The Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust held the second Picture the Shore contest and art show this fall. Students from Nandua Middle School, Broadwater Academy, and Northampton High School participated with Professional and Amateur Photographers from the community.
“Our revised logo more clearly represents our mission of protecting property by highlighting features such as agriculture, habitation, waterways, wetlands, buffer strips, trees and shrubs. We especially want to emphasize the beauty and benefits of our easement donors living on and with the land,” said David Turner.
The Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust (VESLT) held its biennial Paint the Shore event this fall. A group of 17 artists painted en plein air on conservation lands under easement with VESLT, culminating in a November reception and art exhibit. This fall Nandua Middle School Eighth Graders were also featured during Paint the Shore.
“Our revised logo more clearly represents our mission of protecting property by highlighting features such as agriculture, habitation, waterways, wetlands, buffer strips, trees and shrubs. We especially want to emphasize the beauty and benefits of our easement donors living on and with the land,” said David Turner.
The VES Land Trust Board of Directors with Tyler and Chelsea Hall hosted the annual Oyster Roast Dinner at Green Valley Farm April 13, 2024. They were joined by 250 guests for an evening celebrating 14,461 acres conserved. Photos by Susan Harris.
After 20 years in Belle Haven, VES Land Trust is moving their office to Onancock.
Last fall the office building we’ve called home for 20 years sold. The new owners, Shore Christian Academy, are remodeling the building to use as their school. While VES Land Trust considered staying but moving the office to another area of the same building, our office needs didn’t fit what was available. The Board considered several office spaces between Nassawadox and Onancock and found the best fit in Onancock.
We wish Shore Christian Academy the best opening their school.
We are excited about our new office and look forward to seeing you there! Our office hours are typically Tuesday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. But we may be in a meeting or in the field. So, please give us a call (757-442-5885) to talk with staff or make an appointment.
Our physical address starting May 1st is 6 Crockett Ave., Onancock, Va. 23417
The Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust (VESLT) held its biennial Paint the Shore event this fall. A group of 17 artists painted en plein air on conservation lands under easement with VESLT, culminating in a November reception and art exhibit. This fall Nandua Middle School Eighth Graders were also featured during Paint the Shore.
President Karen Terwilliger commended Jeff and Timmy for their service: “VES Land Trust would not be the strong organization it is today, protecting 14,069 acres, without these two generous, conservation and community minded individuals.” Please join us in thanking them for their dedication to conservation on the Shore.
To welcome new board members Robin Rinaca and Hank Badger, the VES Land Trust Board of Directors organized a cleanup challenge in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) Clean the Bay Day. “The VES Land Trust Board is devoted to serving and conserving the Eastern Shore community and the health of its precious natural lands and waters,” said President of the Board Karen Terwilliger, “Because litter negatively impacts the resources we protect, participating in Clean the Bay Day is a natural fit.”
On November 17th, VES Land Trust, Black Family Land Trust, Piedmont Environmental Council, and Virginia United Land Trusts hosted Keeping Land in the Family, a webinar that reviewed what heirs’ property is, how you become an heir, what resources you and your family need to make the best decisions about your land, the basics of the new Uniform Partition of Heirs’ Property Act. A recording of the webinar and additional resources are available here.
We are pleased to welcome Karen Terwilliger as President of the Board; Carl Nordstrom as Vice President; new member, Susan Harris; and returning member, Grayson Chesser. “The incoming board is excited to continue serving the Eastern Shore through strategic land conservation and community outreach,” stated Karen.
All over the Eastern Shore, we are experiencing both sea level rise and sinking land levels. These trends put our waterfront lands at risk. When the slope to sea level is gradual, there is space for marshes to expand and migrate landward. However, land with higher elevations and structure and infrastructure in the way is less resilient.
In sun, rain, and wind ten artists set up their easels on protected lands to paint in plein air (outdoors). Their mission was to capture and share a sense of place and a brief moment in a changing landscape. “Plein air sketches make great reminders of how a landscape changes constantly. They are small recordings of time, when the weather causes docks to wash away or barns to cave in,” explained artist Carole Böggemann Peirson.
Cora Johnston, Site Director for Virginia Coast Reserve LTER (VCR LTER) in Oyster, reached out to VES Land Trust last fall with an idea to study whether outdoor experiences make children better observers. “We were excited for the opportunity to measure some impacts of our second grade nature walks,” said Executive Director, Hali Plourde-Rogers.
