The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy will celebrate its 20th anniversary at its Conservation Celebration on Oct. 9 at the Glen at Glenburn Farms in Roanoke County.
The annual Celebration features a catered dinner, bluegrass music, Deschutes draft beer and Virginia wines, and a live and silent auction.
Noted national conservationist and writer Jay Leutze will be the keynote speaker for the event. Leutze is the author of Stand Up That Mountain, which won the Reed Environmental Writing Award and the 2013 SIBA (Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance) Award. It tells the true story of the battle to save a small North Carolina town in the wilderness along the Appalachian Trail.
The land conservancy will also present its A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award and Landsaver Award. Janet Scheid of Vinton will receive the Vic Thomas award, named for the late long-time Roanoke state delegate who was an advocate for the outdoors. Scheid is a past president of the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and Susan G. Komen Virginia Blue Ridge. She is a current Vinton town councilwoman and secretary of the board of trustees of the Virginia Museum of Natural History.
David Hurt of Hardy is the recipient of this year’s Landsaver Award. Hurt is the owner/operator of Truman Hill Farm, which is protected by the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. He raises grass-fed beef and is a Realtor specializing in the sales of farms and rural land. David is a former Franklin County Supervisor, and in 2012 was named the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Outstanding Forest Steward for sustainable timber management. David currently serves on the Virginia Recreational Facilities Advisory Board.
The Conservation Celebration runs from 4-7 pm, with the program starting at 4:45 pm and dinner at 5:30 pm. All proceeds benefit the land conservation efforts of the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. Admission to the event is $75 if purchased by Oct. 1, or $80 at the door thereafter. Tables of eight are $650 and include complimentary Virginia sparkling wine and VIP seating. For more information or to purchase admissions, call the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy at (540) 985-0000 or visit brlcva.org/events.
