westernvirginialandtrust.org

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I n W e s t e r n V I r g I n I a F a L L 2 0 1 2

You’re Invited to Our 2012 Conservation CelebrationBarbara B. Lemon Selected for Vic Thomas AwardNed & Janet Yost Selected for Land Saver AwardGrandin Court Elementary Garden Club Grows

Saving Land

2 Fall 2012

If I have seen further it is by standing on ye sholders of Giants.

--Sir Isaac Newton, in a letter to Robert Hooke, 1676

Very few of us accomplish anything of importance without significant help

from others. Whether it’s science, where every new discovery is based on the work of hundreds of other people , or football, in which every touchdown pass is the combined effort of not

just quarterback and receiver, but of blocking tight ends, centers and guards, we all “get by with a little help from our friends.”

That’s why it’s so rewarding to honor two of the Western Virginia Land Trust’s best friends at September’s Conservation Celebration: past president Barbara Lemon of Roanoke, who will receive the 2012 A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award, and Ned and Janet Yost, recipients of this year’s Land Saver Award, who spend part of their time in Montgomery County and the rest in Charlottesville.

I never had the privilege of working with Barbara, but I do know that she guided the Western Virginia Land Trust during its early years, helping to sort out the many, many details that arise when forming an organization from scratch: Where would the board meet? Who would the officers be? What would the land trust’s first projects be? And how would they pay for the whole thing?

Mrs. Lemon helped to establish the land trust’s mission and credibility. She oversaw WVLT’s acceptance of its first conservation easements on important

lands that WVLT staff continue to monitor annually and will do so in the future. Today, Barbara still holds the land trust close to her heart, recently making a generous donation to the land trust’s fund at the Foundation for Roanoke Valley and still serving on an ad-hoc committee.

Ned Yost is a come-here, not a from-here, as his Midwestern accent quickly reveals to anyone within earshot. A retired insurance salesman, Ned has put his powers of persuasion to work in the Catawba Valley in Roanoke and Montgomery counties, where he and wife Janet have placed a conservation easement on the historic McDonald’s Mill property. I doubt that anyone who places a conservation easement on their land along the North Fork of the Roanoke, or further north on Catawba Creek, will have done so without having first heard a pitch from Ned to protect their land. He is a true grass-roots advocate, someone who has “put his deed where his mouth is,” as fellow easement donor Madison Marye once said.

So let us remember the words of Isaac Newton, written some three-and-a-half centuries ago, and remind ourselves that the good work the land trust does today is the result of the good work done by many others, now and in the past. Thank you, Barbara, Ned and Janet—like the land we preserve, your contributions will long outlast all of us.

You can read more about Barbara Lemon on page 6 and Ned and Janet Yost on page 7. Be sure to join us at the Conservation Celebration on September 16, where the land trust will honor Barbara, Ned and Janet.

David Perry

Western Virginia Land Trust

Promoting the conservation of western Virginia’s natural

resources – farms, forests, waterways, and rural landscapes.

722 First St., SW, Suite LRoanoke, VA 24016-4120Phone/fax (540) 985-0000

www.westernvirginialandtrust.org

Board of TrusteesSandy Light, President

Stephen M. Claytor, Vice PresidentF. Fulton Galer, Treasurer

Whitney H. Feldmann, Secretary

M. Rupert Cutler Lynn M. DavisLucy R. Ellett

Peter M. FellersBroaddus C. Fitzpatrick

Robert H. HuntGeorge A. KegleySamuel B. Long

J.W. “Bill” Mason David L. Maxson

John H. Parrott, Jr. Linda W. Pharis

Janet ScheidDaniel C. SummerlinJames M. Turner, Jr.

Advisory CouncilLiza T. Field

William M. HackworthTalfourd H. Kemper

Robert B. Lambeth, Jr.Barbara B. Lemon

Stephen W. LemonJeanne M. Martin

John B. Williamson, III

Staff

David C. Perry Executive Director

Diana M. HackenburgProject Manager

Cover photo: Grandin Court Elementary students and garden club participants work together to weed a raised bed. Credit: Diana Hackenburg.

