Clarke County

Clarke County has a time-honored tradition of promoting and protecting its agricultural roots. It was one of the first counties in the nation to adopt protective zoning regulations and continues to conserve its unique heritage.

a green field with black cows on a rainy looking day

Return of the Grassland Birds

The new Virginia (formerly Piedmont) Grassland Bird Initiative (VGBI) is showing promising signs of returning those birds to the Virginia landscape. With grant funding, the program pays farmers to adopt bird-friendly best management practices …
a man points at a poster before a crowd

Along the Route 50 Corridor

The beauty of the Route 50 corridor is not an accident. It has taken multi-generational involvement in local decision-making to plan for and preserve this historic east-west passage. PEC has played a part in that …
On the Ground Updates - September 2022

On the Ground Updates – September 2022

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock …
multiple volunteers in a grassy field planting tree saplings

Fall tree plantings + Orvis Giveback days

As PEC’s Tree Planting and Stewardship Coordinator, I’d like to invite you to join our conservation team this fall to plant native trees and shrubs along waterways in the Virginia Piedmont. We’re looking for volunteers …
View of a snowy landscape at sunrise from Shenandoah National Park

PEC Accepting Annual Photo Contest Submissions Through Sept. 30

Now through September 30, professional and amateur photographers alike are invited to submit their best images of the beautiful Virginia Piedmont in The Piedmont Environmental Council’s 11th Annual Photo Contest. All image submissions must be …
a young woman plants a tree sapling in dirt

Fall 2022 Tree Planting Opportunities

We’re so excited to announce four volunteer tree plantings for the fall! Planting native trees and shrubs along streams, rivers, and ponds – also known as riparian buffers – is a way to help clean …
On the Ground Updates - June 2022

On the Ground Updates – June 2022

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock …
On the Ground Updates - March 2022

On the Ground Updates – March 2022

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock …
Aerial view of prescribed burn at the Piedmont Memorial Overlook

Video: Prescribed Burn at the Piedmont Memorial Overlook

As part of our habitat management efforts at the Piedmont Memorial Overlook near Sky Meadows State Park, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) conducted a prescribed burn on four acres of our native warm-season grass …