Our Mission: develop, demonstrate and educate about innovative approaches to environmental stewardship by inviting people and partners to study, restore, interpret and experience our land’s environment and history
The Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that manages 900 acres of preserved land nestled “Between the Hills” in Virginia’s western Loudoun county. Roughly one-third of the land preserve is owned by the Robert and Dee Leggett Foundation while the other two-thirds became a state park in 2017.
The entire land preserve is managed by the nonprofit organization — providing free recreational access to our trail network, managing camping and facility rentals, organizing educational programs, and overseeing wildlife and environmental conservation efforts.
Staff
Darlene started with the Blue Ridge Center in 2005. Her background is in Human Resources, having studied at the University of Maryland with a concentration in HR Management.
After coordinating Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy volunteers and publishing The Birds of Loudoun, Spring is now championing our volunteer programs. Look for her on the trails sharing her love of birds and nature with her family!
Board of Directors
Dr. Miller is a passionate conservationist, enlightened leader of diverse workforces, outdoor recreation enthusiast, and trained environmental scientist who believes in working globally, acting locally, and protecting our precious natural resources.
Joe has been visiting and leading hikes at the Blue Ridge Center for almost 20 years now.
Currently he serves on the Center’s Board of Directors as both its Treasurer and the Chairman of
its Conservation and Land Use Committee.
Mr. Gill is a Strategy & Analytics Director at Capital One Bank. He has 15+ years of strategy consulting and financial services experience, including providing pro-bono consulting services for nonprofits.
Mr. Hodkinson is the Field Operations Manager for the NASA Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems Office at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.
Mr. Stribling is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 25 years of experience. Additionally, he serves as Executive Director of the Old Dominion Land Conservancy, an organization protecting land and water resources for their natural, scenic, recreational, historic, and agricultural values.
Janet Vandervaart is an avid equestrian trail rider and hiker. She is Vice President of U.S. Trail Ride, that helps maintain the BRCES trails, and Vice President of the Virginia Search and Rescue Council.
Ben Lenhart is a partner at the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Harvard Law School. He and his wife, Carol, are avid hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, and live with their children on a farm near Hillsboro, VA.
As Chairman of Loudoun County’s Heritage Commission, Robert Pollard helps advise the Board of Supervisors on historic preservation. After 30 years in the Foreign Service, he now teaches American history at Shepherd University (WV). His hobbies include gardening, hiking, and high-handicap golf.