From the Director’s Desk

Fall 2012 3

Features 4 Conservation Celebration 6 Barbara Lemon, an Enduring Environmental Steward By George Kegley 7 Ned Yost to be Honored as Land Saver Extraordinaire By George Kegley 9 Eat Local and Save Land! 20 Land+Link Photo Competition

Departments 2 From the Directors Desk 3 President’s Point of View 5 New & Events 9 People & Places

Table of Contents Fall 2012

One of our land trust’s long-standing goals has been to increase public awareness of the very significant

contributions we make to the quality of life in our region. And because the acres we preserve are protected forever, we understand that it is essential to educate young people about the importance as well as the joy of conserving and treasuring our natural resources.

This challenge led us to our newest outreach venture: our after school Garden Club, created in partnership with Grandin Court Elementary School in Roanoke, volunteer teachers and parents. Led by WVLT Project Manager Diana Hackenburg, the Garden Club has been such a huge success that it will be expanded into other schools so that even more children will be able to enjoy its benefits.

Our executive director, David Perry, believes that “It’s important that children understand the connection between the land and the food they eat. The Garden Club is a very hands-on way to teach that connection.” One excited 7-year old told an interviewer on WSLS Channel 10 news that the Garden Club “helps you learn lots of skills...so, it would be kind of good for later in life!”

You can turn to page 10 to learn more and also visit our website to enjoy wonderful photos of our busy, fun-loving children and the results of their hard work!

President’s Point of ViewThe Garden Club

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Sandy Light

4 Fall 2012

Credit: all photos by Johnathan Roberts.

Mark your calendars and RSVP now for our annual Conservation Celebration on Sunday, September

16 from 4-7pm at Braeloch in Vinton, VA. Enjoy an unforgettable feast of food and music while also helping us honor our area’s worthiest conservation heroes.

Live bluegrass music from Easy Pickins will fill the air as Blue Ridge Catering again provides a first-class dinner of locally sourced foods. Wash down your meal with beer from Devil’s Backbone Brewery, Blue Ridge Vineyard and Villa Appalaccia wines, and hard cider from Foggy Ridge Cider.

A silent auction will provide entertainment as well as an additional opportunity to help support the land trust’s conservation efforts. Items up for auction include an autographed Jimmy Buffett guitar, four tickets to the Va. Tech/UVa football game, sheet music signed by Taylor Swift, official Nike VT football signed by Frank Beamer, a signed, framed photograph of Paul Newman and Robert Redford from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” an autographed framed photo of Arnold Palmer, a signed Beatles album in a frame, fly fishing trips, a gliding trip,

rounds of golf, Elizabeth Arden gift packages, dinners at local fine restaurants and much more!

This year, we will honor two very special individuals with awards recognizing their tremendous efforts to promote land conservation in southwestern Virginia. Ned and Janet Yost will receive the 2012 Land Saver Award and Barbara Lemon will receive the 2012 A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award. To learn more about these conservation heroes, turn to pages 6-7 of this issue of Saving Land in Western Virginia.

Pre-sale tickets for the Conservation Celebration are $55 a person for current land trust members. Non-member pre-sale tickets are $70 a person and include a one-year WVLT membership. All food and beverages are included in the ticket price and children under the age of 12 are free. F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a n d t o R S V P, v i s i t westernvirginialandtrust.org/celebration. We sincerely hope you will join us for an evening dedicated to our area’s most precious natural resources and people like you who work diligently for its continued protection.

Join Us for Our Annual Conservation CelebrationDon’t miss out on our unique silent auction items!

Fall 2012 5

As of March 2012 the WVLT Board of Trustees has decided to reduce WVLT’s service area to seven

counties. These counties include Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, and Roanoke, and the cities of Bedford, Salem, and Roanoke. Our service area will no long include Carroll, Henry, and Patrick counties.

The Western Virginia Land Trust will still be open to holding conservation easements in Carroll, Henry, and Patrick counties, but will concentrate its efforts in the remaining seven counties.

“Changing our service area will dramatically impact the quality of service we are able to provide local landowners” remarked Executive Director Dave Perry. “We will be able to work more closely with the residents of these seven counties to pinpoint and address their conservation priorities.”

The New River Land Trust will continue to serve Carroll County from its office in Blacksburg, while the Virginia Outdoors Foundation will serve Patrick and Henry counties.

