Virginia Wilderness Committee is a nonprofit citizens' organization, and is supported by hundreds of ordinary folks across Virginia who care about preserving the best of our wildlands. To join the effort, make a donation and become a member of VWC.
The Shenandoah Mountain Proposal is formally supported by over one hundred community clubs, groups, organizations and businesses. A few of these include:
- Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
- Back Country Horsemen of Virginia
- Buckhorn Inn
- Mt. Horeb Presbyterian Church
- Creation Care Groups, Harrisonburg and Parkview Mennonite Churches
- International Mountain Biking Association
- National Wildlife Federation
For a complete list of supporters of the Shenandoah Mountain Proposal, visit www.friendsofshenandoahmountain.org.
VWC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Betty Gatewood
Local artist Betty Gatewood is a committed advocate for the wild. Midway through her college career, she changed her interest from lab science to the "outdoor" sciences of ecology and natural history; she has been outdoors ever since, teaching, learning, observing, painting.
Betty is the teacher-in residence at Mary Baldwin College, teaching teachers and students about watershed conservation and place-based education. Getting students outside to observe, analyze and document the natural world through art and journaling is her passion.
She recently developed a Friends of Shenandoah Mountain 2011 desk calendar featuring watercolor illustrations of plants native to the Shenandoah Mountain area of the George Washington National Forest. She is generously donating all profits from calendar sales to our efforts to permanently protect Shenandoah Mountain through a National Scenic Area / Wilderness designation. (Learn more and buy a calendar!)
Virginia Wilderness Committee is grateful to have such a talented artist working and volunteering for the benefit of our last wild places in Virginia.
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Reflections from a trail maintainer working along the AT bordering the new
Garden Mountain Wilderness Area
I can assure you that I won't be running out to rev up the old chain saw any more than I have to. It will be used judiciously to enhance access to the wilderness experience. Personally, I prefer to maintain to a "wilderness" standard. That is why [I was] working down the green briar with a fire rake instead of a weed-whacker and why I chose to be certified for crosscut saw use through the Forest Service when the additional wilderness in the area was becoming a reality. The crews I have worked with typically have a bow saw at hand and use it to clear blow downs and deadfall when they can. On the other side of the coin, dedicated volunteer maintainers are scarce and the use of power equipment has allowed us to keep access open with the limited number of volunteer hours available. I have seen workdays that would have required quadruple the manpower / time commitment without a chain saw. Whatever the case we will find a way to do what needs to be done as good stewards of the land. - D.L. from North Carolina