Brownsville Preserve

Brownsville Preserve is the headquarters of The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Coast Reserve. In addition to year-round birding, the diverse habitats of marshes, forests, thickets, grasslands and tidal creeks offer ample wildlife viewing opportunities.

A kiosk with trail maps and information marks the beginning of the three-mile trail. The trail meanders through woodlands, where breeding songbirds are abundant in the summer months and concentrations of migratory neotropical songbirds can be found in the fall. At the edge of the grassland area, you will find an extensive view of the salt marsh where herons, egrets, Marsh and Sedge wrens, Clapper Rails, and Fish Crows can be seen.

A screen-front shed near the pond and a grassy field is used for organized educational programs and can provide a good break spot. An elevated observation platform looks out over the marsh offering a different perspective on the extensive Spartina marsh with its meandering tidal creeks and provides an excellent vantage point for viewing shorebirds in Spring and Fall. In addition to birds and other wildlife, this site is excellent for butterfly viewing.