Virginia Natural Heritage Program

Virginia Natural Heritage Program Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Virginia Natural Heritage Program, Public & Government Service, 600 E Main, 24th Floor, Richmond, VA.
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DCR's Natural Heritage Program is a comprehensive effort to save VA's native plant and animal life and the ecosystems upon which they depend through inventory, conservation information provision, protection and stewardship.

Virginia Natural Heritage Program’s Fast Fact: Environmental Review Natural Heritage’s Environmental Review section revi...
06/17/2026

Virginia Natural Heritage Program’s Fast Fact: Environmental Review

Natural Heritage’s Environmental Review section reviews proposed projects for impacts to natural heritage resources and provides information and recommendations on how to minimize or avoid impacts. Requests for information on natural heritage resources come from a variety of organizations, including local, state and federal agencies, private consultants, non-profit organizations, and land managers. Between 1986 and 2025, the Natural Heritage Program provided approximately 92,320 comments related to land use decisions and Virginia’s natural heritage resources!

On June 4, Shiva Torabian (Spatial Ecologist), Anne Chazal (Chief Biologist), and Joe Weber (Chief of Biodiversity Infor...
06/16/2026

On June 4, Shiva Torabian (Spatial Ecologist), Anne Chazal (Chief Biologist), and Joe Weber (Chief of Biodiversity Information and Conservation Tools) participated in an alewife floater (Utterbackiana implicata) mussel planting event organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Department of Wildlife Resources at the Patrick Henry Boat Landing (Route 54 crossing of the South Anna River). The team helped plant 750 mussels which had been reared at the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery. Alewife floaters rely on blueback herring as their primary host fish, which were historically blocked from the South Anna by the Ashland Mill Dam. Since the dam’s removal two years ago, blueback herring, American shad, hickory shad, and striped bass have returned upstream, and the planting aims to accelerate mussel recolonization. Freshwater mussels are among the most imperiled animal groups in North America and provide vital ecosystem services such as water filtration and nutrient removal. The event received front-page coverage in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, featuring a photo of Shiva planting a mussel. This work is supported by the Mussel Richness Mapping (MRM) project, for which the Virginia DCR Natural Heritage Program identified priority waterways for conservation and restoration using mussel richness and rarity predictions and flow-buffer analyses. Notably, the MRM project also held a media event at this same site in fall 2024.

On June 2nd and 3rd, DCR Natural Heritage Field Zoologist Andrew Rapp surveyed several private properties in Isle of Wig...
06/15/2026

On June 2nd and 3rd, DCR Natural Heritage Field Zoologist Andrew Rapp surveyed several private properties in Isle of Wight County along the Blackwater River. During the surveys, two state rare species were detected. The first was the Gray-green Clubtail (Arigomphus pallidus; G5S1) which was found at several spots along the Blackwater River. This species was first recorded in Virginia in 2020. Since then, it has been recorded in five counties including Isle of Wight, Prince George, Southampton, Surry, and Sussex. The species is currently only known in the Chowan Watershed of Virginia in swamps emptying into both the Nottoway and Blackwater Rivers. The second rarity was the discovery of a healthy population of the mason bee Lithurgopsis gibbosa (GNRSNR). This bee species is a specialist on Prickly-pear Cactus in the genus Opuntia. Being a specialist means that they only collect pollen and nectar from a singular plant species or genus. L. gibbosa was first discovered in the state by DCR Natural Heritage Lead Field Zoologist Ellison Orcutt in 2025. Due to the limited records at the northern extent of its range and paucity of significant prickly pear patches, this species is slated to be added to the state rare list. This work was funded by NOAA through the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program to survey unprotected lands with high resiliency within the Coastal Zone Management area.

On May 21, Joe Weber, Chief of Biodiversity Information and Conservation Tools, delivered a talk at RVA Green Drinks as ...
06/12/2026

On May 21, Joe Weber, Chief of Biodiversity Information and Conservation Tools, delivered a talk at RVA Green Drinks as part of the Virginia DCR Natural Heritage Program’s 40th Anniversary Events series. The presentation highlighted the 100th anniversary of DCR, the 90th anniversary of Virginia State Parks, and the 40th anniversary of the Virginia Natural Heritage Program, along with examples of Virginia’s exceptional biodiversity and conservation efforts. The talk was well received by attendees, who expressed appreciation for the engaging overview and the opportunity to learn more about rare species, natural communities, and caves.

40th Anniversary events are ongoing, check them out and sign up here; www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/eventslist-40

As part of the Division of Natural Heritage’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, a BYOK (bring your own kayak) event was hos...
06/12/2026

As part of the Division of Natural Heritage’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, a BYOK (bring your own kayak) event was hosted by the Coastal Region Steward to explore the Northwest River on June 2 from 4-7 p.m. Five paddlers made the journey from Roanoke, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and north of Richmond. Launching from a private property called Bob’s Fishing Hole in Chesapeake, the paddlers explored the river’s wind-tidal Tupelo and Bald Cypress swamp natural community along private property, the Northwest River Natural Area Preserve state-owned property, and a parcel of The Nature Conservancy owned portion of the Preserve. One of the participants, a member of the Tidewater Master Naturalist chapter, observed 33 species, mostly floral. The Swamp Rose (Rosa palustrus) and Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) were in impressive bloom. The Prothonotory Warblers (Protonaotaria citrea), Blue-grey Gnatcatchers (Polioptila caerulea), and Barred Owls (Strix varia) put on a vocal show and the painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) were out enjoying the perfect weather. Northwest River Natural Area Preserve has no public access facilities and one must secure a Research and Collection Permit from the Division of Natural Heritage to access the property for those purposes, however, if one can adventure by small boat, the edges of the Preserve can be enjoyed afloat!

