DWR Bird and Wildlife Trail Projects
Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail signs mark trail sites.
About the Projects
The Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail (VBWT) is a statewide driving trail composed of 65 loops connecting the best sites in Virginia for watching birds and other wildlife. It was established in three phases between 1999 -2004, with the goal of increasing awareness, appreciation and conservation of Virginia’s wildlife and native habitats. When it was completed in 2004, it was the first statewide trail of its kind in the country! All sites are marked with signage and a guide to the trail is available in print and electronically on DWR’s website at http://www.dwr.virginia.gov/vbwt/.
The purpose of these volunteer projects is to ensure that the VBWT remains a high quality, reliable, relevant, and highly visible Trail program. We have divided the effort into three main projects.
DWR Birdability Project
The goal of this project is to provide all wildlife viewers with detailed, site-specific information to better access the outdoors. With the help of volunteers, we are verifying the accessibility status of Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail (VBWT) locations throughout Virginia and adding sites that meet a predefined criteria to the Birdability Map (“The Map”). In addition to adding sites to The Map, we will also be incorporating a subset of this information on the site pages of the VBWT.
How To Get Involved with the DWR Birdability Project
After watching a mandatory training webinar, volunteers can view the list of available sites and sign out via the site selection form ones for which they are interested in conducting a Birdability Site Review using the Birdability Site Review Checklist. Once the site review has been completed, volunteers will need to submit the information to Birdability and complete the DWR Site Review Submission Form to ensure that DWR receives the needed information to update corresponding VBWT sites. For more information on project specifics, please consult the Birdability Project Guide and the corresponding VMN activity form.
Any individual VMN volunteers may participate in this project. As with all VMN activities, this project must be approved at the chapter level in order to be listed among the chapter's approved activities in Better Impact. We have the activity template stored on Better Impact. The chapter does not have to be doing the VBWT Education & Outreach or VBWT Site Visits projects in order to approve the Birdability project.
The goal of this project is to provide all wildlife viewers with detailed, site-specific information to better access the outdoors. With the help of volunteers, we are verifying the accessibility status of Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail (VBWT) locations throughout Virginia and adding sites that meet a predefined criteria to the Birdability Map (“The Map”). In addition to adding sites to The Map, we will also be incorporating a subset of this information on the site pages of the VBWT.
How To Get Involved with the DWR Birdability Project
After watching a mandatory training webinar, volunteers can view the list of available sites and sign out via the site selection form ones for which they are interested in conducting a Birdability Site Review using the Birdability Site Review Checklist. Once the site review has been completed, volunteers will need to submit the information to Birdability and complete the DWR Site Review Submission Form to ensure that DWR receives the needed information to update corresponding VBWT sites. For more information on project specifics, please consult the Birdability Project Guide and the corresponding VMN activity form.
Any individual VMN volunteers may participate in this project. As with all VMN activities, this project must be approved at the chapter level in order to be listed among the chapter's approved activities in Better Impact. We have the activity template stored on Better Impact. The chapter does not have to be doing the VBWT Education & Outreach or VBWT Site Visits projects in order to approve the Birdability project.
Corresponding Resources: Note that the below list of hyperlinks is numbered so that they correspond with the steps outlined in the project flow chart above.
Project Updates from DWR
June 2025
November 2024
Other Resources
To learn more about the Birdability nonprofit organization and how the work by VMN volunteers has contributed to their efforts, view our webinar with Birdability Executive Director Cat Fribley from 10 July 2025.
- Detailed Project Guide and Mandatory Training Webinar
- Available VBWT Site List and Volunteer Site Selection Form
- Birdability Site Review Checklist (please print form and complete it in the field while assessing a trail) and Birdability Access Considerations for Birding Locations (please print document for reference use in the field)
- Submit to the Birdability Map. In some circumstances, you may need the Needed Birdability Map Corrections Form.
- DWR Site Review Submission Form
Project Updates from DWR
June 2025
November 2024
Other Resources
To learn more about the Birdability nonprofit organization and how the work by VMN volunteers has contributed to their efforts, view our webinar with Birdability Executive Director Cat Fribley from 10 July 2025.
