Program Information

Clean air, clean water and a place to live... it doesn't get any simpler! Wildlife and their habitats play an important role in the lives of Virginians. We marvel at the thousands of birds that migrate along the Eastern Shore, and the deer and turkey that have rebounded from near extinction, all the while enjoying our natural "sanctuaries" — a quiet trout stream, magnificent forests, even our own backyards. Check out this award winning video featuring Adrienne Young's song, Hills and Hollers.

Transcript

One, two... Well, I feel like a stranger in my own hometown There's traffic in the air where there used to be the sound Of tall trees growin' and kids runnin' wild Or maybe I was lookin’ through the eyes of a child Oh, I swear
Well, there used to be Hills and hollers here Wild turkey and the white‐tailed deer Creeks runnin' crystal clear Clean water all the way to the Gulf of Mexico Moonshine on the mountain top Daddy sawin’ fiddle like he never gonna stop Lord, if these hills could talk They'd say sing me a song that goes... Mama leave your light on Shine like the sun on the shadows of history
Well they laid the first paved road back in '45 Oh, but now you gotta have wheels if you're gonna survive
Black top over gravel Gravel over mud Just when did the oil in our veins get thicker than the blood?
Whoa, I swear…
Well there used to be Hills and hollers here Bobwhites and the whippoorwills Wetlands runnin' all the way on down the Rappahannock to the Chesapeake Bay Moonshine on the mountain top Daddy sawin’ fiddle like he never gonna stop Lord if these hills could talk They'd say sing me a song that goes...
Sweet mama leave your light on Shine like the sun on the shadows of history

Adrienne Young: Hi, my name is Adrienne Young. You know, with the modern life crowding in on us from all directions, we need relief from it now and then. The natural world, in all of its simple beauty and incredible diversity, offers us just such a sanctuary. Visiting a green setting ‐‐ be it your backyard, a neighborhood park, the bay, or the mountains, even for a short while ‐‐ calms and sustains us. Having these places in our lives is vital to our peace of mind.
Going back to a quiet spot, full of life, feels like going home ‐ because it is home. But today's Virginia is a state of contrasts. Undeveloped land, the birds, flora, fauna, and animals historically known and loved by your parents, and their parents before them are now hard to find.
When less than the best management practices are used in farming, mining, or lumbering, and especially combined with poor land use planning, or just sheer over development, the harmful effects are felt in our state's wildlife habitat and water quality. Rapid loss of wildlife habitat costs us not just numbers of animals, but can cost us entire species. These are losses we can't get back.
And if we're careless enough, humans can alter the environment permanently, ultimately impacting the health and quality of life for every single creature on this planet.
If you care enough that you want to help wildlife, but just don't know how, here's some good news: Virginia has a plan that takes into account all the state's wild animals, not just a few of them.
Working together, biologists, sportsmen, conservationists, and members of your community have crafted the Virginia Wildlife Action Plan. But, we need your participation to make it work. Think you can't make a difference? Well you can! Be wild and get involved for clean air and clean water. Work together with your government officials to make everyone in Virginia aware that wildlife habitat and remaining natural areas need our help.
Join our team!

[Music]

I said there's gonna be hills and hollers here... Bobwhites and the whippoorwills Wetlands runnin' all the way down the Rappahannock to the Chesapeake Bay Moonshine on the mountain top Now daddy get your fiddle and don't ever, ever stop
Baby if these hills could talk They'd say sing me a song that goes Oh, sweet mama leave your light on Shine like the sun on the shadows of history Well there used to be Hills and hollers here Can't you see those Hills and hollers here... Can't you see those Hills and hollers here Yes, there's gonna be
Hills and hollers here Shine like the sun on the shadows of history