Come celebrate the hard work of local conservation heroes and enjoy food, drinks, and live music, raise funds to save the lands and waters you love!
2024 Award Recipients
Vic Thomas Award Winner
Bill Hackworth (left)
"Ann and I have traveled extensively since we retired, and have visited some beautiful places in the world, but we are always glad to return to our own beautiful Roanoke Valley. I am proud of the work that the Conservancy has done to preserve the open spaces and viewsheds that we enjoy so much, and the expansion of its efforts into a larger part of the Commonwealth. When I was Roanoke's City Attorney, I was fortunate to be in a position to facilitate placing of conservation easements on most of the City's property at Carvins Cove and on Mill Mountain - ensuring that those areas will be there for generations to come.
One benefit of being involved with our Conservancy is the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of great people who share the same goals - prospective easement donors, conserved property owners while we are on monitoring visits, staff and board members, and all of the supporters who attend the annual Conservation Celebration. It is a wonderful community of like-minded people. I can't imagine what our region would look like without them!
I always have to smile when traveling around our countryside when I see a sign posted on a property announcing that it has been protected by a conservation easement with the Blue Ridge land Conservancy. Let's hope that we see more and more of these!"
~ Bill Hackworth
"Ann and I have traveled extensively since we retired, and have visited some beautiful places in the world, but we are always glad to return to our own beautiful Roanoke Valley. I am proud of the work that the Conservancy has done to preserve the open spaces and viewsheds that we enjoy so much, and the expansion of its efforts into a larger part of the Commonwealth. When I was Roanoke's City Attorney, I was fortunate to be in a position to facilitate placing of conservation easements on most of the City's property at Carvins Cove and on Mill Mountain - ensuring that those areas will be there for generations to come.
One benefit of being involved with our Conservancy is the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of great people who share the same goals - prospective easement donors, conserved property owners while we are on monitoring visits, staff and board members, and all of the supporters who attend the annual Conservation Celebration. It is a wonderful community of like-minded people. I can't imagine what our region would look like without them!
I always have to smile when traveling around our countryside when I see a sign posted on a property announcing that it has been protected by a conservation easement with the Blue Ridge land Conservancy. Let's hope that we see more and more of these!"
~ Bill Hackworth
George Kegley Award Winner
Helen Burnett (right)
Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Helen Burnett settled in Roanoke and spent over 20 years in advertising, circulation and marketing management at The Roanoke Times followed by 15 years in sales and marketing at local retirement communities. As a cycling enthusiast, she is especially attracted to the beauty of rural back roads and this is what drew her to learning more about the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and ultimately becoming a volunteer. Helen especially enjoys trips into the field, whether to meet a potential new donor and visit their property or to do a monitoring visit on an existing easement. There is always something beautiful to see, birds and wildlife, a scenic view, a stream to protect, wildflowers in bloom, or discovering a nest of goose eggs while checking out an island in the James River!
As a retiree, Helen enjoys travelling, book clubs and volunteering at her church, Second Presbyterian where she serves as Elder, is a member of the Bell Choir and participates in a variety of committees and outreach and mission projects like Habitat for Humanity. Among other past community activities she served as Board Member and President for Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia, Trustee for Taubman Museum of Art, and WVTF reader for Radio Reading Service.
Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Helen Burnett settled in Roanoke and spent over 20 years in advertising, circulation and marketing management at The Roanoke Times followed by 15 years in sales and marketing at local retirement communities. As a cycling enthusiast, she is especially attracted to the beauty of rural back roads and this is what drew her to learning more about the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and ultimately becoming a volunteer. Helen especially enjoys trips into the field, whether to meet a potential new donor and visit their property or to do a monitoring visit on an existing easement. There is always something beautiful to see, birds and wildlife, a scenic view, a stream to protect, wildflowers in bloom, or discovering a nest of goose eggs while checking out an island in the James River!
As a retiree, Helen enjoys travelling, book clubs and volunteering at her church, Second Presbyterian where she serves as Elder, is a member of the Bell Choir and participates in a variety of committees and outreach and mission projects like Habitat for Humanity. Among other past community activities she served as Board Member and President for Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia, Trustee for Taubman Museum of Art, and WVTF reader for Radio Reading Service.
Thank you to our 2024 sponsors!
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
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Silver Sponsors
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