Message From The Chair

By Pat Coady

“Saving Nearby Nature” --- the motto of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust --- means different things to different people. Yet, even a brief overview of the many successes of NVCT shows how our work provides a little something for everyone, regardless of any particular reason for supporting local land conservation:

· Safeguarding critical habitat for rare species along the Potomac River Gorge in Fairfax County and on the Crow’s Nest Peninsula in Stafford County;

· Improving water quality by preserving large vegetated buffers on key tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, such as Donaldson Run in Arlington, and Little Hunting Creek in Fairfax;

· Protecting open space alongside important public trails, such as the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and the Custis Trail;

· Saving family farms in Loudoun County to promote sustainability and combat Global Warming; and

· Conserving important migratory bird sites in Alexandria and
throughout the region.

Of course, like any short motto, “Saving Nearby Nature” only tells part of our story. We also “enjoy and care for nearby nature.” We sponsor kayak trips on our region’s waterways, lead invasive plant removals and conduct tree plantings. We also partner with national, state, county, and local conservation organizations and provide conservation education and environmental restoration work in Northern Virginia.

It is no wonder then that NVCT was recognized as “among the best small charities in the Washington, DC region” by the highly respected Catalogue for Philanthropy.