Diana Hackenburg, a northern Ohio native, joined the Western Virginia

Land Trust as our new Project Manager in late March and has been hard at work ever since.

“Diana was exactly the Jack—Jane?—of all trades we were looking for,” said Executive Director David Perry. “It’s vital that you have a wide variety of skills when you work at a small non-profit, and Diana brings that to the table, along with enthusiasm and an engaging personality.”

Diana moved to Roanoke in December after graduating from Indiana University with two masters degrees and a concentration in applied ecology. She previously completed a BS in environmental science with a certificate in

leadership studies at Marietta College in southeastern Ohio. Diana has worked throughout the country, most recently as a biological field technician in South Dakota’s Black Hills region and as a Management Fellow at the Shalom Community Center in Bloomington, Indiana.

While she considers herself a student of many disciplines, Diana most enjoys educating the public about the vast but imperiled natural world right in their own backyards. “Growing up on a small family farm taught me the value of spending time outdoors. Traveling subsequently showed me how fragile our natural spaces are in the face of continued human development. I decided early on that I wanted to preserve these natural resources and encourage others to do the same.”

In July, the WVLT Board of Trustees appointed new trustees and officers for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.

WVLT welcomed back into the fold former board members Rupert Cutler of Roanoke, a former Executive Director of the Western Virginia Land Trust, Broaddus Fitzpatrick of Roanoke, a community volunteer and retired attorney, and David Maxson of Hollins, a community volunteer. They have also appointed two new board members, Sam Long

of Roanoke, an appraiser with Miller, Long, and Associates, and Linda Pharis of Hollins, a community volunteer.

All four of last year’s officers were reappointed to fill their same positions. This includes Sandy Light of Roanoke as president, Steve Claytor of Roanoke County as vice president, F. Fulton Galer of Roanoke as treasurer, and Whitney Feldmann of Roanoke as secretary. Jim Kermes has resigned from the board for personal reasons.

WVLT Hires New Project Manager

Board Changes Service Area to Concentrate Efforts

Board Welcomes New, Returning Trustees

Fall 2012 5

Diana

Rupert Cutler Broaddus Fitzpatrick David Maxson Sam Long Linda Pharis

6 Fall 2012

Barbara Lemon, a founder and eight-year president of the Western Virginia Land Trust board, will receive the

A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award at the annual Conservation Celebration Sept. 16. The award is named for the late Delegate A. Victor Thomas, a Roanoke native and longtime environmental leader.

Over 45 years ago, Barbara and her lawyer husband, Bill Lemon, bought a Botetourt County farm on Craig’s Creek, land that Bill’s family had owned before the Civil War. There they practice organic farming, raising certified, grass-fed Red Angus and Black Angus beef cattle. Bill Lemon checks on the farm every Saturday morning, and Barbara Lemon once worked an organic vegetable garden there until balance problems prevented her bending over to work her beloved soil. Bill now cares for the vegetable garden. Barbara inherited gardening skills from her mother and maternal grandfather that also enabled her to create a model flower garden brimming with life on two levels in the backyard of her South Roanoke home. Now, her primary outdoor activity is watching birds, voles, chipmunks and squirrels in this backyard sanctuary.

Barbara’s interest in protecting the land began with her understanding of Christian stewardship back when she was a religion major at Randolph-Macon Woman’s (now Randolph) College. As she taught Sunday School, she often pondered the questions, “Who owns the world?” and “What is mankind’s role in relation to the physical world?”

Seeing the need to save land, Barbara helped form the Western Virginia Land Trust back in 1996 and led it as chairwoman until 2004. She can now look back on a 16-year legacy of laying the groundwork for an organization designed specifically to save the mountains, hills, valleys and streams throughout Southwest Virginia.

Promoting awareness of the great need for saving land from development has always been the main goal of the Western Virginia Land Trust. Championing the state’s purchase of the 9,000-acre Big Survey in Wythe County was the major achievement in Barbara’s service as president. Also, she led in the initial establishment of a two-man staff and permanent land trust office space.

WVLT board member Lucy Ellett – a longtime friend, associate, and admirer of Barbara – praises her as “a leader in many areas of our community – church,

education, the arts, and conservation.” Lucy adds, “Wisdom, warmth, and thoughtful leadership are Barbara’s trademarks, and the WVLT is fortunate to have had her at the helm of this organization in its formative years. She played a large role in helping to establish a positive image throughout southwest Virginia for our work in land conservation.”

