Photo: Trilliums and Mayapples in bloom, Sudhir Viswarajan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Usha Hippenstiel
During the transition from winter to spring, nature shows off. There are a trillion different emerging sights, but few as captivating as the trilliums (Trilliaceae family). Boasting one of the largest concentrations of trillium in Virginia, the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area (often abbreviated to Thompson WMA) stands out as a spring destination. Managed by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), the Thompson WMA is located along the eastern Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest Fauquier County, with parcels in Warren and Clarke counties. The 4,000-acre area boasts hardwood trees, remnants of fruit trees, streams, semi-open vegetated slopes, and its famous spring ephemeral blooms.
Although the Thompson WMA is worth a trip any time of year, spring is the time to see the display of ephemerals. Beginning in late April through mid-May, the forest floor is covered by blooms. A particular two-square-mile area within the Thompson WMA hosts an extensive covering of the white trillium (Trillium Grandiflorum) and is reputed to be the largest plant community of its kind in Virginia - with some arguing it might even be the largest in the United States. The DWR website provides guidance for viewing the spring wildflower display.
It’s worth remembering that at one point the habitat was at risk of being fragmented and lost. In 1990, the DWR (then known as the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) proposed a project to log the forest in the Thompson WMA. The project called for heavy machinery and large-wheeled logging trucks that would cross through areas where the trillium population grew.
Fortunately, the Virginia Native Plant Society (VNPS) and other concerned citizens rushed into action to designate the area as the first site on the Virginia Native Plant Registry. The registry is a voluntary program designed by the VNPS to protect the native plant resources throughout Virginia. Recognition of the designation by DWR allowed the agency to manage the area to protect the spring ephemerals.
If you're planning a trip this spring, aim for around the first week of May for optimal viewing. Pay some attention to general warm or cold fronts toward the end of April because they can affect the timing. Warm springs push trillium blooming earlier and cold springs push blooming later.
While there, keep your eyes and ears out for the area’s warblers and other iconic birds of the area. Watch for flashes of yellow and you might be lucky to spot a Hooded Warbler, a Worm-eating Warbler, or the Kentucky Warbler, all of which are seen in this area more frequently than the regional average. Although not common, you could also see a Blackburnian Warbler. Other Trillium Trail favorites eBird lists as iconic include the lovely Cerulean Warbler and Scarlet Tanager, but any springtime visit will provide views of many of the 135 species eBird lists for that hotspot.
Consider taking a trip to the Thompson WMA this spring if you desire a lovely day surrounded by wildflowers and other emerging sights and sounds of spring!
Usha Hippenstiel is a young, passionate, DC-based environmentalist working in the natural resource sector.