Saving Land Newsletter Spring 2019

Saving Land SPRING 2019

Legendary mountain man’s hunting grounds conserved Summer adventures for the young (and young at heart) New home for land conservancy

w w w. b r l c v a . o rg

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Vol. 23 Issue 1

Blue Ridge Land Conservancy Promoting the conservation of western Virginia’s natural resourcesfarms, forests, waterways, and rural landscapes BOARD OF TRUSTEES

William M. Hackworth, President Diana K. Christopulos, PhD, President-Elect Ruth T. Dickerson, Treasurer M. Rupert Cutler, PhD, Secretary A. Sidney Barritt III, MD Dominic M. Basile Maureen McNamara Best Thomas M. Dunkenberger, Jr. Broaddus C. Fitzpatrick Joshua C. Gibson Renee D. Godard, PhD William Hunley Lowell F. Inhorn, MD George A. Kegley Betty H. Lesko Stuart R. Lynde Timothy J. Rowe, Sr. Isabel R. Thornton Fiona M. Tower Ann Bondurant Trinkle Jill Woltz

ADVISORY COUNCIL Lucy R. Ellett Liza T. Field Talfourd H. Kemper Robert B. Lambeth, Jr. Janet Scheid

DATE

may 5

Back and better than ever, make plans to take part in our monthly outdoor activities! For 2019, we’ve added more chances to hike, a night under the stars, and a way to give back to the environment we all love to enjoy. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a young family, we have something for you!

Our Outdoor Adventures are open to both Friends of the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy AND the general public!

MAY 18

June 1

For more information, directions, or to register for an event, please contact Tina Badger at: tbadger@brlcva.org or call 540-985-0000.

July 13

What is a “Friend” of BRLC?

aug. 10

STAFF David C. Perry, Executive Director Meagan R. Cupka, Assistant Director Tina L. Badger, Office Manager Kate K. Glass, Stewardship Assistant

27 Church Ave. SW Roanoke, VA 24011 540-985-0000 www.brlcva.org

COVER PHOTO:

Photo of Archibald “Bear” T. Tolley and his hunting hounds

A Friend of the Land Conservancy is an individual (and their immediate family—spouse and children) or business who is an annual financial donor to the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. And no, you don’t need to own any land—nearly all of our Friends are simply folks who want to make a difference by supporting BRLC. Benefits of being a Friend include discounts to Outdoor Adventures, our quarterly magazine, a membership card and sticker, invitations to special events like the Conservation Celebration, and more.

Sept. 28

Oct. 12

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EVENT

DESCRIPTION

WHERE

WHEN

DIFFICULTY

REGISTRATION

Cinco in the Sun

Wonder what it takes to run a sustainable vineyard? Join BRLC supporters for a private wine tasting and talk at Firefly Hill Vineyards. The owners will share their experiences and tips for running a sustainable farm and provide a tour. Bring your own picnic, or enjoy an on-site food truck!

Firefly Hill Vineyards, Montgomery County

4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Easy

FREE

Full Moon Hike

Returning again for 2019, enjoy the sounds of spring as you hike near Carvins Cove during sunset. Watch a full moon rise over Tinker Mountain and listen to nearby owls and other wildlife. Bring a flashlight and sturdy hiking shoes.

Carvins Cove, Roanoke

8:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Easy

$3 for Friends, $6 for general public

Cahas Mountain Hike

Missed the hike up Cahas Mountain in 2018?

Now you have TWO chances to climb the tallest mountain in Franklin County. Enjoy the spectacular views and see land protected by BRLC. Meet up at Chaos Mtn. Brewery for a posthike beverage!

Cahas Mountain, Franklin County

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Advanced

$3 for Friends, $6 for general public

Hike to Chimney Rock

Join us for a summertime guided hike to Chimney Rock. This Advanced-Level hike will feature stops along the way to share how the owners have protected and enhanced the land for wildlife. Bring a packed lunch, water, and sturdy hiking shoes.

Sinking Creek Mountain, Craig County

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Advanced

$3 for Friends, $6 for general public

Murray Run Stream School

See what animals live in the waters of your local creek! Get your feet wet and cool off on a summer afternoon while looking for underwater critters in Murray Run.

Fishburn Park, Roanoke

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Easy

$4 for Friends, $7 for general public

Cahas Mountain Hike II

Enjoy the sights and sounds of fall with the second opportunity to hike Cahas Mountain in 2019! Climb to House Rock and see fall foliage across the Roanoke Valley. Pack a lunch and water, and wear sturdy hiking shoes!