Once a school teacher, Lemon has spent much energy on fund-raising for her college and Union Seminary in Richmond and for such non-profits as the Historical Society of Western Virginia, O. Winston Link Museum, Poplar Forest and Virginia Western Community College. She has served on numerous boards, including those of Environmental Directions Inc., Valley Bank, Center in the Square, Foundation for the Roanoke Valley and Roanoke Library Foundation.

She still works behind the scenes on several fund-raising campaigns, but much of her interest is centered on her family. The family’s professional focus seems to be slowly shifting from law to medicine. In addition to her husband Bill, sons Tucker and Stephen are lawyers and daughter Sarah is a law school graduate. Tucker and Sarah are also married to lawyers. However, one of her seven grandchildren is now in medical school, and two others are headed that way. The three generations fill two pews at Second Presbyterian Church, where Barbara and Bill and all three of their children are Elders, and two tables afterward for Sunday lunch. Friends say that the Lemons are fortunate to have their entire family just blocks away from their home. Barbara Lemon says they are blessed.

Barbara Lemon, Environmental Steward to Receive Vic Thomas AwardBy George Kegley

6 Fall 2012

Barbara Lemon in the gardens surrounding her home

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Fall 2012 7

Ned Yost, one of the best missionaries for conservation easements in this part of the world, will be

recognized with the Land Saver award at the Sept. 16, 2012 Conservation Celebration. Yost, a retired insurance man from Cleveland, Ohio, came to Virginia when he inherited the historic McDonald’s Mill property along the North Fork of the Roanoke River in Montgomery County.

He and his wife, Janet, donated a conservation easement on his 289-acre farm in 2002 to WVLT and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and he hasn’t stopped talking about it ever since. In 1952, his parents bought the farm which had been held by five generations of the McDonald family from the 1790s to the mid-20th century. Ned and Janet Yost live in Charlottesville but they often head for the scenic Catawba valley and their rustic cabin beside the old mill.

A deep-seated environmentalist, Yost recalled that his interest in the outdoors began when he went to camp as a small boy. After completing his easement, Yost joined a landowner incentive program of the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. This program helped him to plant willows and cedars to prevent erosion along creek banks, while keeping cows out of the water, “as much as possible.” He wants to clean up the river “so I can sit on the front porch and cast my fly rod into the stream.”

A year ago, he put a thousand trout in the North Fork as a test to see if the stream would support them. But a later checkup found none had survived. Otters, herons and kingfishers are in the area, he said, but a warm summer temperature “likely” caused the loss of fish. “This illustrates that the work we do on riparian buffers is essential.” Yost is now working with Lance Clark of Roanoke Cement Co. on a project to place 200-foot buffers on each side of Catawba Creek, about a dozen miles up the Catawba Valley from McDonald’s Mill. The rural area around the cement plant in Botetourt County is “as vulnerable to development as we are” in the western end of the valley, he said.

Yost was recently recognized as a founder of Catawba Landcare, a group of local landowners who are promoting a healthy environment, sustainable economy and a vibrant community through local outreach and education. They worked with the nearby Virginia Tech Conservation Management Institute to learn more about sustainability measures. This led to creation of the

Catawba Sustainability Center which operates a weekly market and holds workshops and promotes preservation of natural resources. He also works with the American Chestnut Foundation, aids a Virginia Tech professor doing dendrochronology (dating past events by looking at tree rings) in the area, and avidly reads about geology.

Yost helped celebrate the completion of seven new easements in the valley at a party in the spring, but he says there is still much work to be done in the Catawba Valley. He would like to see another local easement celebration in a couple years. His family shares his enthusiasm—“My children and grandchildren fell in love with the Catawba Valley just like I did.”

While Yost gives much credit to organizations like the Western Virginia Land Trust, he also admits “it doesn’t take much for me to launch into a pitch about conservation easements.” Yost explains his missionary approach to promote easements: “It doesn’t take a strong pitch. I try to back off and find out a little bit about folks, their situation, goals and roots here; do they have any feeling for the area? Then I tailor my pitch to that aspect, what will resonate with them.” His perception is that “the better prospect should have a feeling for the land, for the history of the area.”

