Conservation and Beautification

November 12, 2022

Chairman Anne Beals, The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club

The Board of Directors approved the following Uranium Mining Position Statement at its Board meeting on July 21, 2012.

“The Garden Club of Virginia exists to celebrate the beauty of the land, to conserve the gifts of nature and to challenge future generations to build on this heritage. The Garden Club of Virginia supports the continuation of the moratorium on uranium mining until the Commonwealth is assured that the mining can be done safely, and that financial resources are available to fund a sufficiently long-term regulatory oversight system to conserve and protect Virginia’s natural resources.”

The Conservation Workshop, “Conservation in Virginia,” was held at the Kent-Valentine House on September 24, 2012. Club conservation chairmen and presidents learned how the uranium issue will be treated politically, and how to effectively communicate with our elected representatives on the topic.

The 2012 Conservation Forum, “Pesticides and Our Health,” was held on November 12 at the University of Richmond’s Jepson Alumni Center, chaired by Chamie Valentine. On the evening prior to the forum, speakers were invited for dinner at the Kent-Valentine House.

Legislative Day was held January 28, 2013, chaired by Betsy Agelasto. Read GCV approved positions on 2013 legislative issues.

The first ever joint workshop of the Conservation and Beautification Committee and the Horticulture Committee was held on September 23, 2013, at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, was a huge success. The event was chaired by Zan Thomas, representing the Conservation and Beautification Committee, and Dorothy Tompkins, representing the Horticulture Committee. Attendance approached 170 and speakers Cole Burrell, garden designer and award-winning author, and Kevin Heffernan, Virginia Natural Heritage Stewardship Biologist, presented lively programs with slides that made a lasting impression on the audience. Dorothy coordinated a display of invasive native and non-native plants in the Virginia garden, and members of the Horticulture Committee were on hand to answer questions and give advice.

The Conservation Forum was held October 30, 2013, at Montalto in Charlottesville. “Adapting to Climate Change in Virginia” was chaired by Anne Irving and Tuckie Westfall. Bay Disposal and Recycling generously sponsored this forum and the 2014 forum with a gift of $10,000.

2014 Legislative Day was held January 27, 2014 at Center Stage, chaired by Wendy Vaughn. Leighton Powell of Scenic Virginia met with committee members at the Kent-Valentine House prior to the event to speak about legislative issues, the lower James River viewshed and fracking. Read GCV approved positions on 2014 legislative issues.