Blue Ridge Center Blog

Dear Editor:  As the new Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES), I was thrilled to see Tim Jon's article about BRCES in the October 28 issue of the Blue Ridge LEADER.  One of my initial goals on this new job is to increase public awareness about this special piece of land in northwestern Loudoun County, and I certainly appreciate any help that the local media -- and writers like Tim Jon -- can provide.

Although there are many people who know about BRCES and visit here often, I have met quite a few local folks who tell me that they've frequently driven past our entrance on Harpers Ferry Road and have always wondered what goes on down our unpretentious, one-lane gravel driveway.  So it's way past time to let everyone know!  While visiting here, you can embark on many different kinds of adventures.  Perhaps you'll spend time imagining the busy, hardscrabble existence of families who lived in the historic log cabins that now stand silently in our woods; or maybe you'll sit beside the sparkling waters of Piney Run, picturing the seaward journey of the droplets that dance and play among the rocks in the riverbed; or you might just amble along our hiking trails in search of a tranquil, leafy escape from the hustle and bustle of your daily activities.

All of those adventures -- and more -- are available here.  Naturalists in our area regularly make use of our site for classes that they teach, and we often host field trips and a variety of school groups.  The onsite Mountain View Farm produces a colorful array of sustainably-grown vegetables that are offered for sale at Farmers' Markets in DC, and their pastures feature an assortment of barnyard residents that always attract the attention of our younger visitors.  Our hiking trails are open from dawn to dusk on a daily basis, and camping is available by advance registration for families, individuals and groups.  We also offer environmental education classes and have just concluded our fall "Gardening with Nature" workshop series.  And if you're interested in learning more about the plants and animals who call this place home or merely pass through on their migrations, you can find many other opportunities for that kind of exploration here -- maybe by joining the bird and butterfly walks offered by our friends from Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy or by taking a self-guided tour of our interpretive trail that features instructional signage about birds and their role in the ecosystem.

I dearly hope that this letter will entice more people to visit us here, especially if they will minimize their ecological footprint onsite by following the "Leave No Trace" outdoor ethics that we promote.  While I understand Tim Jon's appreciation for sparsely-populated hiking trails, BRCES can't survive if it's a well-kept secret.  The site is managed and maintained by a nonprofit organization, and we need donations from the community in order to continue and expand our services.  Through the years, BRCES has received generous donations from a relatively small cadre of loyal supporters, and now it's time to diversify and expand our funding base.  That's why our dedicated Board of Directors has just announced a $7,000 challenge grant established through pledges from individual board members.  If you become a Friend of BRCES (for as little as $25), your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the board members, up to the $7,000 maximum.  Visit our website (www.blueridgecenter.org) to become a Friend using Paypal, or give us a call at the office (540-668-7640) and we'll mail you the information on becoming one of our Friends.  With nearly 900 acres here, we can accommodate a lot of Friends without seeming crowded -- so please don't worry, Tim -- you'll still be able find unspoiled, expansive places to roam at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship.    

From Leigh Scott, BRCES Executive Director:  One of my very favorite films is ”Man on Wire.”  It is the suspenseful tale of a daring event that’s been called “the artistic crime of the century.”  On August 7, 1974, Frenchman Philippe Petit stepped out onto a steel cable that he (with help from accomplices) had managed to suspend during the darkness of night between the two World Trade Center towers, which were the world’s tallest buildings at the time.  At a height of 1350 ft above the ground, with no safety net or harness, Petit walked and danced on the wire for an hour.  The sheer courage of that stunt completely boggles my mind, as does the extraordinary grace required to walk on a steel cable that would bend and flex in response to the swaying of the buildings.  Of course, Petit carried a very long pole --  but still…

So you may wonder what the connection is between this entertaining documentary film and my work as Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship.  In a word, it’s “balance.”

Here at the Blue Ridge Center, our mission is to develop, demonstrate, and support innovative approaches to environmental stewardship and to invite people and partners to study, restore, interpret and experience our land and its history.  An important part of our work involves demonstrating how conservation land can be kept active for economic uses like farming, as well as public uses like recreation and education.  Our programs are intended to weave together farming, environmental stewardship, and community.

Almost on a daily basis, I’m reminded that stewardship of the land involves a careful balancing act.   Since all things are connected, we can’t make a change in our management practices at the Blue Ridge Center without affecting something else.  For example, if we don’t adequately control the size of the deer population, then those hungry herbivores will clear out the forest’s understory plants that are needed as shelter by small mammals and ground-nesting birds.  And we could potentially provide better habitat for the smaller animals in the meadows if we were to change the fields to warm season grasses, although the resulting hay may not be quite as marketable as fescue.  Where’s the long pole that will help us keep our balance on the wire? 

Often we are particularly challenged when trying to balance the needs of our resident wildlife with the wishes of our human visitors.  We may seem like spoilsports when visitors discover that they can't run their dogs off leash or fish in our ponds.  Yet we have good reasons for these restrictions, as they could adversely affect our native wildlife populations and habitats.  Still, we believe that the land can be used for recreation without undue stress on wildlife as long as our visitors are mindful of the effect they can have -- and if they take steps to minimize the footprint that they leave behind.  That’s why the Blue Ridge Center strongly advocates Leave No Trace principles, which promote careful enjoyment of natural areas:  1) Plan Ahead and Prepare; 2) Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces; 3) Dispose of Waste Properly; 4) Leave What You Find; 5) Minimize Campfire Impacts; 6) Respect Wildlife; and 7) Be Considerate of Other Visitors.

Having recently registered to participate in Loudoun's Green Business Challenge, we are exploring ways to make it easier for our guests to abide by these Leave No Trace principles.  Maybe we should install a bin for the food waste generated by our campers, so that the pigs at the onsite Mountain View Farm can benefit from the nourishment that would otherwise be wasted if the campers throw it in the trash.  Or perhaps we can more actively discourage the use of plastic utensils by making it possible for campers to obtain compostable cutlery here at the Center and dispose of it in an onsite compost pile.  It's certainly something to consider.

Even with the guidance provided by the Leave No Trace principles, questions are bound to arise regarding how to best steward the land.   At those times, an open dialog and careful examination of all sides is the undoubtedly the best way to find the balance.  Then, during that discussion, let us be guided by the words of the great conservationist Aldo Leopold:  “Examine each question in terms of what is ethically and aesthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient." With that kind of farsighted perspective, perhaps we'll end up just as graceful and well balanced as a "Man on Wire."