City of Alexandria

Our first owned land in the City of Alexandria, is a 2-acre wetlands located where Cameron Run and Hunting Creek meet before flowing into the Potomac River. It is one of the last remaining tidal wetlands in the city, and is sandwiched between major freeways and an apartment complex under construction. The land had been owned by a single family since the 1940s, and they were happy to donate it to NVCT to conserve this important habitat for migrating birds. The site is even listed as an eBird “Hotspot,” with more than 100 species sighted on or in the vicinity of the property.

Urban Conservation in the City of Alexandria

The Trust holds seven conservation easements with private landowners and owns one wetlands parcel in the City of Alexandria. These sites preserve green space, provide a “sense of place” and community beauty, and protect tree canopy. They also provide wildlife habitat, buffer public park land, and help curb the effects of polluted runoff in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The City of Alexandria’s Open Space Plan includes a focus on voluntary conservation easements to protect privately owned open space, and NVCT is a partner in that work.

Alexandria property owners have worked with the Trust to protect notable sites with important conservation values:

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• The historic remains of a Civil War rifle trench and artillery battery (read more);

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• A property protected under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance;

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• Land bordering Monticello Park, providing seasonal habitat to a large number of warblers and other rare migratory birds.

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Open space and Natural Areas in the City

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This map shows public land and parks in bright green, NVCT conserved lands marked with blue dots, and other private easements in dark green.