Cahas Mountain, Franklin County

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Advanced

$3 for Friends, $6 for general public

Build a Bat Box!

Give bats a cool place to live by making your own bat box! Bats are often considered a “keystone species” and without them, some ecosystems would gradually collapse. They also help humans by eating irritating insects! Staff will guide you as you build your own bat home while you learn some cool bat facts.

Roanoke Unitarian Universalist Church

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Easy

$20 Friends, $25 general public

A little bit of

HEAVEN

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n the 18th and 19th centuries, Buchanan was an important transportation center at the crossing of the James River and the Great Valley Road. Overlooking this crossroads is Purgatory Mountain, which earned its name in 1750 after two surveyors, Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson, struggled to find their way through the tangled vegetation and steep, rocky terrain. During the mid- to late 1800’s a colorful character known as Archibald T. Tolley called the mountain home. He was known from Bedford to Highland Counties as a legendary bear hunter, garnering the nickname “Bear” Tolley. The mountain man was known for hunting with his beloved rifle and pack of hunting dogs, and his successful bear hunts numbered in the hundreds.

Today the property has new owners, but is still a prime location for black bears.

It’s now the home of Ricky and Tracy Boblett, with a long family history in the area. In 1994, Ricky’s father Wayne and his brother bought the Purgatory

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Spring 2019

Mountain property. It’s now nicknamed the Bear Tolley Hunt Club, after the mountain man who lived there many years ago. According to Ricky, his father loved the beauty of the mountain and its green forests, clear springs, and breathtaking views of neighboring ridges.

After his father died, Ricky bought the land to preserve the memory of his father.

Ricky used to maintain the land while living on the other side of town, but he and his wife moved to the property on Purgatory Mountain and have been hard at work renovating their house at the base of the mountain. A log cabin now sits near the top of the ridge where Ricky’s father used to invite his friends to hunt with him, and a clear spring-fed pond can be

Owner Ricky Boblett proudly shows parts of his land to BRLC staff Meagan Cupka.

View from the slopes of Purgatory Mountain

N on

Purgatory Mountain

By: Christina Shaw

found along the switchback road leading to the cabin. Like his father before him, Ricky also enjoys inviting friends to stay in the cabin to hunt. His favorite spots on the land are the old wagon roads that lead to the unexplored mines, the mountain’s springs that give fresh icy water, and the uppermost field that has an amazing view.

That field is about at the same height as the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, and the town of Buchanan can be seen as well.

“Ricky and Tracy really care about their land,” said Blue Ridge Land Conservancy Executive Director David Perry.

“Ricky keeps fields bush hogged on the mountainside for wildlife, and he has a small cabin on the upper part of the mountain with a spectacular view.

“This property is visible from all around, so we were really pleased to work with Ricky and Tracy to help them protect their land,” added Perry. “Most people think of Purgatory Mountain as being steep and rocky, which it is, but there’s a lot of buildable land up there that could spoil the view with houses and development.”

A wooden sign is nailed on a tree in memory of Ricky’s father, Wayne Boblett. The tree stands next to Wayne’s favorite field on the mountain.

For Ricky, the land is significant because of his heritage there. Now, the historic land is forever protected by a conservation easement with the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy which prevents the Bobletts’ portion of the mountain from being intensively developed, and allows no building on its upper slopes. “My biggest reason for protecting the land was my father, Wayne Boblett, a great man who

loved this mountain,” Boblett said. “It is a beautiful mountain and will stay that way.”

With cool water from springs, a pond, and shade from the trees, the mountain is like an oasis that provides a good place to live, and one can see miles into the distance from the top of the mountain. If climbing up the mountain is like fighting through purgatory, perhaps the top offers a glimpse of heaven.

Spring 2019

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New digs for Blue Ridge Land Conservancy parked right on the street. It was great advertising.”

Perry says the new offices are a step up in professionalism, and they’re helping the staff be more productive. He says it’s much easier to concentrate and get work done without constant, if unavoidable, interruptions.

F

or 18 years, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy (originally the Western Virginia Land Trust) had its offices in a space generously donated by Jim and Jill Woltz on the corner of First St. and Elm Ave. in downtown Roanoke. But just like a child that outgrows their bedroom and heads off on their own, BRLC has grown up and headed out as well.

We’re just five blocks down the street in a new, larger space on Church Ave., also generously donated by long-time land conservancy friend and supporter Rand Garrett of Roanoke. But moved out we have, with many fond memories and bittersweet fondness for our old home.

“Jim and Jill were so kind to us for so many years,” says BRLC Executive Director David Perry. “They saved us tens of thousands of dollars in rent over the years. That’s money that we put toward saving more land, and not overhead.”