VBWT Education & Outreach Project
This project entails:
Please download and read the VBWT Education & Outreach project form for more details.
How To Get Involved with the VBWT Education & Outreach Project
Chapters (not just individual volunteers) must agree to make a commitment and select one person to serve as the main point of contact for the project in their chapter. The liaison may be the same person for as for the Site Visits project or a different person. Chapters willing to make this commitment should email Michelle Prysby to get started.
The project must be approved at the chapter level in order to be listed among the chapter's approved projects in Better Impact. We have activity templates stored on Better Impact.
This project entails:
- giving presentations about and promoting the VBWT sites and loops in the local area
- sharing VBWT information and promotional materials at events and/or any relevant opportunities for reaching interested members of the public,
- nominating new VBWT sites that provide high-quality wildlife viewing opportunities and alerting DWR’s Watchable Wildlife staff about sites that your chapter feels should be removed from the Trail.
Please download and read the VBWT Education & Outreach project form for more details.
How To Get Involved with the VBWT Education & Outreach Project
Chapters (not just individual volunteers) must agree to make a commitment and select one person to serve as the main point of contact for the project in their chapter. The liaison may be the same person for as for the Site Visits project or a different person. Chapters willing to make this commitment should email Michelle Prysby to get started.
The project must be approved at the chapter level in order to be listed among the chapter's approved projects in Better Impact. We have activity templates stored on Better Impact.
VBWT Site Visits Project
This project entails:
Please download and read the VBWT Site Visits project form for more details.
This project entails:
- regularly adding bird and wildlife observations to eBird and iNaturalist for each site (at least once a year, but no more than monthly)
- reviewing VBWT loop pages to ensure they are relevant to the area
- documenting site accessibility
- collecting other site information on an as-needed basis.
Please download and read the VBWT Site Visits project form for more details.
How To Get Involved with the VBWT Site Visits Project
Chapters (not just individual volunteers) must agree to make a commitment and select one person to serve as the main point of contact for the project in their chapter. The liaison may be the same person for as for the Education & Outreach project or a different person. Chapters willing to make this commitment should email Michelle Prysby to get started.
The project must be approved at the chapter level in order to be listed among the chapter's approved projects in Better Impact. We have activity templates stored on Better Impact.
Chapters (not just individual volunteers) must agree to make a commitment and select one person to serve as the main point of contact for the project in their chapter. The liaison may be the same person for as for the Education & Outreach project or a different person. Chapters willing to make this commitment should email Michelle Prysby to get started.
The project must be approved at the chapter level in order to be listed among the chapter's approved projects in Better Impact. We have activity templates stored on Better Impact.
Training Videos for Site Visits Project
See below for a series of training videos that will walk you through how to submit information to iNaturalist and eBird for the purposes of the Site Visits activity. Watch the videos using the playlist player below, or follow these links to watch each video at video.vt.edu. Note that the videos may refer to uploading data to CitSci.org after entering it into iNaturalist and eBird, but that step is no longer necessary, as the CitSci.org portion of the project was completed and has been discontinued.
Create Accounts on iNaturalist and eBird
Submitting eBird Checklists from a Desktop Computer
Submitting eBird Checklists from a Mobile Device
Submitting iNaturalist Observations from a Desktop Computer
Submitting iNaturalist Observations from a Mobile Device
See below for a series of training videos that will walk you through how to submit information to iNaturalist and eBird for the purposes of the Site Visits activity. Watch the videos using the playlist player below, or follow these links to watch each video at video.vt.edu. Note that the videos may refer to uploading data to CitSci.org after entering it into iNaturalist and eBird, but that step is no longer necessary, as the CitSci.org portion of the project was completed and has been discontinued.
Create Accounts on iNaturalist and eBird
Submitting eBird Checklists from a Desktop Computer
Submitting eBird Checklists from a Mobile Device
Submitting iNaturalist Observations from a Desktop Computer
Submitting iNaturalist Observations from a Mobile Device
Other Important Links for Site Visits Project