It’s a feeling for the land Ned Yost has worked tirelessly to preserve for future generations of Catawba Valley residents to experience.

Ned Yost to be Honored as a Land Saver ExtraordinaireBy George Kegley

Ned Yost at his cabin on the McDonald’s Mill property

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Fall 2012 7

8 Fall 2012

On June 2nd, over 130 participants came out to Green Hill Park for the 4th Annual Race for Open Space.

This year, the race raised over $4,500 for the land trust’s preservation work.

The established 3K course had 41 runners and walkers with Peiter deHart of Lexington coming in first place with a time of 10:29. This year marked a new chapter for the race with the addition of a 5K “Classic” run. Joe Cotter of Roanoke finished first out of 97 runners in the 5K with a time of 22:45. For the full list of finishers, visit westernvirginialandtrust.org/race.

Thank you again to our many event sponsors who contributed both cash and in-kind donations that helped us put together such an outstanding community event. Also, special thanks to our volunteers who helped ensure a successful and safe race.

On May 3rd, WVLT held a continuing education course for professionals entitled “Conservation Easements:

A Changing Landscape.” Attorneys, CPAs, and real estate agents attended the live presentation held at the Roanoke Higher Education Center and also participated statewide via a simultaneous webcast.

Six local professionals versed in the various aspects of conservation easements served as course presenters.

They outlined the step-by-step conservation easement process from the first stages of consideration to the final phases of recordation and tax credit sales. The course, which fulfills continuing education requirements for all three aforementioned professions, will now be available “on-demand” through the WVLT website. Visit westernvirginialandtrust.org/continuing-ed for more information.

The Wine Trail of Botetourt County will end its Summer Concert Series on September 15th at the Daleville

Town Center. The concert, featuring Scott Miller and the Commonwealth along with special guest My Radio and Groova Scape, will take place from 3-8pm. WVLT volunteers will be pouring beer at the event and all proceeds from beer sales will be donated to the land trust.

Tickets for the event may be purchased in advance online at the Botetourt Wine Trail Summer Concert Series webpage or at the gate. This is a family friendly event to be held rain or shine.

We hope to see you in Daleville for a fun afternoon of great wine, cold beer, and good tunes!

Race for Open Space Draws Crowd

Support WVLT at the Botetourt Wine Trail

CLE Course Educates Professionals Statewide

Happy 5K participants Wayne and Cathy Driscoll

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8 Fall 2012

Fall 2012 9

Soulstice Farm in Bedford County

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Join the Western Virginia Land Trust for dinner on Thursday, October 18 at Local Roots Restaurant in

Grandin Village in Roanoke. Restaurant owner and WVLT supporter Diane Elliot has generously agreed to donate 15 percent of the proceeds from that evening’s meals to the land trust.

“Local Roots relies on our area’s small farmers for our fresh produce, meats, eggs and cheese,” said Elliot. “The Western Virginia Land Trust works hard every day to protect these small farms so they’ll always have a place to grow food locally. We’re excited to share a portion of the money that we make on October 18 with the land trust.”

WVLT Executive Director David Perry agreed. “Some of the food in our stores and other local restaurants travels

thousands of miles to get here,” he said. “That doesn’t make any sense from a climate, health or economic standpoint. We’re happy to partner with an establishment like Local Roots, whose menu is entirely local and organic.”

The land trust has worked on several conservation easements over the years on lands that produce food for local restaurants, including the Soulstice Farm in Bedford and the Bright Farm in Floyd, as well as Truman Hill Farm in Franklin County, which offers families shares of pasture-raised beef.

Local Roots serves dinner from 5 to 10 pm and is located at 1314 Grandin Rd. SW, next door to the Grandin Theatre and across the street from the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. See you on October 18!

Eat Local and Save Land!

10 Fall 2012

Garden Club Cultivates Student Interest in Conservation

Young gardeners planting various types of flowers at Grandin Court Elementary School

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10 Fall 2012

Roanoke students at Grandin Court Elementary had the opportunity to get their hands dirty gardening this

spring as founding members of the school’s Garden Club. The Garden Club was started by the Western Virginia Land Trust as an outreach initiative to increase student interest in land conservation and healthy living habits.

