Wildlife Habitat

Whether you live in urban, suburban or rural areas, you can make a positive impact on native plants and wildlife. Help us boost biodiversity, productivity and environmental quality across the Piedmont.

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tree planting at the overlook

Two Thousand Trees Planted

An interview with PEC’s Sustainable Habitat Program Assistant Celia Vuocolo: What type of restoration happened at the Overlook this past fall? We did a large forest-edge planting of about 2,000 trees and shrubs. The goal …
Coyotes, Our Elusive Neighbors

Coyotes, Our Elusive Neighbors

For those of us old enough to remember when Looney Tunes ruled the afternoon cartoon television slot, the name Wile E. Coyote holds fond memories of a scrappy canine and his many failed attempts at …
Making Progress at the Piedmont Overlook

Making Progress at the Piedmont Overlook

It’s been busy at the Overlook these past few months! PEC is in the final year of a cost-share agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to improve the property’s habitat and increase its biodiversity …
Brook trout. Photo by Chris Anderson.

Teaming Up to Save the “Brookie”

Virginia’s state fish, the eastern brook trout, is in trouble. The Commonwealth’s only native trout has seen a sharp decline in population due to a detrimental combination of rising temper­atures, physical barriers to streamflow, pollution, …
Fall !

Fall !

This is my kind of weather! Red maples turn their namesake, broad wing hawks and other raptor migrate south, white-tailed deer enter the rut, and so many more fun things. Speaking of deer, here's a …
Camera capture montage

From the Field: PEC’s Piedmont Memorial Overlook

The first two steps in land management are to assess what condition the land is in and then decide what your goals are. PEC is going through both of these steps at the Piedmont Memorial …
Deer in field

Oh Deer!

Fall is a busy time for wildlife in the Piedmont, particularly for mammals as they rush to prepare for the coming winter – storing food caches, finding mates, and burrowing den sites. During this time, …
Return of the Cicadas

A Season Full of Activity

I hope you’re enjoying the delightfully cool spring. Personally, I’ll take all the cool weather I can get before the dog days of summer hit. Any cicadas in your neck of the woods? We'll see …
Deer tick

Lyme Disease

In a departure from my normal column on creating habitat, here is some knowledge on ticks ecology and preventative measures from the perspective of an ecologist who spends a lot of time outside. With a …
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Building a Home for Wildlife: Houses, Nests, & More

Just like humans, wildlife species have four primary needs to survive: food, water, shelter and space. These four components form the basis of wildlife habitat, and each species fulfills these needs differently. Yet, for all …