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Stafford County

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NVCT’s Heronry and Other Conserved Lands are Special Properties

NVCT’s first protected property is one the Trust owns in Stafford County: the 70-acre Heronry along Potomac Creek, one of the largest great blue heron nesting sites in the Chesapeake region. Each year there is a nest count to determine the size of the heron population with staff from Stafford County, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and NVCT. In Stafford County, the Trust holds three conservation easements including: ​

  • An environmentally sensitive wetlands at the Stafford Regional Airport;

  • 308 acres on land owned by Silver Companies;

  • A conservation easement donated by a private landowner that was then transferred to the University of Mary Washington for research.

​​ Nine of the 10 parcel the Trust owns in Stafford County are located on the Crow’s Nest Peninsula, an area rich in biological diversity, Virginia history, and scenic beauty. NVCT supported the creation of the Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve – 2,872 acres of land owned and managed by the Virginia Division of Natural Heritage – and continues to advocate for expansion and protection of the area. We welcome the chance to speak with landowners about protecting important lands and opportunities to connect more fully with the community.

View an interactive map of Crow's Nest Natural Area Preserve.

Open space and natural areas in Stafford County

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



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