Our Work

Safeguarding the landscapes, communities and heritage of the Piedmont by involving citizens in public policy and land conservation. Learn more about our work by browsing the subject areas below and find out how to get involved!

Trail Blazing

Trail Blazing

Posted on by Paula Combs

Pedestrian and bicycle trail systems can improve our health, increase property value, provide sustainable transportation choices and even strengthen a community’s economy — especially in an urban area.

Something not everyone may know about PEC is that we’ve been working to increase public access to parks, historic sites and a number of different trail networks. This type of work helps provide more options for people in the region to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and connect with the land. Trails in urban settings can also provide a more sustainable and healthy way of traveling in and around neighborhoods. These benefits are why we have raised funds for the extension of the Warrenton Branch Greenway in Fauquier County and partnered with James Madison’s Montpelier and Grelen Market to facilitate the creation of the Montpelier-Grelen trail, to name a few.

Protecting Thumb Run

Protecting Thumb Run

Posted on by Paula Combs

What’s good for wildlife is often good for water quality,” said Celia Vuocolo, PEC’s wildlife habitat and stewardship specialist, as she spoke to guests at the fifth Annual Thumb Run Open House.

This sentiment was reinforced at the event, held on November 13 at the Orlean Fire Hall, by speakers Amy Johnson of Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Virginia Working Landscapes Program, Janet Davis of Hill House Farm and Nursery and Dr. Tania Cubitt of Performance Horse Nutrition LLC, whose presentations focused on grassland bird conservation, landscaping for wildlife and healthy horse pastures, respectively. While the presentation topics varied, the underlying theme was the same — land stewardship supports clean water.

Managing Land in the Piedmont for the Benefit of Birds & Other Wildlife

Managing Land in the Piedmont for the Benefit of Birds & Other Wildlife

Posted on by Todd Lamonia

Interested in managing your property or backyard for wildlife, but not sure where to start? Our guide, Managing Land in the Piedmont of Virginia for the Benefit of Birds and Other Wildlife, introduces landowners to land management options that should be considered for a variety of habitat types.

Thumb Run Wildlife Habitat Corridor Project

Thumb Run Wildlife Habitat Corridor Project

Posted on by Marco Sanchez

In June 2012, PEC received a grant from The Volgenau Foundation to improve wildlife habitat in the northwestern region of Fauquier County. This project area is geographically defined by the Thumb Run watershed; all water in the region drains into Thumb Run and eventually the Rappahannock River. Wildlife habitat improvement goals for this project align with state priority wildlife species including: early successional song birds, pollinators, fresh water aquatic species such as mussels, amphibians, and more. Improving the connectivity of habitat “corridors” such as riparian buffers is a key focus of the project. Habitat practices that have other environmental benefits such as improved water quality are also of high priority. Get involved!

PEC Donates Land to National Park Service

Posted on by Paula Combs

Shenandoah National Park just grew a little bigger and a little more beautiful. This past May, The Piedmont Environmental Council donated a 17.2-acre property it owned in Rappahannock County to the National Park Service. A forested and vacant parcel on a mountain slope south of Sperryville, VA, the land is within the legislative boundary of Shenandoah National Park. 

Fenced in at Roundabout Meadows

Fenced in at Roundabout Meadows

Posted on by Paula Combs

Polluted water is not only bad for us and the environment, but it’s bad for livestock as well,” says Celia Vuocolo, habitat and stewardship specialist at PEC.

A significant stewardship project is wrapping up this fall at Roundabout Meadows, the 141- acre property near Gilbert’s Corner that was gifted to PEC in 2013. The project is focused on implementing agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) that will keep livestock away from the property’s streams and provide a clean source of water for cattle. As part of the effort, over 2 miles of fencing and almost a mile of pipeline plumbing for a watering system have been installed.

“Our long-term plan for Roundabout Meadows is to retain its agricultural use, and we want to do so in a manner that is in harmony with being good stewards of the land and water resources, while farming continues on the property,” says Michael Kane, director of conservation at PEC.

A small town with a lot to offer

A small town with a lot to offer

Posted on by Paula Combs

Creating a community park takes quite a bit of planning, which is why the historic railroad town of Remington is about to receive support for adding recreational space for its residents and visitors.

Situated on a scenic natural crossing of the Rappahannock River, Remington has an abundance of character and contains elements of a walkable community, including a compact street grid. But the town has few common areas for recreation and no official public access to the river.

PEC Donates Land to National Park

PEC Donates Land to National Park

Posted on by Paula Combs

Shenandoah National Park just grew a little bigger and a little more beautiful. This past May, We donated a 17.2-acre property of ours in Rappahannock County to the National Park Service. A forested and vacant parcel on a mountain slope south of Sperryville, Virginia, the land is within the legislative boundary of Shenandoah National Park.

“The property is surrounded by the park on three of its four sides, so it’s a key puzzle piece,” says Carolyn Sedgwick, PEC’s Rappahannock County land conservation officer, who oversaw the donation from PEC to the National Park Service. “This great public-private partnership with the National Park Service has resulted in the expansion of one of the most important wildlife corridors on the east coast.”

The donated acreage is by an area in the national park designated as federal wilderness — the highest conservation designation for federal land — making it an important and strategic area to conserve.