In the words of 12 year-old volunteer, Justin
Craig, Roanoke, VA. My experience volunteering at
Falls Ridge was wonderful. I loved the waterfalls as
well as the big rocks and caves. The landscape was
cool. I loved all of the plants, fields, and valleys. I
also liked the creek. I have always loved creeks
because I love playing in them. Nature is awesome
because you can do lots of stuff like hike. You can
also see all different kinds of animals. My favorite
animal is a snake. I like them because of their colors
and patterns. One time I was hiking at McAfee’s
Knob and I saw a bear. My Grandpa and I stayed and
watched it run away while my mom and my brother
walked away. I loved being on top of the mountain.
You could see everything from the mountains to the
airport and Carvins Cove. I always love to go to my
Grandpa’s house because I know that we will go on a
hike or go on a walk and there is always a lot of
nature all the time. What I like most about nature is
you get to spend time with family.
TOP: Dominion volunteers help with landscaping
at our new Dan Ingalls Trailhead © Jen Dalke
MIDDLE: Volunteer helps re-paint trail blazes at
our Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve © Rebecca
Dameron
BOTTOM: Volunteer photographer Scott Clark
and his son, Anders help at one of our Trust
Fund sites near Charlottesville © Shaina Phillips
Justin Craig helps his Grandpa, volunteer
Butch Kelly at Falls Ridge Preserve
Falls Ridge Preserve is located in
Montgomery County near
Blacksburg. Part of a steep, rugged
ridge that rises from the valley of
the North Fork of the Roanoke
River, the preserve boasts a springfed travertine waterfall around 80
feet high. The rocks in the
travertine falls watershed grow
steadily, as minerals and lime
dissolve in the water and
precipitate upon them.
Visitors can take the shorter
Bradley loop trail (less than a mile)
or hike the longer Chamberlain
Trail (4 miles round trip). To get
directions, download a map and
view photos visit our website.
FALL 2014
nature.org/VirginiaVolunteers
Love of nature has been passed down through the
generations to me. As a child my mother made a point
of taking me camping at least once a year to a favorite
remote site in Steamboat Springs, CO. Being a near
recluse my mother and I always camped during the offseason when all the RVs and tents had long been
packed away for the winter. It wasn’t unusual to see
snow flurries mixed in with the golden leaves. Because
it was deserted it provided wonderful opportunities to
appreciate the stillness and silence of the forest.
Something profound happens in our minds and hearts
when all that can be heard is the faint creaking of tall
pines, punctuated by the occasional call of a raptor.
This particular sensation is one you can’t describe but
with a love of animals. They see wonder in the smallest
insects and foliage. When we involve them in the care
of their world they come to take ownership of it and
become aware of the positive impact they can have.
Not only is this beneficial to our environment it
provides them a sense of responsibility,
accomplishment, and purpose that they are seeking but
can’t often find in an adult’s world.
Show your children that they matter and that they are
important members of our society by letting them help.
Even if you have to go behind them and fix what they
“fixed”, let them feel proud of themselves and proud of
their contribution. They will carry their experience into
their future and pass it along to their own children.
must feel to comprehend. It is magical, moving, and
deeply satisfying. In what some might see as emptiness
it is possible to see the opposite: the abundance of life
and the commotion of nature readying itself for the
descent of winter.
This experience is the reason I’ve volunteered for the
Nature Conservancy and why I’ve enlisted the help of
my own daughters. We must take an active part in
preserving these open spaces. Open spaces where
people can see the fascinating cycles of nature are
essential to our health as a society and as a species.
Children are special advocates for the protection and
stewardship of our open spaces. All children are inborn
A Family Affair: Angela Dehart and her family have been volunteering with The Nature Conservancy for two years at our
North Landing River Preserve—Milldam Creek Boardwalk in Virginia Beach. They monitor the preserve by picking up trash,
making boardwalk repairs and greeting visitors. To learn how you and your family can help here or other preserves visit
www.nature.org/VaPreserveMonitors.
Photo credits © Angela Dehart
Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family. ~Anthony Brandt
the long hike. While returning on the Chamberlain Trail,
everyone was getting pretty hot, tired, sweaty, and
“It (waterfall) was the biggest I’ve ever seen”
thirsty. Even though I had taken a slower pace and
— Christian, 5-years old
incorporated more breaks than normal when hiking by
myself, I could tell that Noah and Christian’s attitudes
Written by Julio Stephens, volunteer. On the afternoon were starting to deteriorate. Fortunately, after holding
of Wednesday, June 11th, 2014, I volunteered at Falls
each child so they could look down the old furnace site,
Ridge Preserve with my two older sons, Noah (7-years we made it to the Bradley Trail and headed towards the
old) and Christian (5-years old). The day went really
waterfall. Attitudes started to recover and upon
well even though it was a hot (near 90 degrees F) and
reaching the water, they had both forgotten how tired
hazy summer afternoon. I had taken the afternoon off and thirsty they were. From that point, there was
to monitor the preserve, something I’ve done for five
walking across the bridge multiple times and leaf
years. I volunteer with The Nature Conservancy for
races in the ponds. Noah and Christian like the animals
many reasons—the preserve is close to my home, it’s a the most while hiking and both were proud of
completing the trail that day. They said it makes them
want to do even more hiking and I agree. I plan to
continue to visit and volunteer at Falls Ridge Preserve
for a long time to come and will do my best to make it a
family affair as well.
