Our Programs
VGBI offers a wide variety of programs dedicated to supporting landowners and farmers as they look to integrate wildlife conservation into their land management and production goals.
Technical Assistance
VGBI staff conduct free, one-on-one site visits with landowners and farmers to discuss options for incorporating bird-friendly best management practices onto their landscapes.
Click here for a list of best management practices that support grassland birds throughout the year.
Educational Workshops
In-person outreach events are great opportunities to build community around priority conservation goals. We lead Community Conservation Walks, Farm Walks, and Conservation Speed-Dating Workshops that help landowners and farmers connect with each other and the resources they need to consider adopting new best management practices. To stay updated on upcoming events, please subscribe to the newsletters of our partner organizations.
Financial Incentives Program
With funding support from the Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service, VGBI is able to offer monetary incentive payments to farmers willing to adopt delayed spring haying and/or summer pasture stockpiling, two practices that protect the critical nesting season for grassland birds.
Nest-Box Program
Nest-boxes are a great way for landowners to protect and engage with many at-risk bird species that depend on cavities for nesting. VGBI can offer technical advice on which cavity-nesting species could benefit from adding nest-boxes to your landscape. For a comprehensive list of cavity-nesting bird species here in Virginia, and box specifications for each, please see here.