Many more adventures await, including a beginner level paddle in September, with kayaks provided. Check them out at www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/eventslist-40.

For the fourth consecutive spring, as part of a course organized by the Academy for Lifetime Learning (ALL), interpreti...
06/11/2026

For the fourth consecutive spring, as part of a course organized by the Academy for Lifetime Learning (ALL), interpretive walks were held at Preserves in the Coastal Region during the month of May. Interpretive walks were held at five locations, all four of the public access facility NAPs on the Eastern Shore and Northampton County’s Edward Brinkley Preserve. Expert guides from the Eastern Shore Virginia Master Naturalist Chapter and Natural Heritage Stewardship staff lead guests on the mornings of May 11-12, 18-19, and 26. Participants learned about native and invasive plant species, restoration techniques, shoreline management complications, unique bird and invertebrate species, and more. At the final walk at Cape Charles NAP participants observed three eastern box turtles, two summer tanagers, a ruby-throated hummingbird, and multiple pond turtles from the boardwalks. These events inspire support of the Division and Agency missions, conservation actions on private properties, and participation in future volunteer activities at state preserves.

photo from topleft clockwise: ALL group on the boardwalk at Cape Charles NAP; ALL group at Magothy Bay NAP; Coastal Region Assistant Stewart interpreting abu the Eastern Box Turtle at Cape Charles NAP; Eastern Box Turtle at Cape Charles NAP

On May 28, Senior Zoologist Steve Roble attended the 104th annual meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science at Christop...
06/11/2026

On May 28, Senior Zoologist Steve Roble attended the 104th annual meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science at Christopher Newport University in Newport News. He was presented with the Academy’s Scientist of the Year Award in the category of Wildlife and Biodiversity. He was recognized for leading the Virginia Natural Heritage Program’s zoology efforts for more than three decades, particularly pertaining to inventory, monitoring, and research of rare invertebrate species, as well as for serving as the editor of Banisteria, the journal of the Virginia Natural History Society, for 20 years. During the oral presentations portion of the meeting, Roble gave a talk that introduced attendees to the mission and work of the Virginia Natural Heritage Program and also discussed the results of nearly 40 years of effort by the Program to document and conserve rare butterflies, skippers, and moths in Virginia. About 30 people attended the session.
Congratulations to Steve!!

Virginia Natural Heritage Program’s Fast Fact: Number of NAPs currently in our preserve system The Virginia Natural A...
06/10/2026

Virginia Natural Heritage Program’s Fast Fact: Number of NAPs currently in our preserve system

The Virginia Natural Area Preserves System was established in the late 1980's to protect some of the most significant natural areas in the Commonwealth. The Natural Area Preserve System includes examples of some of the rarest natural communities and rare species habitats in Virginia. This system now includes sixty nine dedicated natural areas totaling over 65,000 acres. More information about the Natural Area Preserve System can be found here: www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-area-preserves

Natural Heritage field zoologist Derek Hennen traveled to Clemson, South Carolina from May 25-29 to attend the inaugural...
06/09/2026

Natural Heritage field zoologist Derek Hennen traveled to Clemson, South Carolina from May 25-29 to attend the inaugural Snails and Slugs Workshop. This workshop was hosted by the Clemson University Arthropod Collection and taught by experts from the Schiele Museum of Natural History (Gastonia, North Carolina). During the week-long workshop, 13 participants learned about the identification, ecology, and natural history of eastern land snails and slugs with an emphasis on the southern Appalachian fauna. The Virginia Natural Heritage Program tracks 38 species of land snails and slugs as rare or watchlist species, including some which are state or federally listed as rare or endangered. Virginia has a diverse fauna of land snails and slugs, with over 220 species documented in the Commonwealth. The identification and natural history knowledge gained from this workshop will increase our institutional capacity to conserve and monitor rare snails and slugs throughout Virginia.

As part of the ongoing celebration of Natural Heritage’s 40th anniversary, Lead Field Zoologist Ellison Orcutt led 11 at...
06/04/2026

As part of the ongoing celebration of Natural Heritage’s 40th anniversary, Lead Field Zoologist Ellison Orcutt led 11 attendees on a tour of Belle Isle in downtown Richmond to learn about Virginia’s native bees and meet one of the largest digger bee aggregations around. The May 9th tour targeted the digger bees at the peak of their seasonal activity. These digger bees (sometimes also called chimney bees or miner bees) are a native species of solitary ground nesting bee named Anthophora abrupta, who nest in large tightly packed “colonies” where habitat conditions are suitable but individuals do not tend to one another’s nests. The females build distinct mud “chimneys” above ground over their nest holes, though their purpose is not clear. This site on Belle Isle was estimated to contain at least 6,000 individual nests of the species. Virginia is home to over 460 native species of bees, the majority of which are solitary ground nesters. A list of Virginia’s bees can be found here:https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/vainvertlist-bees.pdf

40th Anniversary events are ongoing, check out what's coming and sign up here: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/eventslist-40

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600 E Main, 24th Floor
Richmond, VA
23219

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+18047867951

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