Celebrate Riparian Forest Buffer Month
I love looking up the trunk of a 30-foot-tall Willow Oak that I planted in 2004.
Breakfast on the Bay with Jeanne, Bobby, and Val
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay made a three-minute video of Jeanne, Val, and me working at Whiskey Creek Angus.
Earth Day 51, a Sense of Wonder, Environmental Activism, and the Law
There is much to be thankful for on Earth Day 51—way too much for a blog post! But here are some significant and promising environmental developments that occurred recently. Environmental activism and the law are alive and well. Bald Eagle Nesting Pairs Quadrupled I look up from the greening pastures...
Drams from Whiskey Creek Angus: We Bought the Farm and Fenced the Cows Out of the Streams
Adventure of a Lifetime Well, here we are at Whiskey Creek Angus. I’m 65 years old; Jeanne is 60. We sold our dream house of a lifetime, Meadowview, and bought a farm during the worst pandemic in a century. What’s up with that? Meadowview, located in Swoope, Virginia, was built...
The Unnamed Tributary
The unnamed tributary. That little creek, or seep, or spring, or bog, or wetland without a name begins its life as surface water when it emerges from the ground. Most streams don’t have a name. In fact, about 60 percent of all streams are unnamed. I’ll bet you know of...
Earth Day 50 During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Cattle Exclusion Mandate From Perennial Streams in Virginia
Virginia legislators and its governor are proposing a cattle exclusion mandate from all perennial streams by July 1, 2026.
Environmental Justice and a Burning Bridge Across the Potomac
Shepherdstown, WV: It used to be part of Virginia before our war against slavery. I’m here, standing on the southern bank of the Potomac River looking at the large windows and columns of the mansion of Ferry Hill Plantation on the northern, Maryland side of the river. I’m mesmerized, staring...
Ash Trees—a Celebration and a Lament
The Ash tree is one of the most important riparian plants in North America. In Eastern North America there are, or were, three common species in the Fraxinus genus, the White, Green, and Black Ash. In the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Green Ash is one of the most prolific trees along...
Livestock Exclusion: Is It Time for the Big R?
Breaking the barrier: Ideas for increasing participation in voluntary livestock stream exclusion Livestock exclusion from streams? Is it time for the big R—regulation? Livestock, especially cattle, are the number one polluter of streams in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. They destroy the aquatic ecosystem by dislodging soil, trampling the streambed,...
