Natural Bridge Soil & Water Conservation District
40 Magnolia Square Way, Suite 5
Lexington, Virginia 24450
Phone: (540) 319-6453
Education & Outreach
2024 ENVIROTHON Area I Competition
The 2024 Area I Envirothon Competition was co-hosted by Mountain Castles SWCD & Natural Bridge SWCD. The event was held April 30, 2024 at McCormick Farm in Raphine, VA. The event had a wonderful turnout of student teams and volunteers. On behalf of Natural Bridge SWCD & Mountain Castles SWCD, we would like to thank everyone who participated and volunteered to make the event a success!
Area 1 overall winners:
1st place: Harrisonburg High School
2nd place: Massanutten Regional Governor's School
3rd place: Eastern Mennonite High School
Good luck to our Area I winners as they continue on to compete at the state level on May 19 and 20.
Natural Bridge SWCD Chairman, Robert G. Deyo, presenting the Rockbridge Regional Library with a donated copy of the Rockbridge County Spring Identification Project Final Report on April 12, 2023. Photo by NBSWCD staff.
Rockbridge County Spring Identification Project Final Report
The Natural Bridge Soil & Water Conservation District entered into a partnership with SKTWorks, LLC., a local firm providing GIS services for conservation to produce a comprehensive inventory of springs within the Maury River Watershed in Rockbridge County. The voluntary springs identification project was seeking to locate springs in Rockbridge as part of an effort to raise awareness and understanding of groundwater resources. The project is part of an initiative to better monitor and protect the county's groundwater, which provides vital drinking water for residents and for agricultural purposes.
The Natural Bridge SWCD would like to thank each and every landowner, agency, board member and staff for their efforts in getting this project completed. The Rockbridge County Spring Identification Project Final Report is complete, and copies have been donated to the local library system.
For landowner's who participated in this study and would like further information about drinking water guidelines or further testing, you can contact Tom Stanley, Agriculture Extension Agent, at the Rockbridge County Extension Office 540-463-4734. The Rockbridge Extension office periodically offers water testing through VA Tech and Mr. Stanley can also provide a list of private certified labs in the region that offer analytical services.
Natural Bridge SWCD staff attended the 2023 Virginia No-Till Alliance (VANTAGE) Conference in Rockingham, VA on February 21, 2023.
Congratulations to James Alexander of Cherry Grove Farm, recipient of the 2023 No-Till Champion Award! Tom Stanley, Rockbridge County Extension Agent, presented the award to Mr. Alexander at this year's VANTAGE Conference.
Cherry Grove Farm, located on the northern end of Rockbridge County, has been an active participant in Agriculture Best Management Practices to improve the quality of the land and we are proud of his efforts!
Palmer Community Center Event
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On June 11, 2022, Natural Bridge SWCD co-sponsored with Trout Unlimited a stream water quality and fish habitat event informing attendees about strategies to enhance healthy fish populations in local streams. Information about important land use practices was provided as well as Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR) fishery biologists to conduct the event and answer attendee’s questions. The event was held at Palmer Community Center and had an excellent turnout.
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