Walking along the gravel driveway of Anne and Dru Crawley’s property, five miles from the village of Amissville, I recognized immediately the significance of this 63-acre stretch of land.
Rappahannock River
Conserving a Cultural Crossroads
On Oct. 27, 2023, Historic Germanna’s executive director, Jennifer Hurst Wender, and board president, Keith Hoffman, signed a perpetual open-space easement on Siegen Forest.
Spring 2023 Tree Planting Opportunities
We are so excited for our four volunteer tree plantings this spring in Clarke, Culpeper Orange and Rappahannock counties during March and April.
Earth Day Tree Planting at the Volgenau Property
Last week, with the help of 56 volunteers, we planted 550 trees along the banks of Thumb Run on the Volgenau property in Fauquier County.
Planting Trees at Thunder Lane Farm for Earth Month
On Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15, 23 volunteers joined The Piedmont Environmental Council at Thunder Lane Farm in Culpeper, VA for an Earth Month-inspired tree planting.
The streams that run through the farm are tributaries to Mountain Run, part of the Rappahannock River, which is a major drinking water supply for the City of Fredericksburg and other downstream communities. The addition of 568 native trees by volunteers will help improve air and water quality and wildlife habitat for years to come.
The Piedmont Environmental Council plants trees in partnership with the Friends of the Rappahannock each spring and fall as part of our Headwater Stream Initiative. If you’d like to participate, visit pecva.org/buffers.
Wilderness Crossing: New Residential Development or Potential Superfund Site?
In November 2021, PEC learned that of the five formally-named gold mine sites located on the proposed Wilderness Crossing residential development, none of them have been closed and cleaned up – a process called “reclamation.”
A Few Highlights From 2021
Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and a global economic slowdown, 2021 proved to be a year of new opportunity here at The Piedmont Environmental Council.
New boat launch on the Rappahannock River
On August 14, Fauquier County’s second Rappahannock River kayak/canoe launch officially opened at the Rector Tract with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, offering county residents a new public access point to the state-designated scenic river.
New Rappahannock River Kayak/Canoe Launch Now Open in Remington, Ribbon-cutting planned for Aug 14, 2021
Fauquier County’s second Rappahannock River kayak/canoe launch is now open at the Rector Tract, located at the end of River Road in Remington, giving county residents a new public access point to the state-designated scenic river. The timber-framed, concrete staircase, with a wooden slide for hand-launch of non-motorized vessels, was built over five days last week by Brad Mawyer of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Wes Hale and a crew of staff from Fauquier County Parks and Recreation, Maggi Blomstrom of The Piedmont Environmental Council, and three Fauquier County resident volunteers. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Saturday, Aug. 14 at 12 p.m.
Beavers Are a Stream’s Best Friend
Did you know that beavers only eat the bark off branches? Well, sometimes they eat the buds and roots of their favorite trees, like willow, maple, poplar, beech, birch, alder and aspen trees.