A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
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.
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.
Continuing the Climate Conversation: An update from Albemarle
PEC is ramping up our activities and role within the broader Comprehensive Plan update process, developing recommendations that we hope, based on our study of climate threats in Albemarle, can serve as a model for other PEC counties.
2022 Summer Fellows Return to the Piedmont
PEC’s Summer Fellowship Program is much more than an internship. This year’s program brought together 12 fellows — from Texas to Florida to Ohio to New Hampshire — virtually for six weeks and here in the Virginia Piedmont for two weeks of on-the-ground learning and exploration.
The Piedmont’s Beauty Is Not An Accident – Letter from PEC’s President
I often say that the beauty of the Virginia Piedmont is not an accident. And over the course of 2022, PEC has been contemplating and celebrating 50 years of collective effort conserving and protecting this place we love so much as we also plan for a more sustainable future.
Soil is Alive: How to Keep it Healthy
Healthy soil can make as big a difference for home gardeners as it can for large-scale farmers. We sat down with Melissa Allen, District Manager at the John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District to talk about the importance of and path to healthy soil.
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 by working with communities and partner organizations to identify threats and opportunities that could impact the corridor’s scenic character and its function as a powerful economic engine for tourism revenue.
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.
Fall 2022 Piedmont View
The fall 2022 edition of the Piedmont View features summer fellowship highlights, PEC’s annual virtual auction, climate conversations in Albemarle, a soil health Q&A, upcoming events, and more.
50 Years of Relentless Incrementalism – Letter from PEC’s President
For 50 years, PEC has remained committed to the pursuit of better local planning and conservation; the results are significant and even inspirational.