Each spring and fall, PEC welcomes dozens of volunteers who get their hands dirty and their feet muddy helping us plant native trees and shrubs along streams on private properties. We caught up with two of our tree planting volunteers, Jennifer Dorrer and her son, Felix Kontanis, to learn about their experiences with PEC.
Publications
The Piedmont Environmental Council produces a number of publications — follow the links below to view PDFs of our newsletters, annual reports, Buy Fresh Buy Local guides and more.
A Neighborhood Conservation Effort along South River
In Greene County, a community-wide effort to protect land along the South River has been underway for nearly two decades. In 2022, a critical 140-acre multi-generational cattle farm was added to the tapestry of this corridor with a conservation easement generously donated to PEC by Mr. Laymon Breeden, who wanted to protect the farm in part to honor his father.
Conserving a Piece of Heaven
From the wrap-around porch at Hans and Anne Wachtmeister’s Fauquier County home, I feel as if I’m standing atop a mountain looking across heaven. And it’s one of seven Fauquier County properties permanently protected with a conservation easement last year.
The Sperryville Trail Network: Uniting a Community and Creating a Sense of Place
You may have driven through Sperryville on your way to the Thornton Gap entrance to Shenandoah National Park. But this historic village is much more than just a place to pass through, and I found the Sperryville Trail Network to be the perfect tour guide
Winter 2022 Piedmont View
The winter 2022 edition of the Piedmont View was mailed out to PEC members in December.
Ridgeline: A community collaborative performance event
Early in October, as part our 50th anniversary celebration this year, ET Projects’ newest collaborative performance event, Ridgeline, brought community and creativity together through performance, experiential art, and environmental activism in two extraordinary nights at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Rokeby Airstrip in Upperville.
The Value of Local Decisions – Letter from PEC’s President
The coming year promises a surge of emerging issues that will challenge us and require your support and participation more than ever before.
Reflections: On Why I’ve Supported PEC for Nearly 50 Years
PEC supporter Childs F. Burden shares the reasoning for his decades-long support PEC.
Connecting People and Place in a Built Environment
Through the Town to Trail initiative over the past few years, Gordonsville has doubled its public open space and multiplied everyone’s contributions, large and small.
Meet PEC: Winter 2022
Meet Don McCown and Montana Lanier!