Kilimanjaro routes. As far as our support system: We will be accompanied by experienced guides, porters and cooks. They are certified, ensuring our safety and comfort. Porters will carry our gear. We will have a high ratio of guides to hikers. Our guides will go our pace and support each and everyone of us, regardless of fitness level and pace. In other words...you go your own speed and we all get there safe. More about our trek/trip. As with all our international trips, we picked the best season/time of year to go for weather and wildlife. Lemosho and Northern Circuit is a scenically spectacular and varied route. At the lower elevations it has an abundance of wildlife such as elephant, buffalo, eland and lion which come over to forage during dry season. **Each of our trips is personally crafted to offer the best places and best use of time.** *But I don't have the needed gear?!* You don't need much more than the standard trekker's equipment. We will provide you with a list of what is already included and what can be rented there. *Does this include food?* All meals on the trek potion are included and a cook travels with us! *What is lodging like?* We are sleeping in new and comfortable tents (carried during the day by porters) *I am new at this.* That's OK. We do plenty of prep Zooms before we depart. And in California we have a number of local outdoor day or weekend outings you can test out with us. *How dangerous is this? What if I get sick or hurt?* We will be walking on an established, well used trail the entire time. **Our trip INCLUDES emergency insurance.** We are also Certified Wilderness First Responders and our guides are members of (AMREF) Flying Doctor. **Plain and simple, safety is our primary goal.** *How much does this cost?* **Kilimanjaro Mountain Trek $3950 per person, double occupancy. Land only (airfare not included). Solo supplement $600** Trip Cost includes: \- 9 nights accommodation \- 3 meals everyday on the trek \- All Fees & Entrances and Taxes \- Camping equipment such as tents\, tables\, chairs\. \- Lead Guide\, Assistant Guides\, Porters and Cook *RSVP to this event shows your interest, but does not hold your space.* ***The only way to secure your spot for this trip is a $300 deposit:*** ***[CLICK HERE FOR SECURE DEPOSIT LINK](https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/8P9NUAVQM8UEN)*** *Deposit is refundable up to 90 days before the departure (less PayPal fees).* *IF you need an airfare quote,* [Click here to message Anna](https://secure.meetup.com/messages/?new_convo=true&member_id=131297062) For more information about this or any of our other international events, fill out this form: **[INTERNATIONAL MEETUPS INFO REQUEST](https://forms.gle/cQdqYw74gAYqphXX8)** To see pictures from our Kilimanjaro adventure in 2024 [CLICK HERE](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPkfkUp6sEZVQ-xse1di_K19d1QVmSb5KOLeIjynRoWGv_XFLXI8wBfT61XxAHavg?key=U2tKajBuOGRiZkxBOUtTUG1GbUVRVmlDaERCeG5n) We do a monthly Q & A Zoom: Meet others attending, be social, or come and get any questions answered. [Click Here to RSVP to our Zoom](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/296044209/) The MAIN location where this event is posted: [https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/302872805/](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/302872805/) (RSVP there for any conversation and comments) This events is cross posted to several other groups and the number of RSVPs on each is not reflective. We have a set of sister groups where we post our local free, local/regional camping, and our overseas events too. [Click Here ](https://www.meetup.com/CulturalArts/Events)for our other events: Live the adventure instead of only dreaming it! SOT 200318-10

You're invited to Weird Brothers Tabletop Tuesdays! We have some games and puzzles you can check out or bring your own and see who wants to play. Up to 16 seats available, reserve yours by selecting attend on this event.