September kicks off Fall Stewardship Virginia campaign

An official press release of theVirginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

September kicks off Fall Stewardship Virginia campaign

Volunteers at our Virginia State Parks making a difference! All ages welcome

Volunteers at our Virginia State Parks making a difference!

(Richmond, VA)— Stewardship Virginia, a statewide campaign to encourage and recognize voluntary activities with a tangible impact on Virginia’s natural resources, continues its ninth year with events across the state. The campaign features activities in the spring and fall. The fall portion runs through October 31.

“Stewardship Virginia gives us all an opportunity to make real contributions to our natural and historic resources. Recent events such as Hurricane Irene have created a tremendous need for volunteers,” said Governor Bob McDonnell. “Stewardship Virginia projects give volunteers the tools, guidance, and structure to continue to help improve and protect our valuable resources. I encourage all Virginians to get involved.”

Citizens and groups may get help from the state’s natural resource agencies. Participants in Stewardship Virginia events will receive certificates of appreciation signed by Gov. McDonnell.

“Events will be held throughout Virginia with many opportunities for volunteerism in our parks and natural areas during Stewardship Virginia,” said David Johnson, director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. “We appreciate the many Virginians who have participated to date and hope many others will join in.” DCR coordinates the campaign with help from other state natural and historical resources agencies.

Last spring 145 projects were registered and more than 4,000 volunteers were recognized with certificates of appreciation. More than 150 miles of waterways were cleaned and thousands of pounds of trash hauled away. Volunteers held recycling events and organized community cleanups. Invasive species were replaced with native plants and miles of trails were cleared for citizens to enjoy.

Stewardship Virginia promotes waterway adoption, trail improvement, the planting of riparian buffers, invasive species control, habitat improvement and landscaping for conservation. The campaign encourages people to connect with land and water to better understand their value. Many businesses and groups across Virginia have already registered Stewardship events and provided support to promote conservation initiatives.

Individuals, businesses and organizations are encouraged to register their projects with Stewardship Virginia, making details available for those wanting to join in. For more information, including a registration packet, call 1-877-42-WATER; in Richmond call 786-5056. Visitwww.dcr.virginia.gov/stewardship for more information about volunteer projects and a registration form.

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