Ever since I’ve been little, I’ve always enjoyed exploring the outdoors. While getting my Biology at James Madison University, I got to take several classes where we hiked to identify the beautiful flora and fauna of the Shenandoah valley. Many years later, I am back home in northern Virginia and want to return to my root of exploring the native wilds of Western Fairfax county.
Despite our suburban setting, this area is full of quiet wildness, the kind you only notice when you slow down, step off the sidewalk, and listen. Wild West Fairfax is my ongoing project to explore the native plants, animals, and hidden habitats that shape the forests, meadows, and streams of Clifton, Centreville, Fairfax Station, Chantilly, and the Bull Run watershed.
This is a place where spring peepers call from roadside wetlands, where bluebells flood the floodplains each April, where foxes slip between backyards, and where old growth forests still exist. My goal is to document these moments with curiosity and scientific care, creating a space where anyone can learn what’s living right outside their door.
Through monthly field guides, park spotlights, species profiles, and seasonal observations, I hope to make the natural world of western Fairfax feel both familiar and extraordinary. Whether you’re a hiker, a backyard naturalist, a photographer, or simply someone who loves this corner of Virginia, I’m glad you’re here.
Let’s explore the wild edges of home together.
Wild West Fairfax 