November Newsletter
Dear Friends of Historic Virginia Land Conservancy,
Happy Thanksgiving to all! We hope your holidays are peaceful and joyous. The Historic Virginia Land Conservancy (HVLC) is thankful to our community of supporters, members, business donors and partners, Board of Directors, and Advisory Board leaders. HVLC is also grateful for those property owners who come to us each year to partner in the forever protection of their land. As the holiday season and the new year approach, HVLC is sharing some key moments in conservation, community, and celebration in 2024.
HVLC Board of Directors, Advisory Board and staff gather for the July Board Meeting
CONSERVATION
Conservation is, of course, job 1 for HVLC, and 2024 was no exception. The Wilcox Neck Road easement, HVLC’s third largest easement ever at 678 acres, was conserved in Charles City County. With this easement, HVLC now protects 15, 378 acres of land in 85 conservation easements. HVLC’ s service area reaches over 15 counties and 2 cities, from Suffolk to the south, King William County to the northwest and all the Middle Peninsula to the northeast.
Pristine Woodlands Protected
HVLC partnered with property owners in Charles City to protect hundreds of pristine acres of forests, meadows, and wetlands. The just-approved “Wilcox Neck Road Conservation Easement” in Charles City County, near the James River and the Chickahominy Wildlife Management Area, is one of the largest tracts of land ever conserved by HVLC.
A typical vista at the Wilcox Neck Road conservation easement.
Board sets Conservation Priorities
Where in the HVLC service area is the highest interest and potential for conservation? How can HVLC best meet that need? The Board of Directors tackled those questions at their April 2024 meeting with a new plan to reach out to the public to provide awareness about conservation and to interested landowners to provide specific information about the conservation easement process. Several targeted meetings have been held with more planned for 2025, including a “Farmer’s Open House” forum.
Elizabeth Friel, Executive Director, and Emily Hinson, Stewardship Manager, provide conservation information at community meeting in Tappahannock in September.
COMMUNITY
Fourth Annual Fall Fest Brings 275 plus to Play in Nature
Outdoor family fun and beautiful fall weather were the order of the day at Historic Virginia Land Conservancy’s annual free community festival held Sunday October 20th! HVLC was excited to welcome more than 275 community friends to its 4th Annual Friends & Family Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at James City County’s Freedom Park at the Free Black Settlement area.
The festival featured nature-based fun for kids of all ages in the beautiful historic setting. The Teeny Tiny Farm Petting Zoo brought sweet animals for all to meet, including a calf, alpaca, pony, donkey, with goats and bunnies too! Bubbles the Clown offered the always-popular face painting and balloon animals, and an outdoor arts and crafts area provided hands-on fun like building your own seed pods with milkweed seeds that attract monarch butterflies. A new 40-foot long outdoor obstacle course offered serious bouncy fun for kids. 2Hype Entertainment kept the fun soundtrack going all day too.
As folks worked up an appetite, Old City Barbecue’s Food Truck was on hand to serve up their always delicious barbeque, with vegetarian and kids meal options. Shoofly Dairy Bar served up dozens of their famous shaved ice snowballs in a rainbow of flavors. An all-day raffle drawing allowed twenty lucky winners to pick their own prize from kid’s toys and games to restaurant gift certificates generously donated by Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant and Carrot Tree Kitchens.
The festival was made possible by HVLC’s generous sponsors, Susan and Tom Chamberlain, Chesapeake Bank and Chesapeake Wealth Management, Guernsey Tingle Architects, Towne Bank and AES Consulting Engineers. Thank you to our sponsors and to the HVLC Board of Directors and community members who volunteered their time and energy to help make the festival a wonderful success.
The festival highlights HVLC’s community education conservation mission; that conserved land protects our environment, history, agriculture, and natural spaces so that future generations may enjoy time outdoors.
The Teeny Tiny Farm Petting Zoo was very popular.
Emily Hinson, HVLC Stewardship Manager, helps budding gardeners make seed pods.