“The water was the coolest part”—Noah, 7-years old
great excuse to “force” me to schedule a hike in a
normally busy family schedule, and the flexibility offers
a great opportunity to share this experience with my
family. Fortunately, my employer allows volunteer
leave as a benefit and I typically use part of it to help
with monitoring Falls Ridge.
What they saw. Some of the things that we saw
included hickory nuts, a snail shell, several flowers,
squirrels, waterfalls, the “tiny little river” and
mayapples. The mayapples were some of the last of the
season and a new experience for Noah and Christian. I
try to educate and incorporate Leave No Trace
principles into all our outdoor activities but sometimes,
as evidenced by the picture showing items found when
cleaning out their pockets, small children and their
curious minds need to hold on to a few items to help
remember their trips. And sometimes, we as adults
need to remember to slow down to better appreciate
some of the smaller things in life as well.
My family has accompanied me many times when I go
to volunteer at Falls Ridge and typically, I hike ahead of
them while they take a break or start a picnic in the
field. But this day, I decided to try to complete the
entire trail with the boys, something they had never
done before. Knowing that this would be the furthest
they had ever hiked and that it was pretty hot, I knew
that we needed a good amount of water and would
need to take many breaks. Additionally, I decided that
we would visit the waterfall at the end of the hike
instead of the beginning, which is our normal protocol.
This provided the goal and special treat at the end of
There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. ~Walt Streightiff
A lot was accomplished this summer with volunteer projects from vegetation monitoring to landscaping
and living shoreline clean-up to trail maintenance. Projects occurred in every corner of Virginia and also
included help in the office. Thanks for all your help. Enjoy some photos of volunteers in action!
Voorhees Preserve © John Narney
Photo Credits (top left to bottom right): Living Shoreline Clean-Up © Jeff Hottenstein, Vegetation Monitoring ©
Jack Looney, LEAF interns in the Clinch Valley © Kerri Sadoff, Dominion Dan Ingalls Overlook Trailhead Workday ©
Holly Korab, Hairy Rubber Cup Fungi during Preserve Monitoring Activities © Nancy Carey, SUUSI Volunteer
Workday at Falls Ridge Preserve © Jen Dalke
Some things can only be understood when you're in a tree house. With a pile of warm
chocolate chip cookies. And a book. ~Dr. SunWolf
LEAF INTERNS: The LEAF program (Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future) provides summer internships
for high school students around the country. The program has had a tremendous impact on urban youth—opening
their eyes to career possibilities, building self-confidence, work skills and conservation literacy. This past summer
was the 20th year of the LEAF Program, whose mission is to engage urban youth in conservation activities now so
that they will become stewards for our planet tomorrow. Four LEAF interns and a LEAF mentor spent a month in
Virginia this July. The students spent two weeks in our Clinch Valley Program and two weeks in our Allegheny
Highlands Program. Projects included invasive species control, community outreach, water quality monitoring and
sign installation. They even had time to pick wild blackberries and enjoy a cobbler made by Conservancy staff
member, Greg Meade. See photos below. For more information on the LEAF program visit www.nature.org/leaf.
LEAF Interns in the Allegheny Highlands © Jen Dalke
LEAF interns in the Clinch Valley © Greg Meade
Allegheny Highlands © David Fox/TNC
Dominion Volunteers Landscaping © Holly Korab
Dominion Trailhead Workday Lunch Break © Jen Dalke
DAN INGALLS TRAILHEAD WORKDAY: The Nature Conservancy partnered with Dominion Power to host a
volunteer workday at our Warm Springs Mountain Preserve in August as part of the new trailhead construction at
Dan Ingalls Overlook. Nineteen Dominion volunteers plus Conservancy staff spent the day creating new
landscaping beds, planting trees and perennials, weeding, mulching, spreading stone on the trail and clearing
invasive species. It was hard work in the heat, but everyone enjoyed a lunch break complete with hamburgers,
hotdogs and all the sides. See photos above. The Dan Ingalls Overlook Trail is a 2.4-mile round trip hike that provides an introduction to Warm Springs Mountain and includes interpretive signage along the way. There is a rocky
outcrop near the end of the trail with scenic views. To learn more about our Warm Springs Mountain Preserve,
download a map of the Dan Ingalls Overlook Trail and get directions visit our website here.
