Summer/Fall 2009

In the words of volunteer RENEE BROWN

This summer I got the opportunity to intern with The Nature Conservancy in Virginia for the months of June and July. Having just finished my junior year as an Environmental Studies major at Hollins University I felt that the experience would be invaluable. I was right. The two months that I spent working for the Conservancy were two of the most fascinating months I have ever worked.

I worked in various locations around the southwestern part of Virginia and got to see many wonderful new things. I had never been to the Warm Springs area of Virginia and had only driven through the Clinch Valley until taking part in this internship. While in these places I saw my first wild black bear, bald eagle, and green heron. I was also lucky enough to get to see the Peter’s Mountain mallow plant while it was in bloom.

One of the best things about working with The Nature Conservancy was the people. Everyone I worked with was friendly and willing to answer any questions I had. Their willingness to teach me how to use equipment or explain why a certain method was being used contributed greatly to this experience. I am looking forward to working with them again in the future and have already been perusing the volunteer newsletter for things I can so to help out. Hope to see you out there!

Summer/Fall 2009

In the words of volunteer TROY ZIEMAN

Summer 2009

In the words of volunteer JULIE ERICKSEN

I love to garden! And the plants in my yard multiply in that wonderful way plants do. While gardening one day over eight years ago, I started dreaming about what I could do with the plants that I needed to divide. What came of it was the idea of having a plant sale to benefit a cause. The cause I picked was the Chesapeake Rivers Program of The Nature Conservancy because it seemed only fair that these plants I dug up and sold should benefit an organization whose goal was to protect their habitat! I told my friends and acquaintances and many dug up plants from their yard to donate. I held the first sale in my backyard in May of 2001 and had so much fun that I have done it every year since and have made over $19,000 to benefit the Conservancy. I call it The Annual Backyard Plant Sale and in early May of this year I held the 9th sale.

Summer 2009

In the words of long time volunteer CHESTER TITUS 
 

I’m an old guy that has traveled extensively, raised a family, managed a multi-million dollar operation, earned a PhD and taught at a major university. I thought I knew some stuff! I retired and volunteered to work for The Nature Conservancy in 1996. The volunteer coordinator had a job for me, organize the transfer files and summarize each one. What on earth is a "transfer property"? Suddenly, I was faced with an unfamiliar vocabulary: purchase agreements, assessments, deed restrictions, easements, legal descriptions, metes and bounds, plats and much more.

My latest task has been sorting through files to identify volunteer monitoring requirements of some properties. Many of these are a complex patchwork of tracts assembled over several years, involving many different owners and easements.

I am still amazed at the complexity of this operation and intrigued by the dedication of Conservancy staff. So what’s my reward? I am still learning! I am able to make a small contribution to a mission in which I believe. Mostly, it’s the pleasure of associating with these special people.

Spring 2009

In the words of volunteer intern CHRISTINE EBERT 
 

I’m a senior at Randolph-Macon College studying Environmental Studies and Biology and this year I got the amazing opportunity to intern with The Nature Conservancy. I entered the internship not knowing very much about the organization except of their conservation driven goal as a non-profit organization. Now however, I have a much better understanding of the incredible work the Conservancy does through conservation.

The month seemed to fly by as I was kept busy with offshore wind energy research, assisting with some trail maintenance, attending The Nature Conservancy’s Integrated Landscape Peer Review conference and witnessing a prescribed burn at the South River Preserve. Despite all the solid research about the potential hazardous affects of offshore wind energy, environmental issues prove to complicate themselves beyond belief. To me, pulling apart these complex issues is fascinating as it increases our understanding of the natural world.

This internship, despite its brevity, has given me a valuable experience. I’ve been able to not only learn an incredible amount of information on a new environmental topic and participate in a variety of unique opportunities, but also meet a lot of wonderful people who, like me, are working to make a difference.

