National Volunteer Month with Land Trust of Virginia

MIDDLEBURG, Va., April 12, 2022 – April is National Volunteer Month, a celebration of the impact volunteers have on our lives every day. Land Trust of Virginia (LTV), founded in 1992 by a group of volunteers who were concerned about the loss of open space within their community, still has ample opportunities for eager volunteers to help us continue our work preserving natural and cultural resources throughout Virginia.

“As a community supported conservation group, our work would not be possible without our volunteers,” said Executive Director Sally Price. “Our core work as a holder of conservation easements starts with a voluntary legal agreement created with a private landowner to permanently protect conservation values on their property. Our dedicated Board of Directors, that manage the organization, is all volunteer as well. If you have a passion for preserving our open space, we have a way to involve you in our mission.”

Here are just some of the ways you can become involved with LTV:

Easement Stewardship

Volunteer Conservation Easement Stewards serve as representatives of LTV and share responsibilities with LTV staff for the annual monitoring and inspection of privately-owned properties under conservation easement with LTV. The principal role is to observe and document any changes that take place on the easement property. To do that, the Steward will visit their properties once a year, meet with the landowner if available, and conduct a thorough walking tour and physical inspection of the property within the property’s boundaries. We request a five-year commitment for this position.

Tabling and Outreach Events

LTV participates in multiple events each year geared towards educating the public about our conservation easement program. If you have an interest in sharing with the community what you know about conserving open space, we would love to have you join us. We will teach you all you need to know.

Adopt-A-Highway Clean-up

LTV has two clean-up days to maintain our two stretches of road in Fauquier and Loudoun Counties. Join us for a morning of community service, exercise, and good conversation as we maintain our scenic roadways.

Event Support

LTV hosts three annual events: the Garden Party, Bike the Gravel: Tour de Conservation Easement, and Sunset in the Field Party. Each event has a variety of volunteer opportunities including marketing beforehand and day-of positions. Contact us to see how you can be involved!

LTV is committed to providing a fun, courteous and educational experience for all our volunteers with a comprehensive orientation to get started. For more information about our work and how to get involved, please visit http://www.landtrustva.org.

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About Land Trust of Virginia

Land Trust of Virginia is a nonprofit organization that partners with private landowners who voluntarily protect and preserve properties with significant historic, scenic, or ecological value. LTV has worked with 219 families, conserving a total of 26,109 acres in 24 counties in Virginia. While LTV charges landowners for our services, the fees charged only cover about 28% of LTV’s actual costs so fundraising is essential to our mission.