A Year in Review: VCN’s 2023 Annual Report
Thanks to highly coordinated efforts and despite political headwinds, VCN — in our role as the strategic facilitator of our 150+ Network Partners — was successful in holding onto major environmental and climate policy successes from the last few years while celebrating historic investments in conservation funding through the budget.
Our Annual Report reviews Virginia Conservation Network’s work from Spring 2022 to Winter 2023. While it feels almost impossible to cover everything we worked on last year in only a few pages, we did our best to squeeze in the highlights, including:
- our strategy to advance conservation initiatives year-round,
- our policy gains and challenges through the General Assembly session and beyond,
- our Network Partner engagement events,
- and more.
As we sent this annual report to the printer, we learned of the tragic loss of our Clean Energy & Climate Justice Policy Manager, Shawn Soares, on May 4th, 2023. Shawn was committed to devoting his career to bettering the Commonwealth and was a rising star in the climate movement. We are dedicating this annual report to him and are committed to working in his honor moving forward.
Read more of our recent updates from our blog:
Virginia Conservation Photography Contest: 2026 Winners
The votes are in - see the VCN's 2026 Virginia Conservation Photography Contest winners!
Talking Transit in Richmond
Between June and July 2026, advocates for walking, biking, and public transit were interviewed alongside community members to gain insight into their everyday experiences traveling in Richmond, Virginia without a car as well as where they see potential areas for improvement.
Migratory Fish White Paper
VCN Environmental Leadership Fellow Jackson Huff drafted a white paper highlighting declining migratory fish populations in the Chesapeake Bay.
Extending Producer Responsibility Towards Mattress Stewardship
Virginia needs an established mattress stewardship program to address environmental and waste pollution.
Report: Coming Full Circle
Clean Virginia Waterways released a report on the current state of recycling-refund programs across the United States and potential future impacts of proposed programs, including in Virginia.
Map: VDH Harmful Algal Bloom
The Virginia Department of Health maintains a regularly updated interactive map for tracking algal blooms throughout Virginia.