Got a pond? Or want one? Here’s a starter kit for how to manage a healthy aquatic ecosystem on your property.
Plantings for the Piedmont
PEC and some of our partner organizations offer programs across our 9-county region that provide free technical assistance, project design, materials, and labor for the planting of native trees and shrubs in riparian zones on qualifying properties.
Native Plants for Riparian Buffers – and Your Backyard
If you are looking to maximize the shelter provided to terrestrial wildlife, consider these species:
Invasive Species: Identification and Management
Whether you own a large lot with hundreds of acres or just a small suburban yard, there are steps you can take to reduce the presence of invasives on your property.
Riparian Buffer Planting Assistance Programs
PEC, in cooperation with our excellent partners, offers free planting services, including technical assistance, project design, materials and labor to qualifying landowners in the region, through three location-based programs.
Riparian Buffers: Benefits for Water, Wildlife & People
Riparian buffers are vegetated or forested transitional zones between land and water resources, such as streams, rivers, lakes, ponds or wetlands.
Fall Tree Planting Volunteer Opportunities
We are so excited for our three volunteer tree plantings this fall! Planting native trees and shrubs along streams, rivers, and ponds – also known as riparian buffers – is a way to help clean water and connect wildlife habitat.
Plantings for the Piedmont: A Team Effort
It was a brisk morning in late January as I stood with a Fauquier County landowner. We leaned against a fence at the end of the site visit, discussing the coming tree planting projects at her property, when she said, “I want you to know that we’re a team. Whether it’s today as we’re standing here, tomorrow, or the next day, we’re in this together.”
Free Native Tree Giveaways This Spring!
This spring, PEC is partnering with Friends of the Rappahannock to give away over 600 native trees in Leesburg and Aldie!
Plantings for the Piedmont applications open for 2025-2026
See if you are eligible for FREE assistance to plant and maintain trees on your property. Applications for Plantings for the Piedmont are open for 2025-2026.
Partnership for the Ages
The Hellmanns are glad to know that their corner of the world will remain intact — a place where generations to come can enjoy the native wildflowers alongside Bear Trail, the hardwoods they plan to plant after the next pine harvest, and the great place to live that they have always loved by the creek.