February 20, 2025

D.C. Circuit Hears Arguments on FERC’s MVP Southgate Pipeline

Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard an oral argument challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) decision to extend the construction deadline for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Southgate project through Virginia and North Carolina. Environmental petitioners contend that FERC’s decision disregarded the pipeline developer’s admission that it actually intends… Read more


January 6, 2025

The Environmental Impact and Water Issues of Cruise Ship Gambling

Cruise ships are often seen as luxurious floating resorts, offering a wide range of entertainment, including casinos. While these onboard casinos provide leisure and excitement to passengers, they also contribute to significant environmental issues. Josh Stanfield, Executive Director of Activate Virginia and a recent graduate of our Clean Water Advocates Program, joins our podcast to… Read more


January 2, 2025

Climate Change and Impacts on Freshwater Systems

Wild Virginia recently hosted Paul Angermeier, an expert in his field, for a webinar on climate change and impacts on freshwater systems. This lively discussion revolved around Paul Angermeier’s research on ecology and conservation of stream fishes, ecosystem services provided by watersheds, and the use of biotic communities to assess aquatic ecosystem health. With decades of experience… Read more


October 15, 2024

Southwest Virginia Business Aims to Reduce Litter in Wild Spaces

Neither Anita Fontaine nor owner, Jill Fees, had any experience in the sustainability field but knew that their town needed this store. Anita has wanted to have a store for as long as she can remember, and really wanted access to the plastic-free products she was seeing online.  She was thinking about starting a refillery-style… Read more


toxic chemicals in vile
May 26, 2024

Toxic Chemicals Affecting Wildlife

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are toxic chemicals that pose significant health risks to wildlife. What will become of our waters, woods, and skies as these chemicals impact aquatic and terrestrial species, including fish, amphibians, and birds? Wild Virginia held a virtual panel of scientific experts to learn about the impacts of PFAS on wildlife…. Read more


March 25, 2024

Sierra Club Says Don’t Be Mistaken: Taxpayers Are Paying for These Data Centers

Don’t be mistaken: Taxpayers are paying for these big data centers “What we know historically about fossil fuel plants is they’re placed in poor communities, and black and brown communities.” Virginia’s data centers have raised environmental concerns as they consume significant energy to support their operations. The energy demand from these facilities results in carbon… Read more


December 11, 2023

DEQ is Failing to Control Pollution from Construction Sites

On December 6, 2023, thirty-two groups from around state sent comments to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) opposing issuance of a new state discharge permit that allows excessive and harmful amounts of pollution to affect our waters. Joining the call was a former Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. The groups are… Read more


September 11, 2023

Stopping PFAS Pollution at its Source

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – “forever chemicals” – threatens our health and our environment. Initial studies conducted by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have confirmed PFAS contamination in surface waters, groundwater, and drinking water throughout the state. To address this pollution and public health problem,… Read more


September 5, 2023

Connecting Wildlife Habitats for Virginia’s Flora and Fauna

Wildlife must be able to move through our landscapes to acquire resources, find genetically diverse mates, and adapt to a changing climate. Roads, development, and other infrastructure can impede wildlife movement and create dangerous scenarios on our roadways for both wildlife and people. Virginia continues to build a network of connected landscapes and reduce human-wildlife… Read more