Due to its initial popularity with students, enrollment for the club was limited to 26 students ranging in age from kindergarten to fifth grade. Garden Club met once a week after school and each meeting started with an informative lesson on a plant-related topic.

The students learned all about weeds, soils, how plants grow, and general safety tips to follow while working outside with tools. They had opportunities to taste basil,

identify plant parts we eat, and experience how ‘milkweed’ gets its name. Additionally, each student planted their own bean or pea sprout to care for at home and created personalized watering jugs made from old milk gallons.

On the playground, students filled four raised beds with a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. All of the plants, seeds, and soil were generously donated by businesses including Mulch-N-More, Northwest True Value Hardware, Scotts Miracle Gro, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church along with Southern States Cooperative, and Townside Gardens. Support was also given by several local individuals and parent volunteers who helped supervise the children during meetings.

WVLT hopes to continue Garden Club again next year at Grandin Court and potentially expand the program to other area schools.

YOUR DRIVEWAY HAS SEEN MORE ACTION THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.(But don’t worry, that’s ancient history.)

Phone (540) 992-2140 | www.lanfordbros.comPhone (540) 992-2140 | www.lanfordbros.com

As part of our commitment to the values of being green and being sustainable, Lanford Brothers Co., Inc. reuses as much site waste as possible, including recycling milled asphalt into residential driveways like yours.

YOUR DRIVEWAY HAS SEEN MORE ACTION THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.(But don’t worry, that’s ancient history.)

Phone (540) 992-2140 | www.lanfordbros.comPhone (540) 992-2140 | www.lanfordbros.com

As part of our commitment to the values of being green and being sustainable, Lanford Brothers Co., Inc. reuses as much site waste as possible, including recycling milled asphalt into residential driveways like yours.

Proudly Manufacturing in the USA!

A special thank you to all of our 2012 Conservation Celebration sponsors from the Western Virginia Land

Trust Board of Trusteesand Staff!

We’re here to help with your conservation easement.

Conservation Partners, LLC has helped hundreds of Virginians realize the benefits of land conservation since 2002.

• We can help you navigate each step of the easement donation process including registration of your Virginia land preservation tax credits with the Virginia Department of Taxation.

• For landowners needing assistance with easement costs, our popular Advance Funding Program may be available.

For additional information please call:

Nan Mahone Wellborn: 540-797-9205Taylor Cole: 540-464-1899

VirLandTrustAdclr.indd 1 8/16/10 10:22 AM

We keep theWVLT rolling.

We’re serious about our responsibility for our planet’s precious natural resources and it shows. Through its donation of a fuel-efficient Toyota Prius to the Western Virginia Land Trust, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated continues to demonstrate leadership as an environmental steward. We support those who live positively.

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Quality products for every project.

This year marks the 5th anniversary of Cox Conserves. Our national sustainability program includes

all of Cox’s companies and finds ways to lessen our impact on the environment through operations

and community partnerships.

Cox would like to congratulate WVLT board member Janet Scheid for being named a finalist in

the 2012 Virginia Cox Conserves Heroes program. Thank you, Janet, for your leadership in

land conservation and environmental protection for the past 24 years in the Roanoke Valley!

Find out more at www.coxconservesheroes.com.

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immediately browse our website!

Think Green.

(276) 228-6608 • info@wordsprint.net

www.wordsprint.com

We use vegetable-based inks and alcohol substitutes in our presses; we buy from environmentally responsible vendors such as Mohawk papers, which uses 100% windpower to produce carbon neutral paper stocks.

We have our air quality and emissions tested by OSHA on a regular basis, and

We have systems in place to prevent waste

time is a huge step toward our environment.

We’d love to print your next job on 100% PCW recycled paper — but more importantly, we’d like to show you how the entire design, print, and mail process works when we Think Green. Call or email us for an appointment.

(276) 228-6608 • info@wordsprint.net

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This year marks the 5th anniversary of Cox Conserves. Our national sustainability program includes

all of Cox’s companies and finds ways to lessen our impact on the environment through operations

and community partnerships.

Cox would like to congratulate WVLT board member Janet Scheid for being named a finalist in

the 2012 Virginia Cox Conserves Heroes program. Thank you, Janet, for your leadership in

land conservation and environmental protection for the past 24 years in the Roanoke Valley!

