Categories
Uncategorized

In Remembrance – Dr. Robert “Doc” Hall

Robert W. “Doc” Hall passed away on February 16, 2024 at the age of 86 https://www.gcdailyworld.com/story/3029995.html. I first met Doc many years ago at a Montreat College https://www.montreat.edu/ retreat I attended with my mother-in-law Virginia Bethune. The conference topic was on intersections between the Presbyterian Church and Ecology. It was at this conference I also […]

Categories
Uncategorized

On Burning Cool Season Grasslands

We burn a lot. We burn using what they call prescribed burning (vegetation creates heat), we burn using propane burners of several sizes. Because of mid-Atlantic weather, we will do prescribed burn followed with mechanical burn because of higher humidity but having to get the work done. We burn with horticultural vinegar. We also use […]

Categories
Uncategorized

Michael Carter Joins Center Board of Directors

ACP Board of Directors at their 1st Quarter Director’s meeting voted unanimously to welcome Orange County Farmer Michael Carter to the Board. Michael Carter Jr. is an 11th generation farmer in the United States and is the 5th generation to farm on Carter Farms, his family’s century farm in Orange County, Virginia where he gives […]

Categories
American Climate Partners Virginia Wildlife Habitat Cooperative

The Churn of Eco-Entrepreneur Training and Employment

I know memories are fuzzy things, but my guess is the average stay of our 18-30 aged employees is a year. When I close my eyes I can see many dozens of young people, in groups, and teams hauling trash out of rivers, tending soil microbes, planting native grasslands and successional forests, then gone like […]

Categories
American Climate Partners

CNC Director Page Sullenberger joins Board of Advisors

ACP Board of Directors and Staff is thrilled to have Former Director Page Sullenberger join our Board of Advisors. Page helped lead the Center through substantive changes – a new location at Rapidan Mill, a new Development arm of the Center, and new strategic foci. Page’s roots run deep in the Piedmont and Shenandoah Valley […]

Categories
American Climate Partners Virginia Wildlife Habitat Cooperative

Virginia Wildlife Habitat Cooperative Awards Grellen Farm 2021 Habitat Award

Earlier this year the VWHC awarded the 2021 Pollinator and Quail Habitat Conservation Award to Mark and Ann Kington – Owners of Grellen Farm – for their continued work to create large tracts of wildlife habitat in the Rapidan watershed of Central Virginia.

Categories
American Climate Partners Virginia Wildlife Habitat Cooperative

Using Mechanical Burning to Coax Native Warm Season Soil Bank Seed Germination in Cool Season Pastures

For a client in the Gordonsville, Virginia area we took 2 acres of a cool season pasture and burned it with the mechanical burner 2x in the Spring to see what diversity we could coax from the seed bank. Results are Purple Lovegrass, Indian Grass, and lots of Little Bluestem. For wildflowers – Ironweed and […]

Categories
Rapidan Institute

Can We Restore the Chesapeake Bay without Beaver?

I don’t think we can get very far with the Bay until we bring back substantial populations of the North American Beaver – and I know this is a crazy idea. And it may be impossible to much implement for lots of reasons. Nevertheless we could at least talk about it more. My beaver-fever is […]

Categories
SoilKeepers Uncategorized Virginia Wildlife Habitat Cooperative

Late Summer Hedgerow Quail and Pollinator Habitat Pictures

We are big fans of wild Senna, Oxeye Sunflower, Mountain Mint, and native warm season grasses in these situations where we are trying to feather out savanna from a tree field border to provide food and homes for pollinators and grassland birds. A few pictures from a large project North of Charlottesville.

Categories
American Climate Partners SoilKeepers Virginia Wildlife Habitat Cooperative

SoilKeepers set to become a for profit company and acquire Neuhauser Hay

Later this year, the Center will reformat the landscape contracting program, SoilKeepers, to a for profit company and acquire Orange, VA hay and feed producer Neuhauser Hay. The business focus of the new entity is Estate and Farm Regenerative Landscape Management. The new enterprise will be jointly owned by the Center Board of Directors and […]