Perry said that as the land conservancy’s staff— and their responsibilities—grew, the need for things like individual offices and more than one bathroom grew as well.

“With four staff members and at least one intern at any time, we were really elbow-to-elbow,” says Perry. “You couldn’t hold a phone conversation over the sound of the printer, much less a private meeting.”

Perry adds that it wasn’t just Jim and Jill Woltz who made staying for so long on First St. possible.

“Vistar Eye Center donated parking spaces for us, too,” he says. “That allowed us to keep our famous Toyota Prius—our rolling billboard—

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Spring 2019

Local businesses, friends and artisans helped facilitate the land conservancy’s move. Heidi Cupka of Interior Creations in Roanoke County provided guidance on paint and carpet choices and helped secure donations of flooring. John Lugar with Virginia Varsity Transfer in Salem provided a friends-and-family discount and a quick and efficient move of desks and office contents.

Jeff Newman with Interface Flooring Systems donated the flooring, which was installed by Barrows, Inc. of Roanoke. Famed Roanoke artist Eric Fitzpatrick donated prints of his paintings.

And board members donated furniture and decorations, including Bill and Ann Hackworth, Betty and Ed Lesko and Rupert Cutler and Brenda McDaniel, all of Roanoke.

Local artist John Wiercioch generously donated an accent wall in the entryway of new office.

The wall, which features a hand-rendered custom finish, also boasts the land conservancy’s logo. Surrounded by green plants, the wall and logo are very visible to the many pedestrians and automobiles that go past the conservancy’s offices each day.

Says John of the finish, “This finish is created by careful troweling on of alternate layers of tinted marble dust plasters, to establish a foundation.

Sanding between each helps provide an inviting surface that one wants to touch. This is followed by successive subtly tinted glazes which add tones and accent notes that enhance the under layers. This multi-step technique offers great richness and depth.”

He adds, “I feel some of my work alludes to the natural processes in our environment, and hopefully, also reflects and highlights some of its great beauty.”

A Detroit native, John Wiercioch earned an MFA at Radford University and makes his home in Roanoke. He’s an artist whose paintings “use shape, color, and textures more than any literal imagery to evoke and convey feelings.“ In addition to his work as an artist, John is sole proprietor of a residential painting business, Roanoke Masterworks, specializing in custom wall finishes. Find him at johnwiercioch.com.

Save Date THE

CONSERVATION CELEBRATION& AUCTION SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

4-7:30 PM AT SUNDARA • FRANKLIN COUNTY, VA Honoring: Mr. Broaddus Fitzpatrick

2019 A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Awardee

Broaddus Fitzpatrick, former President of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

Join us as we honor Broaddus Fitzpatrick’s lifelong mission of conservation through his work with the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. Enjoy live music, food by Blue Ridge Catering, and raising money for your local land conservancy with a silent and live auction! Relish in the breathtaking views of Cahas Mountain, partly protected by the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. Don’t miss this night of fun and celebration of conservation in southwestern Virginia!

Spring 2019

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The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a mark of distinction in land conservation. BRLC is also a proud member of the Land Trust Alliance and the Virginia Conservation Network.

27 Church Ave. SW Roanoke, Virginia 24011 Phone/Fax 540-985-0000 www.brlcva.org Member of:

MEET OUR INTERN! We’ve been pleased to have the company of Roanoke College sophomore, Alaina Birkel with us this spring! Alaina, an environmental studies and public health major from Falmouth, Maine, is interning with the land conservancy. She’s been a fantastic help in doing everything from monitoring conserved lands, to unpacking after our move to a new office, fundraising, advertising special events, and updating our website.

“Working with the land conservancy has been an incredible opportunity that has given me insight to the real-world application of concepts that I’ve only discussed in the classroom. My time here has increased my understanding the dynamics of conservation and nonprofit work, something I imagine that will play a major role my career after college. Thank you, Blue Ridge Land Conservancy!” she says.

“We’re building a great relationship with Roanoke College, much like the one we’ve had with Hollins University for years,” says the BRLC Executive Director, David Perry. “Alaina is the second Maroon to intern with us. Her enthusiasm, intelligence, initiative and love for the environment really shine through in everything she does.”

attending James Cook University in Townsville, Australia where she will be studying sustainable development and marine ecosystems. A psychology and Spanish minor, Alaina hopes to graduate and

Alaina will be traveling to Kenya later this spring to study first-hand

then work internationally changing people’s mindsets

the conservation efforts in Kenya. Next semester, she will be abroad

toward conservation and the environment.