Last week, with the help of 56 volunteers, we planted 550 trees along the banks of Thumb Run on the Volgenau property in Fauquier County.
Watershed Initiatives

2022 Bluebell Walk
On April 9, 2022, The Piedmont Environmental Council’s Julian W. Scheer Fauquier Land Conservation Fund hosted its annual “Bluebell Walk on Cedar Run” at Bonny Brook Farm in Catlett, VA.

2022-2024 Virginia Budget Priorities
The 2022-2024 biennium budget is an opportunity to make historic investments in the preservation and enjoyment of Virginia’s natural lands.

750+ Trees Planted at Sky Meadows State Park
In October, volunteers helped plant 3.5 acres of trees to protect the Goose Creek Watershed.

Video: Orvis Giveback Days for Bolton Branch
In May, The Piedmont Environmental Council teamed up with Orvis to raise money to restore two miles of brook trout stream habitat on Bolton Branch in Rappahannock County.

Video: Meadows Farm Tree Planting
WATCH: PEC staff and volunteers planted 300 trees at Meadows Farm in Fauquier County on Earth Day!

Video: Free Flow
A must-watch!! We’re so excited to bring you this video about our largest trout stream restoration project to date, on Bolton Branch in Rappahannock County on the border of Shenandoah National Park.

Pen Druid Tree Planting
Part of a collective effort to get native trees and shrubs planted in riparian zones in headwater counties of the Rappahannock River Watershed.

Albemarle Stream Health Initiative
The goal of the Stream Health Initiative is to develop recommended strategies for improving stream health in Albemarle County using a collaborative and inclusive process.”
Fronting the Costs: Fencing at Mountain Hollow Farm
Eight generations of cattle farming had taken its toll on the streams at Dean and Carina Elgin’s Mountain Hollow Farm in northern Fauquier County. Historically, “all the cattle had access to the creek. That was our watering system. And that was the norm in that day,” Dean Elgin said. But by 2015, the Elgins wanted to repair the streambank erosion and reduce the water pollution caused by the foot traffic and waste generated by 200 cattle moving in and out of the water repeatedly. But there was a problem.