Spring 2009

Volunteer DAVID SLACK in the words of MATT CARROLL, operations forester 
 

As a forester there is sometimes no better place to be than sitting on the tailgate taking a breather in the shade and eating lunch with your co-workers. It’s been a privilege to share these breaks and hours in the field with volunteer David Slack.

Mr. Slack has spent considerable time volunteering with the Conservancy’s Conservation Forestry Program (CFP) in the Clinch Valley. His education background with a B.S. in Forestry from Virginia Tech has allowed him to be a great help when it comes to timber marking/inventory collection, crop tree release marking and design, and locating American chestnut trees on CFP lands. After retiring in November 2005 from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy David has kept busy by volunteering for several organizations. When he is not helping CFP staff in the woods, you may find him putting hours in at The American Chestnut Foundation research farm in Meadowview, VA.

David enjoys volunteering because it allows him to continue to apply his educational background and keep active physically and mentally. It lets him give back something to the country since his education was provided by American taxpayers for his service in the U.S. Air Force.

 

Winter 2009

In the words of 100-hour volunteer DAVID MARLLES

When I first began planning a community service project for my final year at the University of Virginia, I expected a rewarding but not necessarily adventurous or overly enjoyable experience. However, I was proven wrong by the majestic outdoors of Nelson County. 

Though truly a rewarding and exciting venture, the transition from UVA student to trail volunteer did not begin as smoothly as I would have liked. College life does not necessarily make this transition easy, but after a few weeks of exhausting hikes and a more forgiving sleep schedule, I spent less time huffing and puffing on the trail and more time clearing brush and side-hill cutting to offset erosion. Through late summer and early fall of 2008, I spent roughly 100 hours devoted to the trail, and as the seasons changed, the woods did, too.

The leaves changed from bright green to rusty orange as the forest’s active wildlife hushed their voices to a whisper. I quickly realized, aside from the occasional white-tailed deer or curious raccoon, I truly had these woods to myself. Improving the trail gave me the opportunity to experience something that seemed impossible to attain in the bustling life of a college student: solitude and perspective. 

Work on Fortune’s Cove Preserve is an ongoing process involving significant volunteer efforts from avid lovers of the great outdoors, and I was just one of many volunteers that worked to keep the trail clear and safe. Although all volunteers attain something different from their efforts, the knowledge that their work has helped to maintain such a majestic site is undoubtedly rewarding in itself. For me, the trail work has provided the opportunity to step out from my academic life (if only briefly) to enjoy something grander, right outside my door. 

Winter 2009

In the words of volunteer/member CHARLIE WILSON

My wife, Becky, and I were drawn to the Allegheny Highlands of Virginia about four years ago because of the incredible natural beauty of the area. One of the main reasons we chose to live in Bath County was because we felt it would most likely retain the rural landscape for many years to come. However such spectacular beauty can also be easily destroyed by thoughtless development. So it was with relief and appreciation that we learned the Homestead Preserve had chosen to forego development of Warm Springs Mountain and had instead made it possible for The Nature Conservancy to acquire and maintain stewardship of this pristine, natural tract of land totaling a little over 9,000 acres.

I’d previously read articles about the many good things The Nature Conservancy did to preserve special parcels of land throughout the world, but had never taken a step to become involved. Now that I had this very real and positive example right where I lived, I chose to attend a Conservancy meeting. It allowed me to connect with some of the wonderful, fully committed people who are part of the Conservancy. Life can either be passively viewed from the sidelines or fully experienced on the field – I prefer the latter and so I became involved as a volunteer for the Conservancy. It has been a fun, rewarding experience and has helped me to meet energetic, likeminded folks that I’d never have met otherwise. It’s given me a good feeling of doing things that mattered and needed to be done. Because my schedule is erratic I’ve really appreciated the fact that my commitment is totally voluntary – I help when I can and I don’t when I can’t, or don’t want to. 

But more than that, Becky and I have chosen to also financially support The Nature Conservancy. We think an organization that does so much good deserves our membership and some of our money. And now, after having been a volunteer and seeing how they operate, I can vouch that the funds are used judiciously. Little is wasted.

