On Tuesday, half of the planet, including the DMV, will be treated to a total lunar eclipse of the Full Beaver Moon. And according to EarthSky.org, this will be the first Election Day total lunar eclipse in U.S. history — and it won’t happen again until Nov. 8, 2394.

A Rappahannock resident may have made the first ever documented red bellied snake sighting in the county, according to the Virginia Herpetological Society.

A Virginia nonprofit has partnered with Rappahannock County officials and Mountain Vista Governor’s School to rehabilitate the old county landfill by planting native pollinator and wildlife habitats to fend off invasive species.

Rappahannock County’s neighboring watershed in the Shenandoah Valley was recently sampled to have unsafe levels of bacteria in three-quarters of its waterways. But In Rappahannock, which is a part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, sustainable farming practices have helped the county to stay within healthy levels of bacteria, according to standards from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Every year the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Directors selects one farm per county in the area to receive a state clean water farm award based on the farm’s accomplishments and commitments to land stewardship and conservation management.

More than a dozen restaurants and the mayor of Warrenton have pledged to no longer serve straws unless requested by patrons as part of a sustainability campaign to reduce plastic waste. 

This year marks Piedmont Environmental Council’s 50th anniversary, and president Chris Miller said that thanks to “relentless incrementalism,” the organization has been able to work with its nearly 3,000 partners to help communities with conservation efforts.

At this time of year, female turtles are on the move to locate suitable sites for laying their eggs. As a result, they often approach and try to cross roads, putting them in great danger of being hit by vehicles. One of the saddest consequences of a female turtle being killed is the lasting effect it can have on the future population of turtles in our area.

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is calling on Rappahannock residents to report sightings of bears with moderate cases of mange so they can track them in an effort to learn more about the skin disease that continues to mystify wildlife experts.

The Shenandoah National Park Trust is working to grow and evolve its relationship with the park by expanding financial contributions and addressing large-scale issues that threaten the preserve, including climate change.

The Shenandoah National Park Trust, is holding a “soirée” in June in the Town of Washington to preserve and protect the national park in Rappahannock’s backyard.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a slate of appointments to Virginia’s citizen environmental boards Friday, including four picks for the seven-person Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board that will be charged with approving the administration’s efforts to pull Virginia out of a regional carbon market. 

Fawns, generally born between May and July, are intentionally left alone by does to avoid leading predators to them, with the mothers returning a few times a day to move and feed their offspring.

The Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection (RLEP) and the Sperryville Community Alliance would like to thank all the hardworking volunteers who came out last Saturday (April 16) to clean up the Sperryville Nature Trail in preparation for SperryFest.

Nestled in between two of Culpeper County’s historic sites lay plans for construction on two industrial buildings on over 230 agricultural acres courtesy of Amazon Web Services.

Wegmans on Thursday announced it will eliminate plastic bags companywide by the end of year.

For environmental advocates, the just-concluded Virginia legislative session had its victories, highlighted by repelling a former Trump official’s nomination to oversee the state’s natural resources.

RICHMOND – Legislation aimed at increasing tree canopies across Virginia passed both chambers of the General Assembly after legislators compromised on removing language around equity.

The bill, sponsored by Webert, who represents Rappahannock County, requires the state to analyze the impact of small- and medium-sized solar and energy storage projects on forested lands and those containing prime agricultural soils, a federal classification defined in state law.

Each year, the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District awards up to $4,000 in educational scholarships to students who plan to pursue a career in a conservation-related field.

• Nonprofit reports 25% of Piedmont now under easement

Democratic plan picks up limited Republican support in both chambers but comes with a high price tag

The Piedmont Environmental Council on Wednesday announced the appointment of Laura O’Brien as its new Rappahannock County field representative, filling the role previously held by Claire Catlett, who served in the position from 2017 to 2021.

Democrats on a Virginia Senate committee voted Tuesday to strip former Trump EPA chief Andrew Wheeler from a list of approved hires for Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s cabinet.

In 2021, LTV staff completed 16 easements for a total of 3,041 acres, compared to 1,765 acres in 2020 and 1,730 acres in 2019. The organization also expanded into six new Virginia counties.

Shenandoah National Park will begin its Old Rag Mountain ticketing pilot project in March in an effort to control the number of hikers and combat bottlenecks that can create long waits along narrow corridors of the nearly 10-mile loop trail.

Rappahannock County residents who lost power as a result of Monday’s snowstorm may not have service restored for several days.

In Rappahannock County this year, one citizen dominated the conversation.

Look up into a twilit sky, and you’re likely to see a tiny silhouette fluttering across the dusk. Evoking fear in some, and fascination in others, the bat has a storied reputation. 

Birdsong is the soundtrack of life in the country, and a coalition of conservation groups aims to keep it that way.