Meet Christopher Timothy, NVCT's Land Conservation Fellow!

      Christopher Timothy is NVCT’s newest Land Conservation Fellow, bringing a strong background in geography and GIS to our lands team. A recent graduate of James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science in Geography, Christopher supports NVCT by helping develop strategic conservation maps across the Potomac region. With a lifelong fascination with maps, a passion for conservation, and hands-on experience working with Indigenous land management perspectives, Christopher is excited to apply his skills to protect Northern Virginia’s landscapes!

1. What did you study in school, and what motivated you to choose that path?

“I graduated last May and studied geography with a concentration in applied GIS. I’ve always been interested in travel and looking at maps. Google Maps came out around the time I started using the internet, so I would often use it to travel around the world. It was a way for me to learn about the world without leaving home.”  

2. What led you to pursue an internship in land conservation with NVCT?

Through a population health class, Christopher had an internship working with the Navajo Nation. There, indigenous conservation knowledge made a large impression on him. Indigenous land management and the spread of that knowledge became a new interest and passion for Christopher, which led him to pursue more conservation-related internships.

“I was looking for something in Virginia, and living in Bristol County, I can see the data center spread and development.” Christopher engaged with local conservation efforts, like writing pieces for his local station about wetlands and the species that inhabited it  “I had seen this position last year, but it didn’t seem like a good fit for my schedule at the time, so I was very excited to see the position open again this year. GIS experience was a major reason for choosing this internship. “GIS is something I already have experience with and loved the idea of an internship that utilizes that skill to achieve conservation.” I’ve had a few jobs where you use GIS, and I really enjoy it, and I think it's a powerful tool, especially for showing people the larger connected ecosystem and why we do the work we do.”

3. 

   Christopher (the tallest individual) at our Christmas Bird Count!

   In your own words, what kind of work do you do for NVCT? What are some projects you will be working on?

“I’m working on GIS maps for the Potomac region. I look at current and potential properties by narrowing down relevant data in the area. Most of my day is spent reviewing GIS maps of our owned properties and prospecting for properties near existing parks or protected lands. In the spring, I plan to go out and visit these properties to look at the ecological value”

4. Do you have a favorite outdoor spot in Virginia?

Photos Christopher took of the birds we saw on our bird count!

“Conway Robinson State Forest is a huge piedmont forest. The land gets more valuable as data centers continue to pop up around it. I grew up going there, and it’s changed a lot. It is a beautiful reminder of what the landscape once looked like. In the middle of that forest, it’s completely silent.”

5. What stood out to you about the internship with the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust?

“The way NVCT strategizes is efficient, and I’ve never gotten to be a part of those discussions. It was a great opportunity to be a part of higher-level discussions.”

6. What has surprised you most about working in land conservation?

“How much the work varies one county over, one city over, down to the local jurisdictions. The intricacies of working with differing entities and regions.”

Christopher described encountering these differences in his analysis of our protected and potential properties. “There are different zoning laws, politics, and relationships with partners in each region.”

7. What are your plans after this internship? What are your larger career goals?

“Graduate school to study conservation, career-wise, I am definitely interested in getting more experience with conservation and nonprofits, like NVCT.”

Christopher shared that one of the potential paths he may take is studying Indigenous Knowledge in Conservation and how to distribute and integrate that knowledge into conservation spaces!

As Christopher looks ahead, he plans to continue building his experience in conservation and nonprofit work, with graduate school on the horizon. His interest in Indigenous Knowledge in conservation—and how that knowledge can be shared and integrated into modern land protection efforts—reflects both his curiosity and his commitment to thoughtful stewardship. We’re excited to have Christopher on the NVCT team and look forward to the impact his work will have on conserving our region’s connected ecosystems.