Recently we sat down with Margaret Fisher and Jon Rosenthal, Clifton landowners who recently placed a second property under conservation easement with NVCT. The unique thing about this is that the land they placed under easement happens to be the house and property next to theirs!
Margaret and Jon conserved the property they live on in Clifton with NVCT back in 2021. You can read that story here! They came to know NVCT through Margaret’s outreach work with Plant NoVa Natives. This wonderful organization seeks to encourage Northern Virginians to do their part in restoring the environment by planting native plants! Jon states, “She’s working harder now—this is not an exaggeration—than she was as a rheumatologist.” Margaret is involved with several organizations that push for planting natives in Virginia, and her work varies from simply spreading awareness about the cause to organizing invasive plant-pulling events. This month, we sat down with Margaret Fisher and Jon Rosenthal, landowners who recently placed a second property under conservation easement with NVCT. The unique thing about this is that the land they placed under easement happens to be the house next to theirs!
Margaret and Jon’s devotion to being stewards of the environment influenced them to place their property under a conservation easement. Over the years, they have planted several thousand native plants on their property. Their backyard was a field and has now been converted into a meadow. From their deck, we can see the creek that runs through the forest behind their house, which is also one of their favorite parts of their home. Birdfeeders and houses are spread throughout their grounds, and more than just birds frequent them. They often see raccoons, squirrels, foxes, and even the occasional juvenile bear trying to get food from the feeders. In the warmer months, dragonflies, wood frogs, salamanders, and eastern box turtles visit their pond. Placing their property under a conservation easement gave them “peace of mind, knowing that these beings we get to be stewards of are going to be protected,” says Margeret. Jon adds that the place now has a “feeling of permanence” since it is now forever protected by NVCT. Their history with this property makes them feel like they are part of the ecosystem.
Unfortunately, since moving to Clifton in 1991, they have seen more wooded areas disappear. Margaret states, “It's my observation that unless a piece of land is protected, it will get paved over at some point.” The ever-looming threat of deforestation, climate change, and the ecological rewards they have reaped from their preserved home influenced the couple to purchase the land next to theirs and place it under a conservation easement once it went up for sale. This helped maintain the habitat connectivity between both parcels of land and ensured its conservation future. The property has a similar view of the creek from the back and has an extensive deck that connects to trees on the property, giving the house a “tree house” appearance. “You go out on the deck, and you’re in the woods,” says Jon. They have remodeled the home, and Margaret and her sister have designed a beautiful native plant garden in the front. A bonus is that the plants are deer-resistant!
When asked about what saving nearby nature means to them, the couple said “It’s our opportunity to affect the future of the ecosystem where we have control,” said Margeret, and Jon added “Doing something that you can change, and it tends to be small scale, but it is meaningful. If this really became a movement that caught on, the Clifton and Great Falls area are perfect for it.” Great Falls and Clifton are some of the few places in Fairfax County that allow for access to city amenities while still being able to live in a wooded area. The area has always been an escape from the bustle of the cities, Margaret even noted that in the summertime, the temperature in her car would drop 5 degrees once she entered Clifton because of the trees.
Partnering with NVCT to conserve this land was a no-brainer for Margaret and Jon. They found the process as seamless and effortless as it was the first time. Margaret and Jon feel that the ideal owner of this property is someone who loves nature and privacy and wants to be a part of a conservation legacy. Their advice for future landowners is this: “Before you could just leave the land alone, now you have to be an active steward of the land and control invasives. Luckily, there are people you can hire to do so, and you’ll be living next door to someone who is an expert on the subject and happy to help!”
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