Virginia Outdoors Foundation

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VOF’s first project in Petersburg helps effort to build Appomattox River Trail

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation recently completed its first conservation project in the City of Petersburg—an open-space easement on 4.8 acres owned by Friends of the Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR).

FOLAR’s acquisition is a critical component in the development of the Appomattox River Trail. When completed, the trail will be over 25 miles in length, connecting a rich diversity of historical, cultural, and physiographic areas, stretching from Lake Chesdin in the Piedmont to the James River in the Coastal Plain, where it will connect to historic City Point National Park in the City of Hopewell.

One of several new access points on the Appomattox River created by the FOLAR project.

The acquisition and easement were supported by a $159,000 grant from VOF’s Preservation Trust Fund. The easement requires that the property be permanently accessible to the public for outdoor recreation and education.

“We are thrilled to be a partner in this visionary project, which will provide thousands of citizens with new opportunities to connect to the Appomattox River and nature,” said VOF Executive Director Brett Glymph. “It represents the kind of community-driven conservation that VOF is proud to support.”

The dotted line along the south bank of the river between Battersea and McKenzie Street Park will become a solid line thanks to this project. Across the river is Virginia State University.

“FOLAR is dedicated to conserving and protecting the Appomattox River for all to enjoy,” said Wendy Austin, FOLAR’s Executive Director, “We were very glad to make this happen.”

With its new protected status, the property contributes to several state and local conservation programs. It contains approximately 1,742 feet of shoreline on the Appomattox River, a state-designated scenic river. The Appomattox River Trail is a Regional Featured Project in the 2018 Virginia Outdoors Plan prepared by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Located within the North Battersea/Pride’s Field National Historic District, the property is also identified as a priority site in the Commonwealth’s ConserveVirginia project under the Cultural and Historic Preservation and Scenic Preservation categories.

FOLAR will use the VOF grant and other funding to make improvements to the property and trail system before conveying the land to the City of Petersburg.

Remnants of arches believed to be connected to an old mill are among the few structures left on the property.

Once completed, the Appomattox River Trail will leverage the growth of the outdoor recreation industry and its beneficial impact on health and wellness in the metro-Richmond region, creating connections between hundreds of miles of regional trail, including the Virginia Capital Trail, James River Park system, the East Coast Greenway, and the proposed Ashland-to-Petersburg trail.

Learn more about the Appomattox River Trail project at https://folar-va.org/projects/appomattox-river-trail-and-signage-master-plan/.

Locust Grove Farm, King and Queen County

Locust Grove Farm has been a community gathering place for as long as Jerry Walker can remember. “My dad grew up in Richmond and my mother grew up in Norfolk, and all her kin were from James City, so there was always a crew of people coming in.” When family was scarce, his father made sure to fill the house with neighbors. “If things were slow my dad would stand up in church and invite everybody over for a little ‘thirst after righteousness,’” he laughs.

So when the Walkers (Jerry and his wife, Cecky Ropelewski, along with Jerry’s sister, Letitia) wanted to add other revenue-generating ventures to their soybean, wheat, corn and sod production, opening the 360-year old family farm up to the public for events seemed natural. While they had hosted a Civil War reenactment with the Peninsula Artillery for many years, Cecky had an idea for something different: a festival featuring regional artists. She wrote up a business plan, but implementing it was daunting, she states. “I thought, how am I going to get people here? How am I going to do this by myself?” At the time, Jerry was serving on the board of the Tidewater Resource Conservation and Development Council (Tidewater RC&D). The coordinator of the RC&D suggested forming a committee of locals to help with planning and implementation, and Locust Grove’s first Wine and Arts Festival took place in 2005. “They were instrumental in helping us get things started, and in helping us stay on track the first three years,” Jerry says.

In 2010 the Walkers added another event, the Upstairs Downstairs All Around the House Art Show. The show features work (and food) by local artists in the farm’s 18^th-century residence. “Each room is a gallery, and each artist brings a plate of hors d’oeuvres. There’s hot apple cider, too, so people get a bit to eat, a bit to drink, and then they can go buy local artwork,” Cecky explains.

Finally, last year they replaced the Civil War Reenactment with a more inclusive look at America’s past, A “Walk Through History.” The Walk takes guests on paths through the wooded portion of the property and past stations representing different eras of American history, from the First Peoples to the Vietnam War. “In between, we’ve got the forger and the furniture maker, activities with old school supplies and vintage games, even knot tying,” Cecky says. “It’s stuff that really interests the kids, so this year we held it on a Friday and a Saturday. School groups came on Friday and they really loved it. Some of the kids were asking me, ‘Can we come back tomorrow?’ I said ‘Yes, and bring your parents!’” She adds that one little girl came back with her grandfather, who drove two hours to meet her. “She wanted him to see what she’d learned the day before. “So I guess we must be doing something right,” says Cecky.

