In 1760, about 30 years before construction began on the White House in the District of Columbia, a Mennonite settler named Martin Kauffman II built his own little White House …
Author Archives: Jason McGarvey
Manage your mowing to benefit wildlife
Property owners mow their fields for different reasons. Some do it simply for aesthetics. Farmers often mow to keep trees from taking over fields that may one day be used …
Who built the stone house on Bull Run Mountains?
The 2,350-acre Bull Run Mountain Natural Area Preserve in Fauquier and Prince William counties is well known as a treasure trove of recreational and natural resources located just 35 miles …
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Bath County farmer protects 315 acres along two miles of Back Creek
Ed Cook was just a boy when he fell in love with the Bath County farm he now owns. Back then, the property belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Law, who …
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Oak Grove Plantation, Halifax County
Oak Grove Plantation, a bed & breakfast just outside South Boston in Halifax County, works hard to minimize its environmental footprint. Some of the steps it has taken include recycling, …
VOF forms partnership with Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico
The Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico (CTPR) is similar to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation in many ways. Both were established more than 40 years ago, and both serve citizens who …
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VOF protected 26,375 acres of open space in 2012
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation permanently protected 26,375 acres of open space through 127 conservation easements in 2012 — a rate of more than three acres every hour. “I applaud the …
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106-acre farm in Pulaski County donated to VOF
Margaret Virginia Smith was just 19 years old when her father passed away in 1944, leaving her with the family farm and instructions to “provide for your mother for her …
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Middlesex easement saves family farm, protects seven miles of tidal shoreline
Originally released through the Office of the Governor Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that one of the largest waterfront farms along the lower tidal Rappahannock River has been permanently protected …
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Preservation at Milepost 25
Little has changed about the Blue Ridge Parkway since Craig Colberg first visited it in the 1950s. “My parents drove me on Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway when …