The Virginia Wilderness Committee awarded four Go WILD (Wilderness in Learning Development) grant awards for the 2011-12 academic year to help facilitate trips to the wilderness for local elementary and college students. Nearly $4000 funded student projects at Bridgewater College, Blue Ridge Community College, and Keister Elementary School.
"The purpose of the Go WILD grant program is to engage young people in understanding, experiencing, and appreciating wilderness in Virginia," states Laura Neale, President of Virginia Wilderness Committee.
On Friday, February 24, several members of the Virginia Wilderness Committee Executive Committee joined around 30 other participants on a "field trip" to the Marshall Wallace Stewardship Project along the Cowpasture River in Bath County, VA.
Dr. James Murray, or "Jim", recently wrote up a nice summary of our history and accomplishments of the last forty-three years. Jim has been instrumental in his involvement with VWC since the organization's inception in 1969!
The Virginia Wilderness Committee's January 2012 newsletter is now available. Read the full content here. You may make a donation to VWC to receive future newsletters, or simply enter your email to "Join Our List" on the home page.
In this issue: Hard Times for the VWC; The Wilderness Act Turns 50; Go WILD Program Takes Off
Watch and share this short video produced by the U.S. National Park Service on the landscapes and ideas protected by the1964 Wilderness Act.
Produced in 2001 by the U.S. National Park Service, this video introduces the principles of Leave No Trace outdoor ethics.
Our friends at Virginia Conservation Network have put together a Citizen Advocacy Toolbox. The Toolbox is designed to provide easy-to-use information on how to contact lawmakers as well as tips for effective citizen advocacy. You can start standing up for environmental issues today and provide Virginia's environment the voice it needs in government.
Have you heard the questions? Do others hound you about why we don't want designated wilderness areas, not around here?! Wilderness closes roads and shuts out access to campsites and trailheads. You cannot fight fires in wilderness. You cannot fight invasive species in wilderness. Hunting is not allowed in wilderness... on and on. Yes, we hear them all, and they are all unfounded myths. Here's the facts, posted by Friends of Shenandoah Mountain. Also, see our FAQ page. And help us spread the truth, not myths, about wilderness.
VWC and Friends of Shenandoah Mountain invite you to join us and JMU salamander expert Billy Flint to hunt for rare and common salamanders on Shenandoah Mountain. Please join us at Reddish Knob in the George Washington National Forest this Thursday, Sept.
The VWC Annual Meeting is coming up on October 1. This is the time of year when VWC gathers to celebrate past victories, plan future campaigns, and choose leaders for the coming year. We will meet at the Sherando Lake Campground in the George Washington National Forest on Saturday, October 1, 2011, at 10:00 AM. Come to the main parking lot and follow the signs. You are invited to bring a lunch and stay for a hike in the afternoon. Contact: Carol Lena Miller
The US Forest Service has extended the comment period for the George Washington National Forest Draft Management Plan to October 17, 2011. Please send in your comments by this date. Visit the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest website to view the errata for the Draft Forest Plan and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