The Walkers protected all 634 acres of Locust Grove with an open-space easement donated to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation in 2013. Jerry says that the easement makes sense considering the public and private uses of the property. “We were already doing the events,” at the time they donated the easement, Jerry says. “We had been looking into conservation easements since 1981. But we were able to specify what we needed to do with VOF and it all kind of meshed.”

The 2024 Wine & Arts Festival at Locust Grove is happening on May 18^th, visit www.locustgrove1665.com.

VOF projects receive 2024 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards

Two Virginia Outdoors Foundation projects – Red Hill in Charlotte County and Pierce’s Lowground in Greensville County — received the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award earlier this month at the Environment Virginia Symposium in Lexington.

The Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation placed a permanent open-space easement on Red Hill, the home of Patrick Henry, the first Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The easement resulted in 600-acres being preserved through the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The easement is intended to protect the historic and open space qualities of the property, fund additional interpretation of existing historic elements, and enable the installation of several new historic interpretive elements. The preservation of Patrick Henry’s Red Hill was made possible through the partnership of the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation, the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and Beechtree Group with funding from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and Preservation Trust Fund.

Red Hill is open to the public 362 days per year, providing substantial outreach and education to both youth and adults and receives over 10,000 visitors each year. Patrick Henry’s Red Hill provides visitors with opportunities to experience the property from the perspective of its previous inhabitants. Red Hill contains the home, law office, and burial site of Patrick Henry.

The Pierces Low Ground tract, located in Bryants Corner near Emporia, comprises 2,818 acres that have been permanently protected through the partnership of the Lee family, Rock Springs Forestry, The Nature Conservancy, the US Endowment for Forestry, Enviva, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and Beechtree Group. The project received funding from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. The tract hosts significant wildlife, including threatened bird species and a scenic riverfront with old-growth cypress-tupelo swamp trees.

The annual Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards are coordinated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Learn more here.

Virginia Tech researchers seek landowner help with Gray Fox Project

Gray fox populations across North America have been declining over the last two decades. There are no published studies on gray fox population status in Virginia, but researchers, biologists, naturalists, hunters, and trappers from the state have noted, anecdotally, a decline in sightings, vocalizations, and camera trap photos over the last decade.

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is funding the Virginia Gray Fox Project, which is being conducted by Dr. Marcella Kelly and Ph.D. student Victoria Monette of Virginia Tech. The primary goal of this project is to map the current distribution of gray fox across the state of Virginia and to assess the evidence for decline using past, historical camera trapping from around the state. To accomplish this, the researchers will conduct a state-wide camera trapping survey. They are looking to survey areas where foxes are and are not found, and cover a variety of habitat types (suburban, urban, forest, pasture, etc.).

To conduct such a large-scale survey, the researchers are hoping to enlist the help of volunteers that:

Have existing trail cameras on their own property, or
Are willing to set and monitor project cameras (if available) on their own property, or
Are willing to allow the researchers access to their land to set up additional cameras.

Volunteers will be expected to set the cameras according to specific protocols to standardize data collection and will need to check cameras periodically (every two weeks) to ensure sufficient battery life and proper camera function. The camera survey will cover the state over the course of three years. For the 2024 field season (spring, summer, and fall) the project is focusing on the Appalachian Mountain region.

If interested in participating in assisting the Virginia Gray Fox Project, please email Victoria Monette at vmonette@vt.edu or leave a voicemail with Dr. Kelly at 540-231-1734.

VOF, Enviva partner to conserve 2,808 acres in Greensville County

In a landmark conservation effort, 2,808 acres of Pierce’s Low Grounds in Greensville County have been permanently protected, securing a vital ecological asset for future generations. The property, recognized by the Virginia Department of Forestry with a high-ranking in “Forest Conservation Value,” is now protected from development, thanks to collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships.

The conservation initiative was made possible in part through a $50,000 grant provided by the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (EFCF), a $650,000 grant from the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, and a $600,000 grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. This project exemplifies the power of partnerships in advancing conservation goals.

