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Our Site

 

Landscape

“That its natural resources will continue to protect wildlife, wild flowers, birds, bees, fish. That the land be cultivated, mowed, or grazed as those in charge see fit, and that in whose custody it be left will be selfless in this pursuit of caring.”
— Bunny Mellon, on saving Oak Spring land

The Oak Spring estate comprises 700 acres set in the Virginia hunt country and flanked by the Bull Run and Blue Ridge Mountains. OSGF is actively stewarding the land, already protected by Paul and Bunny Mellon as part of a conservation easement, to one day exemplify sustainable land management practices and provide ample opportunities for horticulture, arboriculture and sustainable agriculture.

Image by Michael Gaige

Image by Michael Gaige

A Sense of Place

As a starting place for developing a landscape management plan, OSGF completed a comprehensive site survey on 263 acres of the Foundation's property. The survey resulted not just in a clearer picture of how to sustainably manage the land, but also a holistic sense of place, with threads connecting Oak Spring's future to its natural and human history. After OSGF acquired the adjoining 440-acre Rokeby property, a second survey was done on the new parcel of land. You can read both of these comprehensive surveys below:

Managing Biodiversity

Within its 700 acres, Oak Spring comprises several important wetland areas, old and new growth forest, and hundreds of acres of restored native meadow, creating a haven for native flora and fauna located just 50 miles from one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country.  Managing Oak Spring’s wealth of biodiversity -  some species which are endangered or in serious decline - is an important part of our mission, and we work with many local environmental organizations to research, protect, and educate others about the thousands of plant and animal species that call Oak Spring home.

One of our most ambitious biodiversity monitoring events to date was our 2021 BioBlitz: an event in which the dauntless naturalists, armed with nets, traps, microscopes and positive attitudes, tried to identify as many species as possible in a single (long) day. Read about the hundreds of plant and animal species documented during that event in the document here. 

To see more Oak Spring  wildlife and learn about our Biodiversity Management Team’s current conservation and surveying projects, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Explore More

What does sustainable land management at Oak Spring mean? How does our piece of property relate to other landscapes in our region and around the world? Explore a few of the stories from our landscape below:

Blog Posts
Saving America’s Littlest Falcon
Saving America’s Littlest Falcon

American Kestrels are in decline across their native range, for reasons that are not well understood by researchers. Read about how environmental organizations in Northern Virginia are working to build their population and learn more about them.

A Snapshot of Biodiversity
A Snapshot of Biodiversity

Read about Oak Spring’s first Bioblitz - an event in which dauntless naturalists identified as many species as possible on our 700-acre property in a (long!) day.

Planting for the Birds
Planting for the Birds

Many plant and animal species have incredibly close relationships, depending on each other for food, shelter, reproduction, and more. Read about several trees and grasses that support native birds.

Cicadamania
Cicadamania

Since we won’t get another chance for 17 years, Oak Spring’s staff and residents decided to celebrate the Brood X emergence with a cicada cook out. Get the recipes here, and watch the video to learn about these fascinating insects - and find out what they tasted like!

Bringing Back the Birds
Bringing Back the Birds

This year, Oak Spring staff and researchers have seen a marked increase in bobolinks at the foundation, a declining grassland bird species. Read about how our land management practices are supporting bobolinks and other threatened ground-nesting birds.

 

Banner Image by Roger Foley