THE LOCAL EFFECT

THE LOCAL EFFECT

By Pat Reilly

Of the three Rs--reduce, reuse, recycle-recycle is the least you can do.

hat do we value about living in the Virginia Piedmont: Quality water, rich soil, historical landscapes, diverse plant, bird and animal species? All of the above say two local men who are trustees of the Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. They want us to know how important the work of this global environmental organization is to protecting our local environment.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is the largest environmental organization in the world, with projects that impact more than 70 countries and territories and chapters in all 50 U.S. states. Longtime trustee in two chapters, now in his native Virginia, W. Cabell “Cab” Grayson, of Upperville, points out that Virginia might be the most ecologically important state. He previously worked with the Maryland-D.C. Chapter, which concentrated on the Chesapeake Bay and shared coastal work with Virginia. “Though it’s not next door,” Grayson says, “it’s a stopping point for migratory birds.” The work in the Chesapeake basin affects the quality of water far from the shore line.

From the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachians and with a huge forest acquisition in the southwest part of the state, “TNC in Virginia controls and protects more land than in any other state,” according to another Virginia trustee, Timothy P. Dunn of The Plains. What TNC scientists, staff and volunteers do on the Chesapeake, in the Cumberland Forest and across the Appalachians affects a lot of what we value about living in the Piedmont. In fact, the Appalachians, which form the spine of western Virginia, are identified by TNC as one of four most important ecological focal areas in the world.

Warming temperatures and extreme weather events are changing and destroying habitats, causing birds and animals to move northward and to The diversity of species that live in or move through the Appalachians is what makes it such a critical landscape to protect, both Grayson and Dunn emphasize.

Compared to all other national regions, the sheer number of migratory routes show the Appalachians are a superhighway. In addition, their verdant forests and plant diversity counteract some of the worst of the carbon dioxide emissions created in the eastern U.S.

Dunn, who has been a supporter of the organization for 30 years, points out that TNC’s ability to partner with smaller, local groups with shared interests is one of its strengths. He was drawn to TNC because of its “deep bench” of scientists. The organization has 400 scientists, many of them on call to other countries, and it has more than a million members.

Grayson credits the fact that TNC hires local people for its work as a “huge credibility factor. It also contributes to economic development.” And he adds, “I fervently believe that environmental protection doesn’t come at the expense of economic development—the two go hand in hand.”

One of the organization’s goals for 2030 is to partner with indigenous people and other local communities to learn from and support their leadership in stewarding their environments, securing rights to resources and improving economic opportunities.

Dunn, who runs a firm investing in “environmentally smart” companies, says, “Virginia has great opportunities. I want to do what I can to see TNC is helping us realize those.” He says it’s important that Piedmont people know what we can do to support the work. “We have a responsibility to do our share. It’s good to think globally, but we have to act locally. For example, recycling is not the answer, using less is the answer.” He points out that we go to the dump and put our trash in the correct bins and feel we’ve done our part. But if we go to the dump three times a week, we are adding to the problem. “Of the three Rs--reduce, reuse, recycle--recycle is the least you can do,” he explains.