Every year, Virginia Conservation Network staff visit a new region of Virginia for a staff retreat. While bonding and relaxing in a beautiful area of Virginia is certainly a highlight, we visit these regions intentionally to learn about the area’s local environmental issues and to connect with regional partners on their turf.

We headed south last year to visit Danville and west the year prior to visit Shenandoah County. This year, we headed north to enjoy some outdoor recreation in Alexandria and learn more about some of the key work of our VCN Partners. See the fun (and learning experiences!) below.

Taking advantage of Virginia’s rail network, the VCN team traveled to Alexandria by Amtrak. Once we arrived, we joined Coalition for Smarter Growth and Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets for a walking tour of Old Town Alexandria. We learned about the history of development in the area and how future growth can support walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented communities.

VCN made the most of the beautiful weather with a kayak paddle on the Potomac River out of Georgetown, enjoying the natural scenery and local wildlife.

VCN staff was joined by Potomac Riverkeeper Network for a water taxi ride through the Potomac, learning more about their efforts to protect the Potomac watershed. Afterwards, we had dinner alongside the Old Town Alexandria, joined by VCN board members and Environmental Leadership Fellow alumni.

In addition to kayaking, staff took part in a variety of outdoor recreation activities on our last day. VCN staff headed on the Mt. Vernon Bike Trail for a scenic bike ride alongside the Potomac River’s Virginia shoreline. VCN staff also hiked through Theodore Roosevelt Island, exploring its mix of marsh, swamp, and forest while identifying native trees along the way.