NOVA Natives Champions
Nominate a champion! NOVA Native Champion awards are presented to institutions whose landscaping incorporate beautiful Northern Virginia native plants to support wildlife and to inspire other people to do the same.
Award presented to Scott Plein by Nancy Vehrs on 10/03/17
Scott Plein of Equinox Investments, LLC
Scott Plein, a Principal of Equinox Investments and a co-owner of White House Natives in Luray, developed the Villages of Piedmont at Leopold’s Preserve in Haymarket with a goal of preserving forest and open space. As a proponent of conservation development, Scott aimed to develop and manage land in harmony with nature by preserving natural open space, historic and cultural features, and beautiful views. In doing so, this development helps forge connections between its residents and the natural and built environments. The community ecology also has benefited through the integration of native plants into the landscape. More than 35 interpretive signs enhance the visitor experience and educate the public on topics such as native plants, pollinators, and deer management. Through his ownership of White House Natives, Scott is committed to growing and selling only plant materials native to the Commonwealth of Virginia. His nursery hosts more than 12,000 native trees and shrubs on its 25-acre site, representing 96 different species.
Award presented to NVAR by Nancy Vehrs on 12/1/16
Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR)
NVAR has demonstrated its willingness to educate homeowners on the benefits of ecologically sustainable practices, including the use of native plants. NVAR designed its building with green space created using native plantings where visitors can learn firsthand about green building techniques. The plantings are drought resistant and, as a result, the building does not need an irrigation system and uses minimal water for landscaping. In addition, NVAR’s store stocks copies of the Native Plants for Northern Virginia publication in their store to provide to new homeowners.
05/21/16 - Award presented to Ken Biglee by Corey Miles
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Plant NOVA Natives was on location at the BioBlitz event sponsored by the National Park Service to award the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts with our first-ever NOVA Natives Champion Award. Wolf Trap is the only national park dedicated to presenting the performing arts. Ken Biglee accepted the award on behalf of Wolf Trap. See the wonderful native gardens they've planted onsite and don't forget to take advantage of the Wolf Trap TRACK Trail to get up close with nature!
Gardens onsite at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
Award presented on 1/30/16
Prince William Conservation Alliance (PWCA) & Executive Director Kim Hosen
PWCA and its Executive Director Kim Hosen have consistently demonstrated a commitment to conservation landscaping. The backyard of the Merrimac Farm’s Stone House Visitor Center was transformed into a diverse habitat using native plants. This garden’s four-season greenscape creates a high quality natural area demonstrating how anyone’s yard can be transformed from sterile to fruitful land, where adults and children alike can delight in nature. PWCA also coordinated planting over 200 native herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and trees on a slope outside the fence of the K9 Gunner Memorial Dog Park in the Lake Ridge community. This attractive planting protects water quality by slowing the flow of stormwater runoff and nonpoint source pollution and serves as habitat and food for pollinators, butterflies, and birds.
Gardens behind Merricmac Farm's Stone House Visitor Center
Award presented on 2/10/2024
Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent Nancy Berlin
Retiring in 2023, Nancy Berlin worked for the Prince William County Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension since 2007 and prior to that was a volunteer. She is knowledgeable in many areas, including plants and plant processes, sustainable landscape management, volunteer administration, event management, program planning and evaluation, wildlife, turfgrass and weed management, natives, entomology, pathology, and plant problem diagnosis. She was instrumental in adding a native plant focus to the program.
Nancy shared her knowledge, inspiring over 200 trained Extension Master Gardener volunteers offering research-based education and outreach programs that benefit local water quality, the environment, and the Prince William community. She regularly received requests for speakers, event support, technical assistance, and plant and pest identification and diagnosis. She either met those requests herself, or, in true Extension tradition, used her keen skill in identifying the right volunteer to accomplish the request.
Nancy led efforts to provide Master Gardener Mentors for more than 70 school and community garden requests over the past 10 years. Recently she also supported efforts for City of Manassas Liberia House Historic Site landscape planning and replanting, and she designed and helped to plant a healing garden for the local hospital. In 2013 she started the Audubon-at-Home (now the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance Wildlife Sanctuary) Program for Prince William County with Master Gardener volunteers.
Recently Nancy was recognized as an “Influential Woman” by Prince William Living magazine for inspiring the best in others and making the community a better place. Her kind, thoughtful, creative, and enthusiastic ways inspire so many to do good work for the community.
In retirement, Nancy continues to share her knowledge and works as a landscape consultant. We are proud to recognize Nancy Berlin as a Plant NOVA Natives Champion.
Plant NOVA Natives Co-Chair Alan Ford
Alan Ford recently stepped down from the role of Co-Chair of the PNN campaign after over a decade of service in that capacity.
In addition to conducting a 30 year teaching career in computer science at the American University, Alan began to exercise a second calling upon moving to Virginia in 2000, when he set about, courtesy of a National Park Service training, removing invasive species in our public spaces. Since then, for some two dozen years he has led work parties (most particularly at Marie Butler Leven Park) and trained many others to do the same.
Alan was part of Fairfax County's founding Master Naturalist class, and served on that board even as his commitment to native species led to his simultaneously assuming the role of President of the VNPS Potowmack Chapter, the Commonwealth's largest chapter with over 600 members, whence he became involved in this PNN campaign from its very inception. Much of the Guide we now publish was shaped and written under his astute eye.
This is not the first time Alan's commitments and devotions have been recognized; in 2016 he was named the Cox Conserves Hero by Cox Communications and the Trust for Public Land, honoring local environmental volunteers across Virginia. Cox awarded thereby a prize of $10,000 to his VNPS chapter. This chapter, as well as Alan's personal generosity, have benefited the Plant NOVA Natives campaign in more ways than we can name here. They have underwritten the costs of publishing our beautiful guide. Alan has bent his back to the logistical work of managing hundreds of boxes of these guides, and distributing them around the region as needed. He has overseen the work of the VNPS propagation bed to supply local ecotype plants to an expanding enthusiastic market, one he has helped to generate. Alan staffs information tables, he helps out at Earth Sangha, is a Wildlife Sanctuary Ambassador. He is the person to turn to when you have questions about one species or another. Alan also finds time to lead botanical walks, plant trees, study minutiae of grasses that befuddle the best of us, staff innumerable educational events.
Virginia Witmer administered the federal grant that launched PNN and the Plant Virginia Natives campaign, and wished to especially commend, and I quote, "Alan's steadfastness to staying on task to accomplish the goals set out when the campaign first launched - 11 years ago, wow! - and applying and measuring our unique use of CBSM. As you know, and the annual meeting addresses, … one of the tenants of CBSM is to adapt the strategy as needed while holding true to applying the right mix of the tools and techniques that are proven in the long run to change behavior and the social norm. It sure takes commitment! "
Alan, in gratitude for that commitment, for visionary and steady leadership, and for a warm and generous spirit, we are so pleased to name you a Plant NOVA Natives Champion.