Blog

Land protection is the bread and butter of our business, but our passion is connecting people with our work. It puts a smile on our face to say a property is protected forever, and the cherry on top is when that protection fulfills the landowner's hopes and dreams. The stories we hear from landowners move us and inspire us to work harder, for the land and the people that live on it. In Nokesville, Virginia, two neighbors learned that love for the land runs thicker than blood.

Welcome, Mark Scott, to the NVCT board! Mark is a risk management specialist with a background in leadership positions at environmental nonprofits. Mark has lived in various places in the U.S and has dealt with all manner of hazards and natural disasters. Now that he has settled in Northern Virginia, he is ready for his next challenge. His current assessment is that one of the biggest risks Northern Virginia faces is not prioritizing our greatest defense against a changing cl

How does our work benefit Northern Virginians? While the answers may seem obvious to us, we wanted to understand whether people in our service area recognize those benefits and how important they are to them. To find out, NVCT created a community survey to gather insights about residents' perspectives on land conservation and their relationship with nearby green spaces. We also collected demographic information to better understand who we are reaching and engaging through our

It’s the hottest time of the year again here in Virginia, and many of us are wishing for a cool dip in the pool after walking from our hot car to the front door of our workplace. The most recent high was 96 degrees Fahrenheit, and it often feels like it can only get hotter from here on out. But, lucky for Northern Virginians, NVCT and our partners’ work is helping build a cooler future every day. In the most recent installation of our Nearby Nature Network webinar series, Cas

Meet our newest team member, Abby Knipp! Abby is our administrative and membership manager. This is a new role at NVCT that will help steward NVCT supporters while ensuring there’s always a friendly face at our front desk! 1. Did you grow up in Northern Virginia? “I grew up in Northern Maryland, in Northern Baltimore County. My family has a remote farm surrounded by 10 acres of land” Abby grew up surrounded by nature, but had never imagined working at an environmental org

Where does your passion for conservation originate from? “In college I was in international studies, and at the time, climate change was certainly a topic of the day, but, similar to right now, pushed aside a little bit. However, I felt like it was going to be the intersection of everything, the intersection of international relations, geopolitics, energy, the environment, and conservation.” You studied Political Science at Old Dominion University. What motivated you to do

Small, gray, covered in dirt, and what we count on to haul invasive plants off our preserves and trash bags out of the Potomac, NVCT’s (sometimes) trusty, rusty, 2008 Toyota Tacoma has been a loyal team member through the years. You might have met our truck before if you’ve ever been to a stewardship event. It has a signature “NVCT” license plate and was a gift from a generous NVCT supporter. The NVCT truck isn’t just used for events though. It’s considered the company car wh

Alexandria, VA—May 1, 2026: The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) and the American Horticultural Society (AHS) proudly announce the completion of a permanent conservation easement on River Farm, owned by AHS and serving as its headquarters since 1973. Part of George Washington’s original Mount Vernon estate, River Farm is a treasured landmark steeped in history, horticultural beauty, and environmental value. The completion of the conservation easement, held and mo

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, data centers are no longer just a trending topic in the news—they are a visible and rapidly expanding presence across the region. Communities throughout Northern Virginia are feeling the effects of this growth, and within the broad environmental community, data centers have become an increasingly urgent subject of discussion. Understanding why they are concentrated here, and what that means for our environment, is essential to shaping a

Welcome, Sean Saville, to the NVCT Board of Directors! Sean has a robust background in policy and environmental advocacy, leading campaigns for the National Audubon Society and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Sean currently runs his own consulting group that specializes in strategic communications and government relations in the environmental field. We had the opportunity to learn more about his work and how his policy skills will help elevate NVCT’s work and .