Key Features of Pierce’s Low Grounds:

Ecological Significance: The Property, identified as part of the Virginia Piedmont Forest Block complex (Important Bird Area), boasts significant ecological importance. It houses diverse habitats crucial for the sustenance of various species.
River Frontage: Pierce’s Low Grounds contains approximately 3,900 feet of frontage along the Meherrin River, a tributary of the Chowan River. This strategic location contributes to the protection of water quality in the Meherrin and Chowan Rivers, ultimately benefiting the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound Estuary.
Threatened Species Habitat: Within the property’s boundaries lies habitat critical for threatened species, including Rafinesque’s Eastern Big Eared Bat, Eastern Mudsnake, and Green Floater. Preserving this habitat is a significant step in the conservation of these species.
Natural Heritage Screening: The Property falls within the Claresville Bottomlands Natural Heritage Screening Conservation Site, further emphasizing its ecological significance and the need for its protection.

Estie Thomas, Easement Manager at Virginia Outdoors Foundation, expressed the importance of the preservation of Pierce’s Low Grounds: “This project nearly doubles the amount of pristine forest and habitat VOF has conserved in partnership with Enviva over the past decade. We are grateful for their support, and for the support of the landowners whose commitment to conservation is inspiring.”

Brandi Colander, Chief Sustainability Officer at Enviva, stated, “We are incredibly pleased to have been able to assist in the permanent conservation of this property due to its significant importance for critical bottomland forests as well as for the preservation and protection of precious habitats for various species, including threatened ones.”

The Pierce’s Low Grounds conservation project aligns with the broader mission of environmental stewardship and sustainable land management, ensuring the perpetual preservation of this significant natural landscape.

About the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund:

The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund is a $5 million, 10-year program established by Enviva in December 2015 to protect environmentally sensitive bottomland and wetland forests. Administered by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, the Fund awards grants annually to nonprofit organizations and government agencies for conservation projects. Learn more at http://envivaforestfund.org/

About Virginia Outdoors Foundation:

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation is established to promote the preservation of open-space lands and to encourage private gifts of money, securities, land or other property to preserve the natural, scenic, historic, scientific, open-space and recreational areas of the Commonwealth.

Learn more: https://vof.org/

About the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities:

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is a not-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities. To learn more about the Endowment, please visit our website at www.usendowment.org.

Media Contacts:

Aleta Rogers, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (aleta@usendowment.org; 864-233-7646)

Coastal Resilience & Trees Fund opens 2024 grant round

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation and Wetlands Watch have partnered to offer grant resources through the Coastal Resilience and Trees Fund. Now in its second year, the fund provides grants for projects that seek to achieve increased resilience to flooding, sea level rise, climate change, and extreme weather events in Virginia’s coastal communities. The primary goal of the fund is to support implementation of resilient practices and enhance the ability of entities to plan for future implementation of resiliency projects within the coastal zone.

There is $135,000 available in total for the 2024 grant round. No match is required for grants awarded in this program, and awardees can request the full grant award upfront in order to accommodate applicants that require startup funds for the project. Applications for the 2024 grant cycle are due no later than 11:59 p.m., April 5, 2024.

Project proposals will be accepted in three categories: Capacity Building, Natural and Nature Based Infrastructure, and Stewardship. Projects can be on either private or publicly owned land; projects that are publicly accessible will be prioritized. Projects can vary widely in both their size and funding needs. This fund is intended to provide resources for projects that may not be eligible under other grants.

Funding is available to a wide range of organizations and private citizens. Eligible projects are those located in the Coastal Zone, as defined by the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program. The Coastal Resilience and Trees Fund grant manual, full program timeline, details on applicant eligibility, grant application materials, and more can be viewed at https://wetlandswatch.org/coastal-resilience-trees-fund.

Please direct any questions to Wetlands Watch staff via email at grants@wetlandswatch.org.

Town of Montross Town Park, Westmoreland County

Virginia State Route 3 runs through the middle of the Town of Montross, making this hamlet of 325 people—with its regional library, public schools, grocery store and shops—the hub for several large residential developments along the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. The one thing the town was missing, says its mayor, Terry Cosgrove, was a park. “It always kind of baffled me. When my granddaughter came to visit in the summertime, we’d drive two towns down to a public park or go to Westmoreland State Park. But those are 15-20 minutes away.”

So Cosgrove and other town leaders went to area residents with the idea of turning an old parking lot into the town’s first park. The response was phenomenal, he states. “We’re a very small town in a rural area, but we obtained about $35,000 in public and private donations.” That money, with federal funds and a grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Get Outdoors Fund, was enough to clear the parcel’s asphalt, grade the land, install playground equipment and walking paths, and add picnic and sound stage pavilions.

The location of the parcel ties in with the town’s efforts to create more pedestrian connections downtown. “We’ve been consciously trying to create more of a pedestrian-friendly and walking community here in our town, get people out of their cars, so that the location ended up being just about perfect.” The parcel is adjacent to the regional library and only a short distance from the town’s historic courthouse. Additionally, the site already hosts public restrooms, installed by the county when the old sheriff’s office was still standing nearby.

