ECONOMIC CENTS: A Guide To Conservation Groups

Looking to get involved with others concerned about protecting the environment? Here’s a list of organizations in and around Fredericksburg, and what they do.

by Bruce Saller
WRITER

Over the past several months, this column has explored some practical steps we can all take to lessen our carbon footprint. But there’s power in numbers, and getting involved with local organizations dedicated to sustainability is a good first step in that direction.

What follows is a list of several agencies in and around Fredericksburg committed to sustainability. They offer an abundance of volunteer opportunities for people to engage with and begin making a difference in our little corner of central Virginia.

Please consider joining one or more of them.

Tree Fredericksburg

The organization was founded by Anne and Carl Little in 2008, and has since been engaged in restoring and developing a “vibrant urban forest.” Among the things the organization does, per its website:

Works with volunteer groups to replant our city’s trees, along the streets, in the parks and at our schools.
Speaks out for policies and plans that protect our urban forest.
Helps residents to become inspired and informed to speak out for trees.

Friends of the Rappahannock

Founded in 1985, the Friends of the Rappahannock works “to educate everyone about the river and to advocate for actions and policies that will protect and restore the Rappahannock River.” The organization is a voice and active force for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River:

That is clean and safe for fish consumption and recreation from its Headwaters to its confluence with the Chesapeake.
That supports a healthy and diverse aquatic ecosystem, with submerged grasses, oysters, crabs and other species returned to their historic levels and productivity.
Where land use and runoff is managed to protect and enhance our riparian habitats, downstream waters, scenic viewsheds and historical resources.
Where the citizens and local governments are educated about river stewardship, where they take a sense of personal stewardship over the river resource, and where they take action in their own backyards and communities to protect it.

Virginia League of Conservation Voters

The VLCV serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues.

Fredericksburg Clean & Green Commission

The Clean and Green Commission advises City Council and works with the City of Fredericksburg and the community to identify, promote, and enact clean, green and environmentally sustainable practices that foster a healthy and sustainable environment for the city, its citizens, and future generations.

Rappahannock Sierra Club

A local and active group that promotes Sierra Club’s mission of Exploring, Enjoying and Protecting our environmental resources. We focus on local issues that impact our communities and promote the enjoyment and protection of our region’s unique environmental landscape. Our club holds quarterly membership events throughout the year and is a co-sponsor of the annual Fredericksburg Earth Day. RGSC sponsors film screenings, environmental forums and workshops. We also provide educational displays and tabling at local events such as farmers markets, trail openings, school programs, and festivals.

Downtown Greens

A nonprofit providing 58.7 acres of publicly accessible, park-like greenspace and gardens in downtown Fredericksburg, VA. We also offer a Free Fridge and Pantry available 24/7 onsite, as well as programs, workshops, and events for children and adults that cultivate environmental literacy and community. Our youth programs for Pre-K through 6th grade meet throughout the year in our gardens and at local schools. Participants learn how food grows and grow their own together in onsite or school gardens.

Crow’s Nest Research Center

A not-for-profit organization based on 132 acres of woodlands, ravines, meadows, and wetlands in Stafford, Virginia. The CNRC is dedicated to conservation, wetlands research, and environmental education for the public benefit. The property’s wetlands are in Accokeek Creek which borders the 3,000-acre Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve, publicly owned and run by Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. Together, the Research Center and the Preserve protect native plants and animals and allow people opportunities to appreciate the importance of land conservation and stewardship as well as the joy of being outdoors.

Northern Neck Land Conservancy

A small non-profit land trust which supports a clean environment with protected stream banks, expansive woodlands, attentive farming and citizens who choose to safeguard the environment from pollutants. We help landowners who want to voluntarily protect their lands with permanent conservation easements to ensure that their property sustains the rural character of the Northern Neck and maintain a healthy environment for future generations.

Fredericksburg Trails Alliance

The goal of the Fredericksburg Trails Alliance is to protect and expand bicycle and pedestrian access to off-road trails in the greater Fredericksburg Virginia Region, by means of advocacy, communication, education, recreation and trail work, promoting health, wellness, community involvement and fun.

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