I’d encourage anyone who thinks the legacy of what we leave after our life is as important as what we do in life to be a member of The Nature Conservancy, both voluntarily and monetarily. It makes a difference. And speaking from experience, it feels good.
 

Winter 2009

Volunteering on the Road - in the words of long time volunteer FRED HARRIS

It could be just the "Call of the Wild" that thrills my wife, Peggy, and me so. John Muir often touched on that feeling as he observed the many mysteries and splendors of nature. Muir is Peggy's favorite author, and in his memory she hugs every tree she meets as a thank you for their timeless countenance. She has hugged baobab trees on the Serengeti, redwoods on the Oregon coast, and pisonia trees on the atoll of Palmyra.

Volunteering with The Nature Conservancy has blessed us with many trees to hug, trails to follow, and sacred work to complete. Our journeys with The Nature Conservancy have touched the Atlantic waters of the Virginia Coast Reserve, the sand hills of the Niobrara River, the braided Platt River bird sanctuary, the mountain skies of the Huachucas range above Ramsey Canyon, and the sparkling coral in the rifts of the Palmyra atoll.

Since we began volunteering with the Conservancy, our first love has become the Rocky Mountain Front described by naturalist Ralph Waite as the "Crown of the Continent." Located in Western Montana, the Rocky Mountain Front is the home of two Nature Conservancy pearls, the Pine Butte Preserve and the Pine Butte Guest Ranch (PBGR).

Peggy and I started volunteering at PBGR in 2003. In September of this year we returned for our fifth consecutive autumn. A new manager, Jim Culver, picked us up at Great Falls Airport. To our surprise, Jim is a native Virginian. Our two-hour drive west to the ranch provided us with an opportunity to chat with Jim about the ranch and his work with the Conservancy. We found him to be a dedicated leader and an enthusiastic naturalist. He picks a mean guitar as well.

For three weeks, our work focused primarily on trail maintenance; peeling logs; building a cabinet in the tack room for vet supplies; splitting, hauling and stacking firewood; and finally, nailing cedar shakes on the side of the ranch's new solar greenhouse. It was our delight to associate and work with such knowledgeable staffers at the ranch. A local native's comment about our solar greenhouse work will never be forgotten. He said, "With a little lipstick on the lady, she will look right good."

Fall 2008 Volunteer TOMMY HEINZ, in the words of ANNE TRUITT, Brownsville Preserve director Tommy Heinz has been volunteering at the Virginia Coast Reserve every Wednesday for the past 15 years. Tommy has a good sense of humor and we have a fun time even up to our thighs in marsh-mud replacing pilings. He is also a true gentleman, always letting me go first. It took a while, but I finally realized he was letting me go first so I could get the majority of ticks and spider webs! Now I know better. We have built boardwalks and bridges in seaside mud where mosquitoes and deerflies are plentiful, put a tin roof on a shed in the snow, and set up a motion detector video camera out on the hammocks to film fox squirrels a long way from the road. One time, years ago, in a very old work truck, we were headed to our brush pile with a load of branches when suddenly a tire appeared in front of the truck. I said, "Tommy, where did that come from?" It was off our truck! The Conservancy is very fortunate to have a fantastic volunteer like Tommy. You know it’s been a great relationship to have lasted this long.  Tommy has volunteered countless hours for the Conservancy for over 15 years and we cannot thank him enough for all the hard work and devotion.  –Jen Rich

Summer 2008

In the words of volunteer ANNIE KROCHALIS
 

I went to Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve to leave a "prayer tie" of birch bark by a tree at Thanksgiving. I have wandered there alone to watch the clouds drifting and the beavers building, to find my own balance with busyness. I have gone there in the summer to splash in the creek with companions to show them why I choose to live in the Virginia mountains. I always look behind the kiosk for the notes other folks have left in our journal, somehow reminiscent of secret messages at a childhood tree-house.

The Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve is a place for outdoor magic. It works that mojo by taking me in as a visitor and as its caretaker as well. I have moved limbs from trails, painted markers, stocked maps and brochures, run the weed-eater in an old family cemetery, and given directions to countless other travelers. The gorge is home to the second highest waterfall in Virginia.

Once a year, I gather with the others who monitor the preserve for an old-fashioned potluck supper. We swap stories and lists of chores to keep the trails open. It’s a good chemistry of folks who know the birds and the wildflowers near the same place. I have worked at other Conservancy preserves, but this is home base, and I am honored to share it with my neighbors.

Annie is a dedicated member of the Bottom Creek Gorge Committee and has been volunteering with the Conservancy for over 10 years. I thank her and the Bottom Creek Gorge Committee for their invaluable help.  –Jen Rich

Summer 2008

 
BIG thank you goes out to prescribed fire volunteer JOE BOSWELL and in his words

"Don't most of you guys start fires?" This isn't an uncommon question asked of wildland firefighters. But the reality is that, while most firefighters are not arsonists, many of us do start fires. Prescribed fires, that is!

Within the course of a week, I experienced what may have been the smallest and largest prescribed burns the Conservancy conducted in Virginia this year. While both burns were perfectly prescribed and executed, the similarities didn't stretch much further.

At about a quarter of an acre, the Narrows burn may best be described as tedious, as several of us donned backpack pumps to protect about a dozen Peters Mountain mallow plants from the creeping flames.

In contrast, the almost 900-acre Warm Springs Mountain burn was fascinating to witness, as it took the cooperation of multiple crews to ignite and control the flames. It even proved to be a little exciting as I helped to extinguish a small spotfire started by a rogue ember blown across the control line.

So why do I volunteer? Because now when I read about all of the efforts taking place around the state, I know that some of those natural treasures are doing a little better because of my sweat. Besides, I'd love to contribute more than my yearly financial gift, but at this point in my life, I have more time and energy to offer than money.

Spring 2008

In the words of volunteer DONNA SHAUNESEY

Volunteering for The Nature Conservancy has given me so much over the past 11 years. I’ve learned more about nature, have visited lots of cool preserves with experts who helped me appreciate what I was seeing and have made great new friends who love to be outdoors just as much as I do. 

My main job has been working with the volunteer data (if you’ve ever volunteered, I’ve entered your name in the database), but I’ve also cleared trails and firebreaks, pulled invasives, hauled trash and lugged heavy objects to mountaintops. It’s definitely a break from my day job of running JAUNT’s public transportation system, and I hope to continue helping to preserve our beleaguered planet for many more years. 

Donna has accumulated over 500 hours volunteering for the Conservancy since 1997. Her volunteering activities run the gamut and include trail maintenance, monitoring, fire preparation, painting and landscaping. She has been instrumental in teaching me about our volunteer database and I thank her tremendously.  –Jen Rich, volunteer coordinator for The Nature Conservancy in Virginia

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Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Jen Rich/TNC (Troy Zieman); Photo © Jen Rich/TNC (Renee Brown); Photo © Julie Ericksen (Julie Ericksen); Photo © Jen Rich/TNC (Chester Titus); Photo © Jen Rich/TNC (Christine Ebert); Photo © Jen Rich/TNC (Clinch Valley); Photo © Jen Rich/TNC (Nature Conservancy volunteers at Voorhees Preserve); Photo © Jennifer Detweiler (David Tice intern, Jennifer Detweiler); Photo © David Marlles (David Marlles); Photo © Jen Rich/TNC (Charlie Wilson); Photo © Fred Harris (Montana Rocky Mountain Front); Photo © TNC (Tommy Heinz and Anne Truitt); Photo © Mary Porter (Bottom Creek Gorge); Photo © Jen Rich/TNC (Joe Boswell); Photo © Donna Shaunesey (Donna Shaunesey biking through Costa Rica).