Nearby Nature Photo Contest 

Back by popular demand - The NVCT Nearby Nature Photo Contest! From March 22 to April 22, 2025 (Earth Day), we welcome submissions from amateur or hobbyist photographers, including Northern Virginia's youth. All submissions will be displayed in a gallery this summer, and participants will be invited to a reception to celebrate their work! Sign Up Here!

Prizes awarded for first place in each category:

• People in the Outdoors - These photos should feature people out and enjoying nature.
• Spring Renewal - Spring renewal can be shown in flowers, animals, and landscapes returning to green.
• Streams, Creeks, and Water - This category may be the most obvious; water creates and sustains life, and we would like for you to capture its beauty.
• Smartphone Snaps - Any beautiful nature photo you capture with your smartphone should be submitted to this category. 

An Evening on the River

Join us for "An Evening on the River" as we reminisce on the conservation achievements of the year and look toward our future. Fun, food, and drinks are included!

This year's celebration invites you to join us at the Torpedo Art Center for a night of flowing hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, an exciting silent auction, and more. Your attendance helps NVCT conserve more critical land, make it accessible to all, and keep Northern Virginia beautiful as we move Forward Together.

Early Bird ticket pricing ends April 22nd!

Top 10 Places to Visit This Spring That NVCT Helped Protect!

Spring is just around the corner, and it is the perfect time to get up close and personal with Nearby Nature!

Did you know that NVCT had a hand in protecting some of NoVa's most popular parks? Read through our list of the top 10 parks, preserves, and natural areas that NVCT helped protect AND that you should visit this spring! Read more here!

Conservation Explored

General Assembly Wrap-Up



The 2025 Virginia General Assembly adjourned on February 22nd. NVCT works alongside its partners within Virginia’s United Land Trusts (VaULT) and Virginia Conservation Network to advocate for land conservation funding and policies that protect our environment.

Read more for a political wrap-up of this year's session! Additionally, NVCT hosted a political roundtable this week with several Virginia Delegates, including Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell!

Click below to watch the recording!

Lore of the Land

Alyssa Hemler: Land Steward Extraordinaire!

Alyssa Hemler is one of our land stewardship specialists. Did you know that Alyssa first started at NVCT as an administrative coordinator? What advice does she have for those interested in pursing a career in conservation?

Read more to learn about Alyssa's journey to NVCT and what she loves most about being your local land steward!

Saving Nearby Nature

Honoring Leopold's Legacy and the Modern Land Ethic

The Aldo Leopold Foundation recognizes March 4-6 as "Leopold Week", a time to honor Leopold's legacy. Often called the "Father of Conservation", Aldo Leopold's revolutionary concept of "the Land Ethic" helped shape modern day conservation theory and practices. How can Northern Virginians honor Aldo Leopold's legacy today? By visiting Leopold's Preserve!

Read more about this 380-acre preserve protected by Scott Plein's White House Farm Foundation and NVCT, and how it represent the modern Land Ethic.

Event

Trash Cleanup

Join NVCT, Porto Vecchio residents, and the Potomac Conservancy for a land-based cleanup of the shoreline of Hunting Creek just west of the parkway. Low tide will be at 12:30 pm, so we will meet at 10:30 to go over the guidelines and then get started while the water is getting lower and trash can be easily collected along the shoreline by foot.

10:30 am -1:00 pm

1250 S Washington St

Alexandria, VA 22314