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Conservation & Outdoor Organizations

The following are nonprofit organizations dedicated to the preservation and/or enjoyment of the rich natural heritage of Virginia's mountains.

Appalachian Trail Conference, National Office. PO Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425. Phone (304) 535-6331. Parent organization of trail clubs that maintain Appalachian Trail. Publishes guidebooks and maps, and is involved in many conservation activities; mountaineering; ski-touring; and construction and maintenance of shelters, cabins, and trails.

Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. PO Box 10427, Salem Station, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. Encourages bequests for purchase of land and conservation easements along the Parkway.

Float Fishermen of Virginia. PO Box 1750, Roanoke, VA 24008. Phone (540) 366-2228 (a member's home phone). Statewide organization of canoeists, kayakers, rafters, and boaters dedicated to the conservation and protection of Virginia's rivers.

Fly-Fishers of Virginia. PO Box 29477, Richmond, VA 23242. Promotes fly-fishing, sportsmanship, conservation, and the enjoyment of angling.

Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Virginia Office, PO Box 20986, Roanoke, VA 24018. Phone (800) 228-7275. Volunteers dedicated to preserving and protecting the highway as a national treasure. Programs focus on conservation, preservation, education, and advocacy.

Friends of the Rivers of Virginia. PO Box 1750, Roanoke, VA 24008. Phone (540) 343-3696. Statewide coalition dedicated to protecting and restoring rivers of Virginia.

Hawk Migration Association of North America. 377 Loomis Street, Southwick, MA 01077. Volunteers keep records on migrations and publish newsletter.

Izaak Walton League of America, Inc., Virginia Division. 506 Stonegate Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060. Phone (540) 231-5610. Dedicated to wise stewardship and preservation of land and resources.

National Speleological Society. 2813 Cave Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35810-4431. Web site http://www.caves.org; phone (205) 852-1300. Nonprofit organization affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Members in local chapters or "grottoes" conduct regular meetings to bring cavers together within their general area and coordinate activities which may include mapping, cleaning, and gating sensitive caves.

The Nature Conservancy, Virginia Chapter. 1233A Cedars Court, Charlottesville, VA 22903. Phone (804) 295-6106. Preserves rare and endangered plants, animals, and natural communities by protecting the ecosystems that sustain them.

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. 118 Park Street, SE, Vienna, VA 22180. Phone (703) 242-0693. Maintains 240 miles of Appalachian Trail and additional 750 miles of other trails. Publishes guidebooks and maps, and is involved in many conservation activities; mountaineering; ski-touring; and construction and maintenance of shelters, cabins, and trails.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. 1100 Seventeenth Street, NW, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20036. Phone (202) 331-9696. Spearheads the effort to convert old railroad beds to trail systems.

Resource-Use Education Council. PO Box 1009, Richmond, VA 23240. Phone (804) 698-4442 or (804) 367-0188. Volunteers from state and federal government, colleges, and private industry promote environmental education. Conducts conservation education workshops for educators.

Shenandoah Natural History Association. 3655 US Highway 211 East, Luray, VA 22835. Phone (540) 999-3582. Supports interpretive and educational programs of the park through sale of books, maps, and related items at visitor centers.

Trout Unlimited, Virginia Council. 302 Danray Drive, Richmond, VA 23227. Phone (804) 264-6941. Statewide organization with 16 chapters working to protect and enhance cold-water fisheries.

Virginia Conservation Network. 1001 East Broad Street, Suite 410, Richmond, VA 23219. Phone (804) 644-0283. Network of organizations devoted to advancing an environmentally sound vision for Virginia.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. 203 Governor Street, Suite 302, Richmond, VA 23219. Phone (804) 786-2121. Conserves, protects, enriches, and advocates wise use of state's natural, recreational, and scenic resources. Department's Division of Natural Heritage attempts to identify significant natural areas and other features that are exemplary, rare, or endangered on a global or statewide basis.

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. 4010 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230. Phone (804) 367-1000. Manages a diversity of fish and wildlife species; provides environmental protection; enhances hunting, fishing, and boating programs; provides wildlife-related recreation opportunities. Runs Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program.

Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs. Conducts Operation Wildflower in cooperation with Virginia Department of Transportation, seeding hundreds of acres along Virginia highways. Wildflower research assistance provided by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg. To contribute seeds or learn more about program, call (800) PRIDE-VA.

Virginia Museum of Natural History. 1001 Douglas Avenue, Martinsville, VA 24112. Phone (540) 666-8600. Preserves, studies, and interprets Virginia's natural and cultural heritage. Statewide system of museum facilities, research sites, and educational programs.

Virginia Native Plant Society. PO Box 844, Annandale, VA 22003. Phone (804) 332-5757. Seeks to further appreciate and conserve Virginia's wild plants and habitats. Emphasizes public education, protection of endangered species, preservation of habitat, appropriate landscape use of native plants.

Virginia Outdoors Foundation. PO Box 322, Aldie, VA 22001. Phone (703) 327-6118. Strives to preserve Virginia's natural scenic, historic, scientific, and recreational areas by means of private philanthropy.

Virginia Outdoor Writers Association. 7286 Harvest Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23111. Association of writers dedicated to disseminating information about Virginia's outdoors.

Virginia Society of Ornithology. 7451 Little River Turnpike, #202, Annandale, VA 22003. Phone (703) 305-5611. Dedicated to all aspects of birds of Virginia, including conservation, field research, education, and dissemination of information.

Virginia Wilderness Committee. Route 1, Box 156, Swoope, VA 22479. Phone (540) 337-8000. Preservation of outstanding roadless areas on federal land through congressional wilderness designation. Publishes Virginia Wilderness newsletter.

Virginia Wildlife Federation. 1001 East Broad Street, LL5, Richmond, VA 23219. Phone (804) 648-3136. Affiliated with the National Wildlife Federation. Devoted to the wise use, conservation, aesthetic appreciation, and restoration of wildlife and other natural resources.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia. PO Box 1557, Waynesboro, VA 22980. Phone (540) 942-9453. Professionally staffed veterinary hospital providing care to sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife.

Wildlife Society, Virginia Chapter. 4792 Anderson Highway, Powhatan, VA 23139. Phone (804) 598-3706. Strives to develop and promote sound stewardship of wildlife resources and prevent human-induced environmental degradation.

Wintergreen Nature Foundation. PO Box 468, Wintergreen, VA 22958. Phone (804) 325-8172. Encourages the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of the natural resources of the Blue Ridge mountains of central Virginia. Research and education facility for members and visitors and host site for regional and national conservation efforts.

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