While visitors to Montross will find the park a convenient stop during their travels, Cosgrove says the kids of the town will benefit the most.

From funding to implementation, area residents have taken ownership of the site. Students from the Northern Neck Technical Center built picnic tables that the town purchased for the picnic pavilion. The Northern Neck Master Gardeners are planning to install native plantings, and a group called Montross Main Street will move some of its popular events, like the First Friday Art and Music Series, to the new outdoor venue. “We already have people talking about yoga in the park and art in the park, and there is a youth program that is anxious to utilize the space,” Cosgrove adds.

Cosgrove also wants to use the park to promote other attractions in the area by installing outdoor signage that ties the town in with the nearby historical landmarks of Stratford Hall and Wakefield. “This way, anybody that stops to utilize the park or the bathroom and take a break in their travels might want to linger in the area a little bit longer.”

VOF opens $1.875 million grant round for open-space projects

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) is making $1.7 million available from its Preservation Trust Fund program and $175,000 from its Get Outdoors Fund for grants that protect open space for public use and other public benefits.

Preservation Trust Fund grants for the spring 2024 grant round will prioritize projects that result in significant public access, but funds may also be used for projects that protect exceptional conservation values such as water quality, historic and cultural resources, wildlife habitat, and high-quality farmland and forestland. A real estate interest must either be acquired by a local government or conveyed to VOF to be eligible for funding, and protection must meet the requirements of Virginia’s Open-Space Land Act.

Get Outdoors Fund grants may be used to fund projects that create, protect, expand, or enhance access to open space in underserved communities. Proposals up to $25,000 may be considered.

The Get Outdoors Fund requires pre-applications to be submitted through VOF’s online grants portal by 5 p.m. on February 12, 2024. Invitations to submit a full application will be issued within one week of pre-application receipt.

Full applications for both programs must be submitted through our online grant application portal by 5 p.m. on March 8, 2024. Eligibility requirements, sample applications, a timeline, the link to the application portal, and other materials may be found online at https://vof.org/ptf and https://vof.org/go

VOF encourages potential applicants to contact staff prior to applying to discuss eligibility and seek guidance on producing a successful application. Contact grants@vof.org with questions or for information on how to apply. To schedule a short meeting with grant program staff to discuss project ideas, use https://doodle.com/bp/emilynelson/time-to-talk.

Downtown Greens Expansion Project, City of Fredericksburg

When one of the last parcels of working farmland in the City of Fredericksburg went on the market in 2020, a group of concerned citizens approached Downtown Greens, Inc. as a potential buyer. The organization was looking to expand after 25 years of connecting people to nature on its 2.7-acre campus downtown, where it holds educational programs and feeds the community with locally grown produce from its free fridge and food pantry.

At first, the prospect of managing such a large space was daunting, says Sarah Perry, who was the executive director of Downtown Greens, Inc., when the citizens’ group proposed the land purchase. “Initially, we said no,” she remembers. “The parcel was so much bigger than anything we thought we would pursue as our next growth piece. But they kept talking to us. They walked the land with us again and again. We consulted our partners, and we realized we could do it.”

That’s when the fundraising began, she adds, with a capital campaign that needed to raise $750,000 for the downpayment plus the first few years of mortgage payments. “We ended up raising a million by the end of the year. It was so much better than we thought it would be, but we still owed another $1.2 million towards the purchase price.” Grants from the Virginia Land Conservation Fund (VLCF) and the Virginia’ Outdoors Foundation’s Preservation Trust Fund both got them closer to their goal. Finally, selling the tax credits they received from protecting the property with an open-space easement with VOF will leave them debt free on the land.

Now Downtown Greens has more space to keep doing what it does best, says Jim Schepmoes, who is taking on the role of executive director as Perry steps down. The services they provide on the original 2.7-acre campus will be complimented by an Agricultural Education Center, two farm fields, greenhouses, an orchard, and plenty of wooded space and wetlands for trails on the new parcel, just five minutes down the road.

Before any of this can be implemented, says Schepmoes, Downtown Greens needs to conduct a detailed planning study for the site. “Whatever we do on the new property, we want it to be workable and sustainable. We want to do things right the first time.”

The planning study means a new round of fundraising, Perry adds, but their successful campaign for the land purchase proved they can meet the challenge. “The support from folks like VOF and VCLF was huge. And a great way to make public the fact that we’re serious, that we have supporters who believe in us.”

