Category Archives: Places That Connect

Elementary school students in Westmoreland County Public Schools and undergraduates from Longwood University are coming back to bigger and better educational possibilities on Hull Springs’ 662 acres of forest and wetlands.

Kids have been enjoying the outdoor spaces at Belle Meade Farm since 1994. Day and swim camps and a Montessori School closely tied to the farm’s Community Supported Agriculture Program means there is a lot to do and explore.

The 144-acre Phillips Farm provides more than just the viewshed for the historic village of Waterford. It is also the site of a nature trail, a monarch butterfly way station, and an outdoor classroom for Loudoun County K-12 students.

A successful advocacy campaign by Pathfinders for Radford and an enthusiastic city administration saved Wildwood Park, the wild heart of the city of Radford.

Emmett Snead and his family have been selling cut-your-own Christmas trees on his farm 10 minutes outside of Fredericksburg since the mid-1980s. Five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, from black Friday through December 20, the farm averages 386 visitors a day. That sounds like a lot of trees, but as Emmett tells it, “The …

Continue reading “Snead’s Asparagus Farm, Caroline County”

ThunderCroft’s lodging and trails nestled in a variety of habitats on the edge of the Jefferson National Forest offer visitors a “front-row seat to nature,” says owner Buck Cox.

With grant money from various organizations and some elbow grease from the community, Pittsylvania Parks and Recreation has restored Wayside Park to its central place in the lives of county residents.

Roanoke’s Department of Parks and Recreation is making it easier to reach the top of Mill Mountain, where its iconic star, amazing views, a zoo and discovery center, and ten miles of trails await.

A 12-acre parcel along Turkey Island Creek gives the James River Association one more way to get people out on the water.

With 20 miles of hiking trails and extensive educational and volunteer programming Loudoun County’s only nature preserve has plenty for people, too.