I own 37 wooded acres in beautiful Westmoreland County called the Wild Wood. There’s a pond on it that my dog, Sydney, and I frequently visit. We see deer and sometimes a fox, otter or beaver. My personal favorite, and one I care deeply about, is the box turtle.
It’s important to me to preserve the environment when often what we do as humans is antithetical to nature. In 2023, I worked with Northern Neck Land Conservancy to place a conservation easement on the Wild Wood. Protecting that piece of land preserved a corridor of undeveloped land these animals can use to travel safely and make homes.
When I started, I wasn’t aware of the Virginia state tax credits that can go along with a conservation easement. I just knew that the word conservation is synonymous with the preservation, protection, or restoration of land, water and wildlife. The Land Conservancy offered technical assistance and helped me find resources to chart a path forward that helped manage the costs involved in creating a deed of easement.
I am a landscape painter and a member of the Northern Neck Master Naturalists. Nature is where I find refuge, strength and inspiration. It’s where I paint – immersed in trees and plants – and help others to learn about the earth while I am also learning.
Nature writer Rachel Carson was one of the first people to raise the public’s awareness about protecting the environment. She wrote, “in nature nothing exists alone.” I appreciate the Northern Neck Land Conservancy’s strategic goal to grow the community of people in Essex County and the Northern Neck who appreciate our region’s farmlands, woodlands and wetlands and are willing to take action to protect them.
Today, Northern Neck Land Conservancy is seeking sustaining financial support so it can continue to provide personal support to landowners, serve as a perpetual steward of protected lands, and raise awareness about how people can live gracefully with nature.
There are many places across Virginia that are suffering from urban sprawl and its consequences. The Northern Neck and Essex County are unique in their amount of priority open space land ripe for development – or conservation. We can take action today to ensure that the natural world around us thrives for generations to come.
Northern Neck Land Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands, water, economies, and culture of our region for future generations and for wildlife is critical. I hope you will join me in making a financial contribution to support their work in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
Katharina Bergdoll
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