It is a special opportunity to work with landowners like Katharina Bergdoll. A passion for her land was evident in our first email correspondence, where her email signature does not contain a mailing address, but instead reads the watershed address of her property, tracing Newton’s Mill Pond all the way through to the Chesapeake Bay. This native Virginian pays homage to her surroundings in her roles as a landscape artist, naturalist, preservationist, and now, an easement donor.

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Before the 37 acres were in her ownership, Bergdoll began to observe the many aspects of this Westmoreland County property worth preserving. It only takes a few steps walking beside Katharina to see that after 16 years as its owner, she remains in awe of the property as it continues to evolve with the seasons. She’ll show you to the woodland highway the beavers use to collect and transport their construction materials, and she’ll point out the heads of the Northern Red Bellied Cooters peeking out from the upper portion of the wetlands that were recently remodeled by the aforementioned beavers. She will tell you about some of the silent interactions she has had with the Bald Eagles that nest in the trees around the swampland. Her tour of the property invites one in to the enchanted beauty of the landscape and all of its wonders.

​​To many species, humans included, the 19 acres forested in mature poplar, oak, and hickory are exceptionally attractive. The forest itself is protected by permanent timber harvest restrictions and the view of the forest is protected with a 120-foot scenic buffer. The property contains extensive marsh area and wetlands along with 1,350 feet of frontage on Newton’s Mill Pond, all of which is now protected by a 100-foot riparian buffer.

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It was an honor to work with Katharina to help make her dreams of permanently protecting the property become a reality. Hopefully, we’ll all be fortunate enough to find something to be as passionate about as Katharina Bergdoll is about her forever-conserved land.​​​​​​​​​​​​​