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Updated every weekday as available‘Intricate Relationships’ matter
Rappahannock News, January 27, 2012
"The perpetual friction between “come- heres” and “from- heres” in Rappahannock County is not limited to humans. Plants and animals that are “from here” – natives like bobwhite quail, falcons, blue stem grass and foxes – are locked in constant struggle with such invasive “come-heres” as coyotes, fescue, tree-of-heaven and an imported white-tailed deer population of hazardous proportions. Birder, naturalist and longtime Rappahannock resident Bruce Jones says that without some help from the original invaders – us – our most precious “natives” may be snuffed out by foreign wildlife. "
Lead from shotgun pellets is poisoning area bald eagles
Fauquier Times-Democrat, January 6, 2012
"This story doesn’t have a happy ending. On Dec. 29, a Virginia conservation officer from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries rescued a bald eagle and brought it to the Wildlife Center in Waynesboro. The veterinary staff there quickly determined that the bird, which had been found down in a field, unable to fly, was suffering from lead poisoning. "
Bay Ridge residents divided over plans to cull deer herd
Washington Post, November 30, 2011
"When the natural splendor of a wooded tract in Bay Ridge was threatened by a bulldozer, residents of the tony community a stone’s throw away from the Naval Academy in Annapolis banded together and agreed to an annual tax to protect the forest. But now, a decade later, those neighbors are divided over what some say is a different form of encroachment: roving deer that devour vegetation and wreak havoc in those woods. "
Virginia woman recognized for innovative environmental leadership
Clarke Daily News, November 16, 2011
"A Richmond woman who spends many of her Fall weekends at Snickers Gap in Clarke County observing the annual raptor migration has received the Audubon/Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship. Mary Elfner, a Richmond resident, is the recipient of a national conservation fellowship that will help connect local kids to nature through hands on projects. Over the next 18 months, with the support of the TogetherGreen Fellowship, Mary will work to connect school children throughout the state to the many important bird areas in Virginia through hands-on projects, school presentations and field trips."
Weekly News
Updated every week as availableLead from shotgun pellets is poisoning area bald eagles
Fauquier Times-Democrat, January 6, 2012
"This story doesn’t have a happy ending. On Dec. 29, a Virginia conservation officer from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries rescued a bald eagle and brought it to the Wildlife Center in Waynesboro. The veterinary staff there quickly determined that the bird, which had been found down in a field, unable to fly, was suffering from lead poisoning. "
Rappahannock News, December 15, 2011
"Native plants draw native wildlife, and the hope is that the formation of a butterfly garden and nature trail in the county seat will also draw . . . people. The Washington Town Council approved preliminary plans to create a butterfly garden and nature trail between the wastewater treatment facility and the Avon Hall estate, both properties owned by the town. The area covers about an acre and would offer some 450 feet of gravel or mulch walking trail through a diverse population of native plant species. The goal is to draw insect and animal species to the area, especially butterflies. "
Virginia woman recognized for innovative environmental leadership
Clarke Daily News, November 16, 2011
"A Richmond woman who spends many of her Fall weekends at Snickers Gap in Clarke County observing the annual raptor migration has received the Audubon/Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship. Mary Elfner, a Richmond resident, is the recipient of a national conservation fellowship that will help connect local kids to nature through hands on projects. Over the next 18 months, with the support of the TogetherGreen Fellowship, Mary will work to connect school children throughout the state to the many important bird areas in Virginia through hands-on projects, school presentations and field trips."
C-Ville Weekly, November 16, 2011
"Bear spotting in Clarke County is a lot like real estate; location, location, location. While many people who live on the mountain see them frequently, other county resident’s encounters are limited to infrequent and momentary run-ins with the wild beasts."
Black bears, humans share backyard environs
Fauquier Times-Democrat, September 14, 2011
"Once a rare thing, black bear sightings in Fauquier County have increased significantly this year. Residents throughout the county, particularly around Warrenton, are reporting encounters with bears in their backyards and even on back porches. "
State Agency Investigates Trump Tree Removal
Loudoun Times Mirror, July 26, 2011
"Officials with the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District on July 22 announced they’ve launched an investigation into a 2010 incident in which hundreds of trees and shrubs were clear cut from the Trump National Golf Course in Lowes Island. The investigation will determine the impact the removal of the trees had on erosion control and shoreline stability. "
Outdoors: Central Virginia Blessed with Great Fishing Rivers
Daily Progress, July 28, 2011
"This article will conclude our series examining local fishing opportunities, but this week we’ll shift gears, from lakes to rivers, principally the James and Rivanna rivers. Folks in Central Virginia are blessed to have access to one of the great smallmouth rivers in the East — the James."
Blue catfish catch a Virginia record, and a monster of our own creation
Washington Post, July 1, 2011
"Talk to fishermen here, and you will hear the legend of Buggs Island Lake: A Navy diver sent to recover the wreckage of a small plane encounters a fish the size of a man on the lake’s bottom. He bolts to the surface and refuses to dip a toe in the waters again. The yarn seemed as dubious as any other fish tale — until two weeks ago. "
Virginia Beekeepers Successful in Rearing Local Honeybee Colonies
Southern SARE, June 10, 2011
"Beekeepers in Virginia striving to improve the health of their colonies are finding success by reviving what many consider to be a lost sustainable beekeeping practice. Through a $14,736 Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) Farmer/Producer Grant, the Prince William Regional Beekeepers Association is seeing higher winter survival rates of honeybee hives started from nucleus colonies compared to packaged honeybee hives."
Reminding Residents of the Importance of Pollinators
WHSV, June 8, 2011
"On the list of ingredients needed for the development of bountiful fruit and vegetable crops, one item is in short supply in Virginia. To develop properly, crops need more than fertile soil, water and sunshine; they may also need bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles and other insects and animals for pollination. Because of diminishing numbers of pollinators, particularly among honey bees, their importance in food production and their environmental benefits, Gov. Bob McDonnell honored the proclamation request of The Piedmont Environmental Council and declared June 20 through 26 as Pollinator Week in Virginia."
Learn how you can build better habitats for pollinators.