Find out more at www.coxconservesheroes.com.

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Congratulations to

Barbara Lemon on being honored for her lifetime

commitment to conservation

Martin, Hopkins & Lemon, P.C.1000 Wells Fargo Tower

10 South Jefferson StreetRoanoke, Virginia 24011

(540) 982-1000martinhopkinsandlemon.com

Samuel B. Long, MAI, CRE, SRAslong@millerlong.com

Jared L. Schweitzerjschweitzer@millerlong.com

MILLER, LONG & ASSOCIATES, INC.Real Estate Appraisal Company

Serving the Western Virginia Land Trust area as well as Central and Southwest Virginia

435 McClanahan St., SW ● Roanoke, VA 24014(540) 345-3233 ● www.millerlongandassociates.com

Specializing in conservation easement, land, farm and estate appraisals

Put our experience, training and knowledge to work for you.

Grandin Village

Natural Foods Grocery & Happy Belly Deli

Everyone welcome!

343-5652

Congratulations to

Barbara Lemon on being honored for her lifetime

commitment to conservation

Martin, Hopkins & Lemon, P.C.1000 Wells Fargo Tower

10 South Jefferson StreetRoanoke, Virginia 24011

(540) 982-1000martinhopkinsandlemon.com

Orvis rOANOKE19 Campbell Ave.

roanoke, vA 24011www.orvis.com/roanoke

Orvis sErviCE CENtEr1711 Blue Hills Dr. NE

roanoke, vA 24012

Preserving our precious natural resources for future generations has been at the core of

the Orvis Company since we got our start in 1856. today, we donate 5% of our annual pre-tax profits to organizations that protect fish and wildlife habitat. visit www.orvis.com/conservation to learn more.

Conservation is at the heart of everything we do.

The Roanoke Starsalutes the

hardworking staff, and board members of the

Western Virginia Land Trustwho persevere every day

to protect our vital natural resources in Southwest Virginia.

PO Box 8338, Roanoke, VA 24014540-400-0990

�eRoanokeStar.comcommunity | news | perspective

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Member FDIC

A strong voice for conservation and preservation of natural resources,Barbara Lemon was instrumental in the formation of the Western Virginia Land Trust and served as its President for many years.

As a founding Director of Valley Bank, we have long recognizedBarbara’s qualities and commitment to her Valley. CongratulationsBarbara, all of us at Valley Bank are proud of you.

800-551-3588www.woltz.com

Commercial Residential Estate Properties

Real Estate Services

Licensed in 19 States from New York to Florida.

Conservation Minded Real Estate Company

Jim Woltz

The Firm of Choice in VirginiaFulton Galer, Partner 540.342.6911 | fgaler@cbh.comwww.cbh.com

Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, L.L.P. Hampton Roads | Richmond | Roanoke | Tyson’s Corner

Proud Sponsors of the 2012 Conservation Celebration

nonProfit org.u.S. PoStage

PaidWytheville, Va

Permit no. 172

722 First Street, SW, Suite LRoanoke, Virginia 24016-4120Phone/Fax 540/985-0000

The Western Virginia Land Trust and the O. Winston Link Museum present their second juried photo

contest, Land+Link, an opportunity for photographers to document the landscape of southwest Virginia while competing for prizes and an exhibition spot.

Photographers should submit image(s) that reflect their interpretation of this year’s theme, “Nature’s Gift.” Subjects are limited to southwest Virginia. All finalists will also be displayed at an exhibition in the Link Museum beginning November 1, 2012. The exhibition will end on December 5, 2012 with a closing reception and silent auction of finalist’s matted photos.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners and the winner of the “People’s Choice” award. There will be a separate prize for the young photographer (17 & under) division. The winning photos will also be featured in The Roanoke Star Sentinel; the Link Museum website and in their newsletter, Link News; and the Western Virginia Land Trust website and in their Saving Land magazine.

Entries are due by 5pm on October 5, 2012. For m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n h o w t o e n t e r, v i s i t www.westernvirginialandtrust.org/photo.

Third place - “Old McDonald Barn”

Background photo - “Forest Facade” by John Singleton

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Announcing the 2nd Annual Land+Link Photo Competition

This year’s contest is proudly sponsored by