STEWARDING LAND ALONG SHENANDOAH’S BORDERS
Nature doesn’t recognize borders. Wildlife crosses in and out of protected and private land; invasive plants ride wind, cars, and boots across boundaries; streams flow from protected mountain tops into forested hollers and vibrant working lands.
With a park as long and narrow as Shenandoah, bordered by thousands of privately owned properties in eight counties, what affects one entity inevitably (and quickly) affects the rest.
Collaboration with park neighbors is not only important to Shenandoah and its visitors, but critical to our community. Clean water, clean air, healthy forests, and access to the outdoors make the quality of life we all enjoy possible.
Through the Good Neighbors Program, the Trust supports Shenandoah National Park and regional conservation by engaging with park neighbors, connecting Shenandoah to regional conservation efforts, and protecting borderlands. Together we can:
- Protect forests and streams for people, plants and wildlife
- Preserve public access to trailheads
- Prevent encroaching development
- Keep night skies dark for people and wildlife
- Support forest health through sustainable forest management
- Limit the spread of invasive species
Community Engagement
The Good Neighbors Program invests in and supports community-led conservation efforts in the eight counties surrounding Shenandoah National Park.
Engaging park neighbors through local events tailored to the community is a great first step in getting to know our neighbors. Conservation is about people. Strong relationships built through mutual trust make actions to protect this place we all call home.
Learn more about Good Neighbors in Etlan (Madison County) and our partnership with DuCard Vineyards and the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative to begin a community conversation.
Protecting Borderlands
Preserving land in the Shenandoah borderlands ensure public access to the outdoors, protects open space/working lands, and critical forest lands extending from the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Trust has worked to protect over 1,800 acres including Tanner’s Ridge in Page County.
Map of Tanner’s Ridge Property, officially dedicated to Shenandoah National Park in May of 2023.
Good Neighbors Program Manager, Beth Mizell and SNPT Board of Trustee, John Tschirky visiting a potential land gift to the Trust. April 2026
Connecting the Shenandoah National Park to Regional Conservation:
The Trust is embarking on a larger vision for regional conservation centered on the 200,000 acres that make up Shenandoah National Park. Supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake WILD program, the Trust is driving collaborations to build a landscape-scale plan considering the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of the region and investments in those assets.
Learn more about landscape conservation here.
Shenandoah National Park protects 200,000 acres of a critical wildlife biodiversity resilience corridor in Virgina. Ensuring this corridor and connectivity to other corridors is essential to ensuring wildlife and plants are able to move in the landscape as stresses such as development and a warming world impact the landscape.
Be a Great Neighbor!
Protect Your Land
The Shenandoah National Park Trust accepts donations of land (or land purchased) on behalf of Shenandoah National Park to protect open space, forests, freshwater, and public access. The Trust accepts lands that are ecologically healthy, forested, and adjacent to Shenandoah National Park. We work only with willing landowners and will endeavor to transfer land to Shenandoah National Park.
Not ready to donate your land? Consider donating a conservation easement instead. Conservation easements protect land in perpetuity while allowing the land to remain under your family’s care. While the Trust does not hold conservation easements, we can help you understand your options and match you with a trusted land conservation easement partner.
Steward Your Land
Healthy lands and waters are those that are thoughtfully stewarded to grow forests, clean streams clean, and working lands productive. Whether you’re managing timber, controlling invasive plants, managing your farm, or keeping streams clean and cool, these programs and tools from our conservation partners are here for great park neighbors like you.
Foraging Responsibly
Shenandoah’s trails offer more than views! Did you know that limited foraging is permitted in the park? Learn how to forage responsibly without harming the park’s natural areas and wildlife.
Make an Observation, Make an Impact
Brook trout, black bears, migratory birds, and native pollinators rely on the land and waters you help protect every day! Keep Shenandoah wild by joining our iNaturalist Project. The observations you collect are valuable scientific data that directly supports park research and protection efforts.
Keep the Night Sky Dark
Plants, animals, insects, and humans all need dark night skies to survive and thrive. A simple change in your outdoor lighting can make a huge impact benefiting wildlife, insects, plants, and humans at night! Keep outdoor lighting useful, targeted, low-level, controlled, and warm-colored. Learn more by visiting darksky.org.
We love this graphic from the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative!
Chose Native Plants
Did you know that oak trees can support over 500 species of butterflies and moths? Choosing Virginia native plants is one of the easiest ways to be a great park neighbor and support wildlife and pollinators. Native plants get big bonus points preventing the introduction of invasive plants through landscaping (think Callery pear) and requiring less care to grow in terms of care. Did we mention they are beautiful offering gorgeous flowers in the spring and summer, striking fall foliage, and structural winter interest? 
Got Questions? Contact Good Neighbors Program Manager, Beth Mizell to learn more!
434-293-2728