Celia Porter Dollarhide and her siblings never quite had a hometown. Their father, Robert Porter, Jr., was a general in the U.S. army and the family moved often. So, when General Porter retired in the ‘60s and settled at Middle River Farm in Madison County—the 140 acre tree farm became the family’s home base. Bob Porter, Celia’s younger brother, says Celia was especially drawn to the farm. When their father passed away in 2000, she stepped up and took over a lot of the property management: “I believe she wanted to carry out father’s vision for the farm, and she fell in love with this area,” Bob explains. “With the rapid development in Northern Virginia, where she lived, this region is something special, and was special to her.” Read More

In late November 2012, a sold-out crowd packed the Middleburg Community Center for a Invasive Plant Symposium sponsored by PEC, the Sacharuna Foundation, Virginia Working Landscapes, and United Plant Savers. The event featured a panel of scientific experts, foresters and farmers to talk about methods for controlling invasive plants and utilizing native plants. Dr. Doug Tallamy, the nationally acclaimed speaker and author of the best seller Bringing Nature Home,was the keynote speaker. Read More

In 2012, landowners in PEC’s nine-county region voluntarily conserved over 9,500 acres of land by donating conservation easements. This brings the region’s total to more than 357,000 acres of privately protected land, or 16.8% of the land in the region. That’s without accounting for the parks and other public lands, which add another 185,000 acres to the region’s tally of conserved land. At its core, land conservation is about preserving our scenic landscapes, our economically productive working lands, and the crucial natural and cultural resources that make this region a wonderful, healthy place to live. Landowners who conserve their land are protecting numerous streams, rivers, wetlands, forests, prime agricultural lands, historic districts and battlefields. These resources not only make the Piedmont a great place to call home, but they are fundamental to the local and state economies. Read More