Highlights from a busy year

2018-2019 highlights

Accepted conservation easements on 10 new properties totaling nearly 2,500 acres of land in 10 counties.

More than 1,000 students from more than 30 fourth-grade classes in the region participated in Bay Day or River Day educational programs.

Honored Mr. Peter Lewis of Apple Ridge Farm with the A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award at the 2018 Conservation Celebration, and honored the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club with the 2018 Landsaver Award.

The Outdoor Adventure Series included hikes to Cahas Mountain and Sinking Creek Mountain, a full moon hike at Carvins Cove, as well as a bat-box building program and other activities.

In February, BRLC moved into a new, larger office on Church Ave. in downtown Roanoke, after 18 years of generous rentfree existence on the corner of Elm Ave. and First St. provided by the Woltz family.

BRLC purchased a Subaru Forester to provide staff with better off-road access to conserved properties.

Staff attended the National Land Conservation Conference (Rally) in Pittsburgh, PA, as well as the Virginia Land Conservation & Greenways Conference in Richmond.

Four friends of the land conservancy donated their used vehicles to BRLC!

2019 highlights 2020 goals

Work with a facilitator to create a new strategic plan for the organization, focusing on areas such as board governance, budgeting, outreach in new service areas, conservation priorities, future office space and other needs.

Continue to build a volunteer core for the Southern Virginia Land Conservancy and formally integrate it into the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy.

Continue to integrate the Central Virginia Land Conservancy, including identifying potential committee members, board members and donors in the Central Virginia service area.

Attend the 2019 National Land Conservation Conference (Rally) in Raleigh, NC, and the 2020 Virginia Land Conservation & Greenways Conference in Harrisonburg.

Hire an employee to work out of a new Lynchburg office.

Develop a capital improvement schedule to help better plan replacement of major equipment.

Work with the new employee in Southern Virginia to assist with new land protection projects and monitoring existing conserved properties.

Improve and streamline the process for accepting new conservation easements as workload continues to increase.

Purchase a new print/scan/copy office machine.

Giving List

The following individuals, families, companies, and foundations donated to the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy between the dates of July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. As always, our deepest thanks go to all of these supporters who make saving land possible.

DONORS BETWEEN JULY 1, 2018 AND JUNE 30, 2019

Blue Ridge Mountains ($10,000 and up)

William M. Claytor Family Memorial Fund of Foundation for Roanoke Valley Rebecca Seamon Sundara In-kind West Church, LLC In-kind

McAfee’s Knob ($5,000 - $9,999)

Beirne Carter Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Kevin and Sheila Kassner Woltz & Associates In-kind

Sharp Top ($2,500 - $4,999)

Diana Christopulos The Duckworth Charitable Foundation Conservation Celebration Sponsor Mr. & Mrs. William Hackworth Mr. George Kegley Dr. & Mrs. Edmund Lesko Member One Federal Credit Union

Conservation Celebration Sponsor Printex

In-kind Silicon Valley Community Foundation / Chevron Humankind Employee Fund Matching Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Kevin and Sheila Kassner

Carvins Cove ($1,000 - $2,499)

Dr. & Mrs A. Sidney Barritt III Blue Ridge Catering In-kind Brown, Edwards and Company, LLP Conservation Celebration Sponsor Brugh’s Mill, LLC/Brugh’s Mill Country Store

Conservation Celebration Sponsor Mr. & Mrs. GuyBuford Dr. Coots, Cross, Lavinder & Quinn Conservation Celebration Sponsor Mr. Thomas M. and Whittney B. Dunkenberger Jr. The Dunkenberger-Waskey-Nash Group at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Conservation Celebration Sponsor Mr. & Mrs. Frank Ellett Bill and Diane Elliot Fund of Foundation for Roanoke Valley Forest Rest Natural Cemetery Conservation Celebration Sponsor Mr. and Mrs. David Higginbotham Bill and Deborah Hunley Dr. Lowell Inhorn Mr. & Mrs. Shields and Ginny Jarrett

In Honor of Betty Lesko Jones & Deshon Orthodontics Ms. Mary Kegley In Honor of George Kegley Mr. & Mrs. Talfourd Kemper Mrs. Anna Lawson Mr. William Lemon Ms. Anne Long Long Hollow LLC Conservation Celebration Sponsor Mr. & Mrs. KirkLudwig Martin Hopkins & Lemon PC Conservation Celebration Sponsor Mr. & Mrs. Bobby Mountcastle Orvis Conservation Celebration Sponsor Mr. & Mrs. James Overholser In Honor of Dr. Bill Gordge Mr. & Mrs. Bittle Porterfield III

Conservation Celebration Sponsor Rockydale Quarries Corporation

Conservation Celebration Sponsor Janet Scheid and Bud LaRoche Isabel Thornton Vistar Eye Center Conservation Celebration Sponsor Elbert H, Evelyn J, and Karen H Waldron Charitable Foundation Inc. Walkabout Outfitters Outdoor Adventure Series Sponsor