A man is getting old when he walks around a puddle instead of through it. ~R.C. Ferguson
PRESERVE MONITORS
Berger Preserve, Fortune’s Cove Preserve, Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve, Falls Ridge Preserve, Voorhees Preserve,
Wildcat Mountain Preserve, Fraser Preserve, Cumberland Marsh Preserve, Milldam Creek Boardwalk, Warm
Springs Mountain Preserve, Fernbrook Preserve
We need your eyes, ears and muscles! With many preserves to manage around the Commonwealth, it’s not
always possible to monitor them as often as we’d like. Our goal is to form volunteer visitation committees at our
public access preserves to conduct routine surveys of the preserve and note visitor activities. Committee
members will also help to remove debris, fallen branches or overgrown vegetation from trails as needed with
hand tools. We are looking for long-term committed people to monitor between 4 and 6 times a year.
For more information visit www.nature.org/vapreservemonitors.
To view the location of these preserves click on the interactive map found here.
PARRAMORE ISLAND VOLUNTEER WEEK: Eastern Shore
overnight housing may be available for non-local volunteers staying multiple days
October 20-25 (come one day or multiple)
The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Coast Reserve on the Eastern Shore protects 14 undeveloped barrier islands
that include thousands of acres of pristine salt marshes, vast tidal mudflats, shallow bays and productive forest
uplands. We need 6-8 volunteers each day the week of Monday, Oct. 20 through Saturday, Oct. 25. Projects will
include trail maintenance and site clean-up along with other general island clean-up activities. Volunteers will
need to be comfortable working outside for the whole day and can come for one day or multiple days.
Transportation to the island via boat will be provided. For non-Eastern Shore volunteers, we may be able to offer
overnight housing free of charge if you participate multiple days. For more information and to sign up contact
Jen Dalke, volunteer program manager at jdalke@tnc.org or 434-951-0572 (w) or 540-335-1302 (c).
INTERAGENCY PRESCRIBED FIRE REFESHER TRAINING COURSE: Pocahontas State Park (Chesterfield, VA)
Wednesday, October 22.
For more information and to RSVP contact Bobby Clontz, land steward, bclontz@tnc.org.
Views of the Conservancy's Vandall Preserve at Cumberland Marsh, New Kent, VA © Kervin Ridgley
There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the
morning more fragrant than ever again. ~Elizabeth Lawrence
Jonathan Thorne is 12-years old and lives in Stafford,
VA. He volunteered to clear trails at Falls Ridge
Preserve with his cousin Justin Craig featured in the
Faces of Conservation article.
I like looking at plants and having my grandpa tell me
about them. My grandma’s favorite plant is Queen
Anne's lace. My mom's favorite flower is black-eyed
Susan.
My cousin and I used loppers to cut down tree limbs
that were in the way of the path. My cousin and I also
carried all the supplies in two heavy bags like water
and snacks and binoculars, in case we saw a bird and
wanted to identify it. We also carried the essential
med kit etc. Hiking up the mountain was hard with all
of the stuff on our backs. All three of us got really tired
after 5 hours of hard work. I touched stinging nettle
and my grandpa found a remedy for the pain by
crushing up a leaf of jewel weed and putting the juice
on the spot. We went up the mountain and weedeated it and chopped the overgrown branches.
The trail was rough but we made it up and down the
mountain and afterwards we were all really tired. My
favorite part of the trail was the waterfall when I listen
to the waterfall it's like music to my ears.
I like looking at the many different types of flowers in
nature. On the trail my grandpa tells me the different
types of plants and what their medicinal values are. I
consider my grandpa a nature genius because he
knows everything there is to know about nature. I like
nature because it is beautiful to see all of the different
colors.
Exploring the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve © Ian Shive
Jonathan Thorne (right) with his cousin Justin Craig (left) and their
Grandpa, Butch Kelly (center).
Wings and Water Wetlands Education Program: The Utah
Chapter of The Nature Conservancy hosts over 1,500 students
a year as part of their Wings and Water Wetlands Education
Program. The program is free and consists of a naturalistguided wetland tour, a student Discovery Guide and Field
Guide, and pre-tour and post-tour classroom activities. The
Wings and Water Program allows students and teachers to
take advantage of Utah’s unique Great Salt Lake wetlands as a
platform for an unforgettable educational experience.
The program is one example of a nationwide effort to get
young people outside as we acknowledge nature’s influence in
the healthy development of children. At the Conservancy, we
believe it’s crucial to help the next generation connect with
nature, and learn to appreciate and respect lands, waters and
wildlife.
Students writing in their Discovery Guides © Heidi Nedreberg
Learn more about Wings and Water and how the Conservancy
is working with youth around the globe.
I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious. ~Albert Einstein
Our volunteers and staff capture many images from their time exploring
our natural world. Enjoy these snapshots and submit your own photos to Jen Dalke, volunteer program manager at
jdalke@tnc.org.
Spider, Lamb Property—part of the Conservancy’s Virginia Aquatic Resources Trust Fund Program, August 2014 © Jack Looney
North Landing River Preserve, July 2014 © Michael Berg
Kayak Camp: Virginia Coast Reserve, August 2014 © Jill Bieri
Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Nature Conservancy in Virginia
490 Westfield Road
Charlottesville, VA 22901
FALL 2014
Volunteer Newsletter
nature.org/VirginiaVolunteers