From Billboards to Bluebirds The GCV advocates for conserving Virginia’s natural beauty
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Whether it’s a bee on a native Virginia bluebell or swallowtail butterfly on a sunflower, plants rely on a variety of insects for pollination.
ideas from around the state.” “The ‘Do One Thing to Conserve or Protect’ initiative, like Roanoke’s ‘Scoop the Poop’ project, has been popular with our members,” notes Lynn McCashin, GCV executive director. Another initiative is “Refuse to Use,” a program created to reduce and eliminate single-use plastics. The committee suggests cutting back on plastics at meetings and using reusable items at home and on-the-go. “It’s something that [members] can easily do in their communities,” Dorsey says. At the state level, the Conservation and Beautification Committee prepares an annual legislative position statement that outlines the GCV’s initiatives and positions on bills being proposed or amended. Then, on Legislative Day, a day determined by Virginia Conservation Network, GCV members meet with General Assembly members and other groups such as the James River Association and Virginia Forever, a coalition of businesses and conservationists that support environmental protection. The committee also hosts an annual conservation forum that is open to the public and awards research fellowships to undergraduate- and graduate-level environmental science or biology students. Fellowship projects have included studies on how pollution affects bees and their ability to pollinate and on how noise pollution affects the reproduction cycle of bluebirds. “It’s really exciting to be able to give out that money and see somebody excel in something that maybe they normally wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do,” Dorsey says.
The mission of the Garden Club of Virginia is to celebrate the beauty of the land, conserve the gifts of nature and challenge future generations to build on this heritage.
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COURTESY OF DONNA MOULTON, A GCV MEMBER
or 40 years, the members of the Garden Club of Virginia’s Conservation and Beautification Committee have kept their eyes trained on billboards across the state, working to regulate them so that scenic vistas are preserved. “We are really trying to make sure these billboards are carefully sited and are not obstructing scenic views. There are so many beautiful views in Virginia that we don’t want to mar.” says Carrie Dorsey, the committee’s chair and a founder of a nonprofit dedicated to recycling electronic waste. “We also advocate for carefully sited development of wind, solar, and other renewable forms of energy. We’re trying to have a very moderate voice because we understand that there’s a balance.” GCV Immediate Past President Jean Gilpin says the organization supports the very basics of environmental protection: clean air, clean water, clean soil. “We promote these values not just to our state legislators, but through the education of our members and the public.” GCV’s Conservation and Beautification Committee tries to give members the tools they need to do work within their own communities. “We inspire and educate the rest of our members, which are 3,500 strong across the state,” Dorsey says. “We provide opportunities for them to engage in various projects based on sharing
THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA
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