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Rust Nature Sanctuary, Leesburg

summer camps at Rust

summer camp at Rust

Description

Enjoy nature at the Rust Nature Sanctuary throughout the year. Each season has something to fascinate nature lovers, from spring frog choruses to turkey tracks in the snow. And the more often you visit, the more you'll find.

Our 68 acres encompasses meadows, forests, and ponds where you'll find a variety of wildlife and plants. During a visit, you might encounter nesting songbirds from the tropics in the oak-hickory forest, a fox hunting in our meadow, or colorful dragonflies darting above the pond. Trail Map

Come and enjoy the Rust Nature Sanctuary anytime from dawn to dusk, seven days a week, every day of the year. No admission fee required. Bring your binoculars, camera, and a picnic lunch. Take photographs, and leave with pleasant memories and plans to return again and again.

Nature Activities & Programs

2009-10 Rust Scout Program Brochure | School Programs | Birthday Parties

Homeschool Programs at the Rust Nature Sanctuary-Fall 2009

Trees are amazing; able to produce their own food, migrate, eat, and grow, all while rooted to the ground. In these concurrent sessions, one for elementary aged kids and one for middle/high school kids; we will explore the world of plants, focusing on native trees. more information & registration form

Fall 2009 Children's Programs at Rust

Registration
To register for any of the following children's & family programs please call
703-669-0000 x 1 or email julieg@audubonnaturalist.org

Afterschool Programs
Thursdays, September 15- October 20
Drop off 3:30-4:00 Class 4:00-5:30
6 week session: Members: $65 Non-Members: $85

Afterschool Adventurers: 1st-2nd grade
Become a forest explorer in this action-packed class. We will learn how to find our way through the forest, discover who is sneaking around in our yards and engage all of our senses in this special class. Outdoor exploration, role playing, crafts and games will all be part of this exciting series.

Cycles and Chains: 3rd-4th grade
What do rocks, water, seasons, food and compost have in common? They are each part of a natural cycle! We will investigate how cycles work and learn how they play an important role in nature. Outdoor and indoor activities include experiments, games, art projects, and observation of natural phenomena.

Rust Nature Sanctuary Free Walks
Free nature walks for adults and older children with an interest in expanding their understanding of the natural world. Call 703-737-0021 for more information.

Midweek Rust Rambles
Explore Rust with a naturalist, 2nd Wednesday each month, March through November, 10-11:30 a.m.

Bird Walks for Beginners
Learn birding basics, 3rd Saturday each month, September through June, 8-9 a.m.

Broadlands Nature Talks
In partnership with the Broadlands Association, ANS brings speakers to the Broadlands Nature Center to address natural history topics with an emphasis on nature in a suburban setting. More info here.

Directions

802 Children's Center Road Leesburg, VA 20175 703-669-0000

From the DC Beltway, exit onto the Dulles Toll Road (Route 267). Follow the Toll Road local lanes until they become the Dulles Greenway (still Route 267). At the end of the Greenway (approximately 13 miles) take the left exit to Leesburg. This is the Leesburg Bypass. Go west on Bypass to the second exit (Route 7 - Business Leesburg). Caution: Do not take the first Leesburg exit, Route 15. Turn right at the top of the exit ramp onto Rt. 7. Turn right at the first traffic light, Catoctin Circle. Continue 1/8 mile on Catoctin Circle to Children's Center Road (on your right). Turn right and follow Children's Center Road until you reach the cul de sac at the end. The middle drive-at sign-will take you through the Sanctuary to the Manor House.

From Ashburn or Sterling and points east of Leesburg: Follow Route 7 west to Leesburg, and turn left onto Catoctin Circle at the light by Johnson's Beef House. Continue on Catoctin past the Post Office (on left) to the light at Rt. 15 (King Street). Continue on Catoctin through the light and across Dry Mill Road to Children's Center Road (on your left). Turn left and follow Children's Center Road until you reach the cul de sac at the end. The middle drive-at sign-will take you through the Sanctuary to the Manor House.

From points west of Leesburg, VA: Follow Route 7 east and take the first Leesburg exit (Leesburg Business). Turn right at first stoplight, Catoctin Circle, and continue 1/8 mile to Children's Center Road (on your right). Turn right and follow Children's Center Road until you reach the cul de sac at the end. The middle drive-at sign-will take you through the Sanctuary to the Manor House.

Directions to Rust Manor House

Rust Committee

Many thanks to the following individuals, who are committed to making Rust Nature Sanctuary a premier site for environmental education in Loudoun County:

Betsey Brown, Joseph Coleman, Phil Daley, Virginia Friend, Irish Grandfield (chair), Roberta Jeffries, Carole Miller, Jeanne Morency, Linda Porter, Judith Randal Hines, John and Peggy Rust.

A History of Rust Nature Sanctuary Property

The Rust Manor House is a site rich in Virginia history and public service. It was built in 1910 by Henry Harrison, a descendant of the first European recorded as visiting Loudoun County, for his wife, Anne Lee who was a cousin of Robert E. Lee. Anne lived here until her death in 1928. Having no heirs, she left the property to the St. Emma Agricultural and Industrial Institute, a school for young black men established by an order of nuns near Richmond.

William Fitzhugh Rust, another scion of a distinguished Virginia and Loudoun County family, purchased the property from St. Emma in 1929 and substantially remolded the house, copying many architectural elements from old Rust plantation homes. William died in 1940, but his widow, Mary, lived in the manor house and operated the property as a dairy farm through World War II.

After the war she and her son sold the property to Ida K. Polen, a very successful business woman from Arlington. After Ida died, the property was put up for auction and William Fitzhugh Rust, Jr., the son of William and Mary, bought it. He also donated the land for Ida Lee Park and The Rust Library to the Town of Leesburg..

In 2000, following the wishes of their mother, Margaret Dole Rust, the children of William and Margaret donated their family home to the Audubon Naturalist Society to create the Rust Nature Sanctuary.—Prepared by the Audubon Naturalist Society

Purchase An Informal History of the Rust Nature Sanctuary: The Place and The People by Edwin H. Clark II

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