Our Community Commitment
Our Commitment
For over 30 years, NVCT has worked to add and sustain abundant, thriving natural places in our Virginia communities. We envision a Northern Virginia that balances development with land, water, and wildlife, maintaining its tranquility and positive ecological benefits for the millions of people in our region. We strive to create communities where everyone can access, connect with, and enjoy the benefits of protected lands and waters. To achieve our mission and execute our vision, we must renew our commitment to serving every member of our Northern Virginia community.
Problem
Not everyone has access to the benefits of nature, which is an essential human need and right.
Solution
Use land conservation, education, and engagement to ensure all members of
the communities we serve across Northern Virginia have access to the many benefits of conserved natural and open spaces
Execution
We actively encourage and welcome a diversity of ideas, voices and
backgrounds from those who know their community best.
We at NVCT believe access to nature is a fundamental human right and need. Yet, many individuals and communities lack direct access to green, open spaces and the many benefits they offer – including across Northern Virginia where we work.
"Spending at least 120 minutes in nature is associated with good health and well-being."
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To achieve our mission and execute our vision, we must renew our commitment to using land conservation, education and engagement to ensure all members of the communities we serve across Northern Virginia have access to the many benefits of conserved natural and open spaces.
Everyone deserves to have a seat at the table when decisions are being made about how their surroundings are shaped and changed. To authentically and effectively serve those communities, we actively encourage and welcome a diversity of ideas, voices and backgrounds from those who know their community best and have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share. These voices will not just be heard, but will be actively engaged in conservation projects and processes, from initial phases to execution and management.
Our Work so Far
We are consistently working on ourselves. A few of our recent efforts include:
We have formed a People and Culture Committee in 2020 to focus on how our work impacts our communities.
We have created a paid fellowship and internship program that allows us to provide students and young professionals from all backgrounds with experience in the conservation field
Our board and staff underwent various trainings in 2023 and 2025 to better understand the history of our region and how to effectively engage communities across such a large and diverse space.
We created events and programming best practices guidelines that we follow to ensure that anyone that wants to attend an event is able to.
We have hosted our annual Conservationists of Color event for four years now, highlighting the achievements of conservation heroes of different backgrounds.
We have partnered with the Patawomeck Tribe to find ways to help them regain access to culturally important lands.
We have developed new partnerships with community-based organizations to co-host events and educate residents on conservation and nature.
We have consulted with peer organizations on how they have made local communities a focal point of their conservation work.
We have created a community garden at the Terborgh Terrace Garden(TTG) where local volunteers work with us to grow produce for donation to local food pantries in Arlington, combatting food insecurity.
"The parks can’t bar me because of my complexion,
And every step I take on a trail feels like a little rebellion,
Can’t wait to freedom stomp my feet this summer at Myrtle Beach,
Declaring, 'I too belong to the woods and water that were once stolen from me.' "
- Woods & Water by Aaron Kershaw, Conservationists of Color open mic night 2026
Our Future Plans
Here are few goals we are working toward to integrate IDEA into our conservation work, programs and workplace culture.
Secure funding to support expansion of public access on our conserved lands to increase access to nature in communities that have very little.
Continue to grow our existing partnerships and build new ones with organizations that represent communities we have not engaged previously.
Survey our community members to learn how we can better serve them through conservation, public access, and programming.
Connect with other tribes in our region to use our expertise and resources to help them achieve goals for their communities through conservation projects and programming.
