Conservation and Beautification

April 11, 2022

Chairman Mary Bruce Glaize, The Little Garden Club of Winchester

The Conservation and Beautification Committee continued to work on a proposed presentation board (brag board) led by Betsy Quarles. The board was to rest on an old, wrought iron stand at events and would describe conservation and beautification efforts, short articles about GCV activities, history, grassroots legislative efforts, forum information and a list of GCV success stories.

The 2002 Conservation Workshop was held September 12 at the Kent-Valentine House with featured speaker Roy Hoagland, Virginia Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. His CBF associates Nina Luxmoore and Barbara Sayer provided CBF resources for GCV members to use in gardening, education and legislation.

The Virginia Conservation Network presented the 2002 Virginia Environmental Assembly, “Preserving Our Natural Resources — Our Link to the Past and Bridge to the Future” on October 4-6 in Williamsburg.

The 2002 Conservation Forum, “Downtown’s Doing It: Preserving the Past, Protecting the Future,” was held October 28-29, 2002, in Lynchburg. Attendees were given a trolley tour of Lynchburg’s historic downtown area on Monday afternoon – Old City Cemetery, Point of Honor, Percival’s Island and Blackwater Creek Hiking Trail, followed by dinner at Amazement Square that opened doors to present and future possibilities. Rachel Flynn, Director of Community Planning and Development for Lynchburg, discussed the challenges and successes of preserving and restoring downtown spaces.

Tuesday’s Forum speakers were Charles Birnbaum, FASLA, Coordinator of the National Parks Service Historic Landscape Initiative, who focused on the preservation of historic landscapes, and Julie Bargmann, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at UVA, who discussed the work involved in reclamation of industrial sites. Their presentations provided “innovative approaches to preserving our past and protecting our future, transforming the way we look at our environment and perceive our viewshed.”

The 2002 Elizabeth Cabell Dugdale Award was presented to an individual and a corporation. Alice Stratton Wellford was recognized for her tireless efforts to raise awareness of the invasive reed Phragmites australis in tidal marshes and to eliminate it from the marshes along the Rappahannock River and tidal creeks.

Dimon Incorporated of Danville received the award for best practices in sustaining the natural and cultural heritage of Danville’s historic district after renovating their 1873-era corporate headquarters buildings with respect for the architecture of the past.

Legislative Day on January 16, 2003, focused on land use, conservation and funding for natural resources, with emphasis on Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances (APFO) legislation. Legislative Day Chairman Sallie Sebrell gathered speakers from the conservation community, including VCN representative Martha Wingfield, Suffolk Mayor Dana Dickens, Delegate Frank Hargrove and Senator Leslie Byrne. APFO legislation did not pass in 2003, but the committee made plans to revisit the legislation in 2004.

The 2003 Conservation and Beautification Workshop was scheduled for September 24 at the Kent-Valentine House. Chairman Tish King had secured presenters Jocelyn Sladen to discuss the Federal Endangered Species Act; Kay Slaughter to discuss how to play an active role in legislative issues; and keynote speaker Chris Ludwig to discuss the Flora of Virginia Project.  Unfortunately, the workshop was canceled due to Hurricane Isabel.

The 2003 Conservation Forum, “Water: A Reality Check,” was held October 27-28, 2003, in Norfolk at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, chaired by Judy Kidd. Attendees took a fabulous trip on Monday afternoon aboard a Chesapeake Bay Foundation floating classroom with specialist Nina Luxmoore.

Tuesday’s Forum speakers were Rick Eades, President of GEO Interactive Associates in Charleston, West Virginia, and Will Backer, President and Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, Maryland.

The 2003 Elizabeth Cabell Dugdale Award was presented to Friends of the Shenandoah River, for their dedication to the preservation and protection of the Shenandoah River and its tributaries.

Legislative Day 2004, held January 26 and chaired by Sallie Sebrell, continued to focus on billboards, Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances legislation (APFO), to support legislation to increase funding for the Secretary of Natural Resources and the King William Reservoir. Weather all but shut down Richmond, but attendees were treated to roundtable discussions and the undivided attention of legislators.