Downtown Greens has already begun hosting nature walks on the property. These are free and open to the public. Visit their Facebook page for dates and times.

Mill Creek Nature Park Revitalization, Giles County

Ask Ralph Robertson to tell you about Mill Creek Nature Park, and he’ll ask you how much time you have. “I could tell stories for hours. I don’t mind chances to brag on it,” he jokes. The 147-acre park’s hiking and biking trails take users past waterfalls, over creek crossings, and up a mountain with scenic views overlooking the Town of Narrows. Robertson has earned some bragging rights, as he has built these trails himself with some help from friends, either by clearing blowdowns from old logging roads or bushwhacking new sections from scratch.

Now that work will be protected and enhanced with a grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Forest CORE Fund. The grant covered the Town of Narrow’s costs of donating an open-space easement on the Mill Creek parcel, as well as helped pay for a makeover of the trailhead, including a new restroom, plans for an enhanced drainage system, and sturdier signs.

The Forest CORE funding enabled the town to achieve two things at once, says town manager, Terry Nicholson. “That mountain forms the viewshed of the entire town. The conservation easement was a way to make sure that viewshed was protected into the future, and the grant allowed us to add amenities that make the public access even better.”

Access is beneficial to both out-of-towners and locals. Users of the Appalachian Trail can hike into Narrows and the nearby town of Pearisburg to rest and restock. There are also a lot of people who come in from Blacksburg, says Robertson, “but the thing I love and that really makes me feel good is how many locals use it. And they take pride in it and keep an eye on it. I think it really helps the community.”

Robertson leads a New Year’s Eve hike along the newest trail which gets longer as he builds it out every year. “Last year we had over 20 hikers,” he says. “Lot of the folks like coming back just to see how much longer it is than the year before.” Currently known as “Ralph’s Trail,” the new trail is also great for mountain bikers, connecting riders with the Sentinel Point overlook and then back down to the waterfalls, a seven-mile loop. “From Sentinel Point you’re looking through the gap the New River formed between East River Mountain and Peters Mountain,” Robertson says. That’s where the New River narrows, he adds, which is how the Town of Narrows got its name.

For more information on Robertson’s New Year’s Hike, look for an announcement on his Facebook page in December. To get more tips on the trails or to download a trail guide, visit the Town of Narrows website.

Weller Woods Learning Trail, City of Staunton

Sun peeks through leaves

Baby birds cry for mothers

Water flows gently

–Braydon, 3^rd grade

When third graders at Bessie Weller Elementary School learned about the Japanese poetic form of haiku this year, they finally had the perfect place to try their hand at writing one: the Weller Woods Learning Trail. Newly built on a 3.3-acre wooded lot adjacent to the school with a grant from VOF’s Get Outdoors Fund, the trail gave the kids a chance to express themselves while experiencing the outdoors on “Haiku Hikes” organized by the school librarian.

It’s just one of the many outdoor learning opportunities the new trail makes possible, says the school’s principal, Sandra McGrath, who adds that teachers at each grade level are designing lessons that link state Standards of Learning to experiences on the trail. As these curricular connections are established, McGrath envisions all 380 students at the Title 1 school participating in “regular, sustained outdoor experiences” on the trail over the course of a year. The goal, she states, is a better “appreciation and understanding of how our school community is part of a larger ecosystem.”

Designing the trail has been a community effort, says Tamra Willis, a retired professor of teacher education from Mary Baldwin University who worked with McGrath on the grant application. “We put together a trail committee with people from local community groups like Shenandoah Green, the Augusta Bird Club and the local chapter of the Virginia Native Plant society,” she states. “Plus we have a retired fisheries biologist from the Department of Wildlife Resources and quite a few teachers and administrators from Bessie Weller. We got input from everybody.”

Building the trail was also a community effort. Volunteer days have brought out parents, as well as the Shenandoah chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists. Willis is particularly impressed with volunteers from Mary Baldwin University’s men’s basketball team. “They’ve been out several times now, and when they come out, we get so much done. They can move a mountain of mulch in no time at all.”

There is still work to do, including developing different “Investigation Stations” along the trail, with bench seating and whiteboard kiosks that teachers can use to conduct lessons.

Willis, a longtime advocate of connecting student learning to the outdoors, is excited about what the new trail will bring to Bessie Weller students. “We know from the research that getting kids outside in nature has lots of benefits—physically, mentally and socially. Nature is also a great teacher, providing real-world, meaningful learning experiences for students.”

Principal McGrath has seen it with her own eyes, watching students get to know their new trail. “They absolutely love it,” she says. “We are so excited about how this project is moving forward.”