Hog Island Scholarship

Each summer, NVBA offers a full scholarship and transportation to “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” at National Audubon Society’s Hog Island Camp in Maine.  While there, educators learn interdisciplinary hands-on methods and approaches to environmental education while immersed in the natural world. 

From the Hog Island Audubon Camp website: “Learn practical approaches and add inspiration to your environmental education curriculum during this action-packed program. Our experienced and enthusiastic instructors share their favorite approaches, methods, and activities for engaging both children and adults with nature.” 

Applicant must be a public classroom teacher, specialist or school administrator in the NVBA chapter territory (Counties: all of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, and Stafford; and portions of Loudoun, Fauquier, Culpeper, Rappahannock and Spotsylvania.  Independent cities: Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Manassas and Manassas Park.)  

Dates for the coming year are August 10-15, 2025. To apply, please complete the online application and submit two letters of recommendation no later than February 21, 2025. One of these must be from your principal or assistant principal. Please see the application for additional details, including post-camp requirements.

2024 Hog Island Scholarship Winners

Winner of the grant in 2024 was Jeanne Lukas-Ross, Outdoor Learning Resource Teacher at Clearview Elementary in Herndon. Read about her Hog Island experience here.

2022 Hog Island Scholarship Winners

Winners of grants in 2022 were Chrissy Brownson, Providence Elementary in the Fairfax County Public Schools, and Candice Cetinkaya, from the Alexandria Schools. Read about their Hog Island experience here.

2021 Hog Island Scholarship Winners

Gretchen Linton of Mark Twain Middle School in Alexandria is the 2021 recipient of ASNV’s scholarship to Educator’s Week at Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine. She joins Phoebe Riegle of William Ramsay Elementary School, the 2020 winner, whose scholarship was deferred a year due to the pandemic. Congratulations Gretchen and Phoebe!  

Read Phoebe Reigle’s article about her Hog Island experience here, and read about Gretchen Linton’s time at Hog Island here.

Dominion Grants Beautify Neighborhood Entrances with Native Plants

The Wildlife Sanctuary Program partnered with Plant NOVA Natives to invite homeowners’ and civic associations to apply for funds to beautify their neighborhood entrances using low maintenance native plants. The mini-grant program was funded by Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation’s Environmental Education and Stewardship Grants Program. The Wildlife Sanctuary Program and Plant NOVA Natives received applications from 35 community associations and made their decisions based on the number of residents, ability to communicate with those residents, and the visibility of their new plantings.

Six matching grants of $2,350 apiece were awarded to Auburn Village Condo in Arlington, Park Glen Heights HOA in Annandale, Civic Association of Hollin Hills in Alexandria, Water’s Edge at Fair Lakes HOA in Fairfax, Cascades Community Association in Loudoun, and Dominion Valley Owner’s Association in Prince William.

Congratulations to the winners!   

We were heartened by the number of neighborhood associations responding to our invitation to apply for funds to support their entrance beautification projects. And, we hope those who did not win a mini-grant will continue their efforts by inviting a Wildlife Sanctuary Program Ambassador to visit the site and provide advice on suitable, low maintenance native plantings. Residents of Arlington/Alexandria, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, and Rappahannock counties may submit a consultation request here.

Read more about what the grantees accomplished here.