Fifth Annual Photo Contest Reflects Amazing Images of Nature
Each year, we all appreciate just how beautiful our region and state are! Just have a look at the latest extraordinary photos HVLC received in 2024 Fifth Annual Love of the Land Photo Contest. And the best part is we live here and get to enjoy these natural surroundings every day. Have a look at the gorgeous photo winners!
First Place Photo, Judy Jones, Screech Owl near Chickahominy Wildlife Refuge
Second Place, Patti Black, Wintergreen Founder’s Overlook
Third Place, John Bond, Baby Wood Duck Taking First Flight
Youth Winner, Charlie Schmidt, Juvenile Great Blue Heron on Pine Tree
The lucky winners receive a check, have their pictures converted to notecards and their photos are displayed at the Carrot Tree Kitchens restaurant and on the HVLC website with reprints available for purchase.
CELEBRATION
HVLC had much to celebrate in 2024, including the 2024 Conservation Award winners and the election of six new board members. Looking forward to 2025, HVLC is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a new signature event in March!
Annual Meeting Held November 6th
The Annual Meeting of the Membership of the Historic Virginia Land Conservancy (HVLC) was held November 6, 2024, at the Williamsburg Landing Alvin P. Anderson Auditorium in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The 2024 Conservancy Awards recognized Board Director Amy Hoyt as Volunteer of the Year, while the Chair’s Award of Excellence was awarded to Ryan Stevenson, Incoming Board Chair. The Commitment to Conservation Award was presented to Virginia United Land Trusts (VaULT).
New Board Directors David Allen, Maureen Anderson, Shearin Dramby, Joshua Everard, Leigh Houghland and Richard Porterfield, were elected to three-year terms beginning in 2025. New Advisory Board members, David Bush, and Susan Chamberlain were elected to three-year terms beginning in 2025. Board of Directors Officers were elected for 2025 with Ryan Stevenson to serve as Board Chair, Laura Kinsman to serve as Vice Chair, and Amy Hoyt to serve as Secretary/Treasurer.
Guest speaker, Ellen Shepard, Executive Director of the Virginia United land Trusts (VaULT), elaborated on VaULT’s role in providing conservation education, policy, and legislation analysis and, in partnership with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, creating a competitive grant program geared toward capacity building to local land trusts.
Don Cole, Board Chair, awards VaULT Executive Director Ellen Shepard, the Commitment to Conservation Award, with Elizabeth Friel, HVLC Executive Director.
Dr. Tom Powers is recognized for his 20 years of outstanding leadership and service to HVLC by Elizabeth Friel, Executive Director, and Don Cole, Board Chair.
Amy Hoyt, Board Director, was recognized as Volunteer of the Year by Don Cole, Board Chair.
35th Anniversary Calls for Community Conservation Celebration- March 30, 2025
HVLC is turning 35 and it is time to celebrate! What began as a great idea by a group of dedicated citizens in 1990, is now the premier community land trust protecting 15, 372 acres of the region’s stunning community treasures ! From historic Church on the Main, a tiny but very important 1.4 acres in James City County, to the vast 1,621 acre York River Preserve, a complete ecosystem conserved on the banks of the York River in New Kent County, HVLC has been the “go to” land conservation leader for all the many special places in the region.
The Conservation Celebration event will be held on Sunday March 30, 2025, in the heart of our community, Charles City County, at the Open Air: The Glebe. Note that Open Air: The Glebe is only about 20 minutes from Williamsburg and just 10 minutes from Providence Forge. This outdoor party will include an oyster roast, locally sourced food and beverages, and live music in a beautiful setting. Please save the date and look for your invitation soon!
A vista of the Open Air, The Glebe site–110 acres of lovely woods and farmland
The Glebe, the 1745 era manor house.
Party central on site.
We hope that you will consider supporting HVLC with a commitment to annual membership (www.historicvirginialandconservancy.org) or a year-end donation. Note HVLC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and donations are tax-deductible as permitted by law.
Thank you for your continued support and interest in HVLC! With your support, we all have much to celebrate.
IT’S YOUR VIEW.
TOGETHER, LET’S HELP PROTECT IT.