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Mar 13, 2019
Jefferson County Vision‘s event on April 13 at Breaux Vineyards is billed as a “Celebration”, and for sure, this organization’s commitment to “Preserving the Quality of Life of Our Blue Ridge” is worth celebrating. But let’s not forget that imminent environmental threats to our community are serious, impactful, and will affect generations to come. Join […]
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Aug 14, 2018
Despite the fact that site work has begun on a planned 460,000-square-foot insulation factory on 130 acres in Ranson, W.Va., opposition to the project continues to grow — within Jefferson County and beyond. The Rockwool insulation plant would crush and melt rock using coal and natural gas. Although the proposed plant’s owner, the multi-national ROXEL, has already […]
3Apr 20, 2018
Virginia Working Landscapes and The Downstream Project hosted a do-it-yourself environmental sensor workshop funded by the U.S. EPA, April 4–5 along the Shenandoah River in Clarke County, Va. Participants learned to build and use the open-source, Arduino-based real-time environmental monitoring systems, which offer individuals, communities, and organizations a low-cost alternative for monitoring water quality, quantity, […]
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Feb 26, 2018
by George Ohrstrom As a member of Virginia’s conservation community following the actions of the General Assembly, I was both excited and fearful to see the recently released proposed budget numbers. I knew that both the House and Senate versions would be different, but I did not expect to read what I did. We all […]
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Dec 19, 2017
Elks Run is a small watershed in Jefferson County, W.Va., that drains about 18 square miles. Wending through mostly private lands, the small stream is hidden from view except where crosses beneath bridges on public road. But the people of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar know it well because it serves as municipal the drinking water […]
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Dec 19, 2017
Two Downstream Project partners invite everyone to join in their annual Christmas Bird Counts. The event was started in 1899 by the National Audubon Society and now takes place across the country. Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s count is scheduled for Thursday, December 28, in Loudoun County, Va. The count circle has a 15-mile diameter, covering 177 […]
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Dec 12, 2017
Elks Run is a small watershed in Jefferson County, W.Va., that drains about 18 square miles. Wending through mostly private lands, the small stream is hidden from view except where crosses beneath bridges on public road. But the people of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar know it well because it serves as municipal the drinking water […]
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Aug 1, 2017
Water Reporter app empowers people to document conditions by phone It seems that since the dawn of the age of mobile phones, middle-aged people have been telling younger folks to leave the phone at home when getting out into nature. Something about the urge to post and share pretty pictures from mountaintops and waterfalls just […]
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Jul 26, 2017
Local groups challenge the agency’s approval of Virginia’s decision to not list the Shenandoah as ‘impaired,’ despite excessive algae blooms and nutrient pollution Three local citizen groups, including the Clarke County-based Shenandoah Riverkeeper, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the agency’s repeated failure to address the Shenandoah River’s increasing problem with […]
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Apr 13, 2017
Outdoor writer and conservationist Robert Whitescarver received two Excellence-in-Craft (EIC) awards at the Virginia Outdoors Writers Association (VOWA) annual meeting held Charlottesville. Bobby, as he is known throughout the Shenandoah Valley and Chesapeake Bay, took home a first place for his blog, “Getting More on the Ground,” and third place for his column “Save the […]