Visitors checking out the Walker Nature Center in Reston can now try out updated equipment for viewing and identifying wildlife, thanks to a recently awarded state grant.
The education center has purchased new field guides, binoculars and other optics with a “large portion” of a $9,700 wildlife grant that the nonprofit Friends of Reston received from the Virginia Department of Wildlife, Reston Association (RA) announced last week.
The added equipment includes beginner field guides with information about insects and birds, different binoculars for kids and adults, hand lenses for looking at insects, fungi, lichen and other small wildlife, and two spotting scopes and tripods “for viewing distant birds and wildlife,” according to a press release.
“These new optics replace old and outdated equipment and are a complete upgrade from what we were using,” Walker Nature Center manager Ken Rosenthal said in an emailed statement. “For our wildlife viewing classes (including bird trips), annual wildlife counts, summer camp, and citizen science opportunities (bioblitzes, City Nature Challenge), the updated equipment will improve the experience for our visitors and volunteers.”
The new optics and field guides are available for use by general visitors as well as participants in public and school programs offered by the nature center, such as a winter birding trip to the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Woodbridge planned for Dec. 1.
Other upcoming events where the optics might come in handy include a Nature’s Harvest program that will involve scouring the woods for snacking animals and collecting natural items for an art project. Aimed at kids aged 3-5, the program will be held on Nov. 14 and 17.
Founded in 1999 as the official nonprofit dedicated to raising funds for and supporting RA’s facilities and activities, Friends of Reston was among 16 beneficiaries of this year’s Virginia Wildlife Grant Program, which awarded approximately $100,000 in grants for 2026.
A partnership with the Wildlife Foundation of Virginia, the program aims to boost organizations that help connect people with the outdoors, whether that’s through recreation or wildlife viewing. It has awarded over $1 million for 270 projects across the state since 2014.
While Friends of Reston devoted the majority of its grant funds to the Walker Nature Center’s wildlife viewing equipment, it has some remaining funds that “will be used for marketing and program scholarships,” an RA spokesperson says.
Named after its original director, Vernon J. Walker, Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) features 72 acres of woodlands and 1 mile of loop trails centered around a Nature House that Friends of Reston raised over $1.5 million to design and build. The environmental education center first opened its doors in November 2009.
