August 10, 2022

How Pipelines are Hurting Wildlife

A pipeline undoubtedly has a significant effect on the areas which they cover, affecting the landscape as well as the people, animals, and natural environment around them. The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) construction over the past several years has raised a variety of unique and salient questions about its impacts, which have included river and… Read more


camera lens canva
July 20, 2022

Outdoor Photographer Talks About Getting Closer to Nature

In her words, being in nature has helped Alison Thomas “look at the big picture”… An apt expression, since Thomas spends her days outside taking pictures of some of the most beautiful outdoor vistas and getting closer to nature through this work. Thomas is an outdoor photographer, and her photography, which includes black and white… Read more


Photo of lake with trees around it. An example of a water body in Virginia that could be protected by the Clean water act
May 25, 2022

CWA50: Water Quality Standards and Remedying Unhealthy Waters

Water quality is a primary focus of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA protects water quality by regulating pollutant discharges into surface waters so as to maintain and restore unhealthy water. But how do you know whether a lake, stream, river, estuary, or other water body is healthy? And what happens when it is… Read more


Photo of court which is an important component of environmental advocacy and regulatory processes
May 6, 2022

A Student Learns: Why Environmental Advocacy Matters

My name is Ellie Toler, and I’m a second year student at the University of Virginia, studying Global Sustainability and Public Policy. I’ve been interning with Wild Virginia throughout the past academic year, and I’m incredibly grateful for this experience, as it has impacted me both personally and professionally in a number of ways, and… Read more


photo of a water body that could be protected by the Clean Water Act
April 1, 2022

CWA50: Cooperative Federalism, Section 401, and the MVP

Wild Virginia’s ongoing fight to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline has showcased a key feature of the Clean Water Act: cooperative federalism. This legal principle supports the statute’s regulatory and enforcement structure, establishing a framework founded on “collaboration between the federal and state governments to achieve a common goal.” Specifically, to restore and maintain the… Read more


Photo of Mountain Valley Pipeline
March 18, 2022

Major Hurdles to Mountain Valley Pipeline Completion

The Mountain Valley Pipeline is three years behind schedule, three billion dollars over budget, has crushing legal and regulatory challenges, and no competition date in sight. The project has major hurdles to overcome in order to be completed. NextEra Energy, a company with nearly one-third partnership in MVP states, “The continued legal and regulatory challenges… Read more


February 22, 2022

Eyes on the Prize

Tune in to this podcast episode of Wild Virginia Virtual Coffee Talk, where BJ Lark, activist and talented vocalist, talks about her work in the environmental justice movement and what inspires her to keep fighting for equity through art. Bernadette “BJ” Lark is an activist with over 35 years of experience as an artist, vocalist,… Read more


Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) vixen walking in the grass near the fox den on a spring morning in Hampton, Virginia.
January 28, 2022

Wildlife Rescue Director Discusses Importance of Crossings for Orphaned Virginia Species

Tune in to this podcast episode of Wild Virginia Virtual Coffee Talk, where Brie Hashem, Director of Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary, talks about wildlife rescue work and the importance of crossings for wildlife in Virginia. The Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to rescue, rehabilitate, and release native wildlife in Central Virginia. The… Read more


Photo of water to give an example of water body potentially protected by Clean Water Act
January 18, 2022

CWA50: Help Protect Virginia’s Waters!

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act (“CWA” or “the Act”), the key federal law protecting water quality throughout the United States. Our CWA50 blog series celebrates this milestone by offering opportunities to learn about the CWA as well as highlighting occasions to participate in environmental action. Excitingly, you have an… Read more