This Month in Conservation Science: Oct. 2026
September was filled with events! Our team had a blast sharing our conservation efforts throughout the region.
This is just a sample of our monthly newsletter, read the full one here and stay up to date on events, programming, and more by subscribing!
New Resource
We are thrilled to share a new resource highlighting Virginia’s vernal pool ecosystems!
Vernal pools are temporary freshwater wetlands that form in shallow depressions through precipitation, runoff and snowmelt during the fall and winter. Because they dry up in the summer, fish cannot survive in them, providing ideal habitat for an interesting host of wildlife and plants.
Often overlooked because of their small size, vernal pools have been lost to development, drainage, logging and pollution. Protecting and restoring vernal pools is critical to preserving the unique wildlife that depends on them.
Illustration by Nick Garnhart/Smithsonian
New Conservation Story
Meet the Johns. John Sessler and John Rice are both farmers working together toward a larger goal: increasing biodiversity – the variety of all living things and their interactions.
Unfolding on farms in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley are Smithsonian science-guided management practices that create, restore and connect habitat while keeping farms productive – and farmers and neighbors like Rice and Sessler are willing to work across fence lines to help keep the region home to bustling biodiversity.
In a new story written and photographed by VWL conservation storytelling intern Emma Montgomery, follow the two Johns as they show what’s possible when private landowners work together to support biodiversity.