The Virginia Native Plant Society (VNPS) is a respected 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on native plant conservation, wildflower preservation, and botanical education. They started in April 1982 as the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society, then expanded their mission and rebranded in 1988. That's over 43 years of conservation work. Headquarters sit at 400 Blandy Farm Lane in Boyce, VA, inside the gorgeous 700-acre Blandy Experimental Farm and State Arboretum of Virginia (a University of Virginia ecological field station open to the public daily from dawn to dusk with free admission). Membership runs from $15/year for students up to $500 for lifetime, with individual ($30), family ($40), and sustaining ($100) tiers offering the quarterly Sempervirens newsletter, chapter activities, field trips, and access to annual workshops and meetings. There are 14 active chapters across Virginia. The Potowmack Chapter in Northern Virginia has 600+ members, and Central Rappahannock just got chartered recently. Each chapter runs localized native plant programming, propagation workshops, plant identification sessions, and native plant sales throughout the Commonwealth. Educational programs include the annual March workshop (via Zoom with 150+ attendees), the September Annual Meeting featuring weekend field trips and expert speakers, the popular Wildflower of the Year program (2025's pick is Mayapple), and the landmark Flora of Virginia publication completed in 2012 featuring 3,164 plant species and 1,400 original illustrations. VNPS manages the Virginia Native Plant Site Registry, a voluntary conservation program launched in 1989 that designates and protects significant native plant ecosystems. They partner with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation on invasive species education and habitat restoration. Collaborators include Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, the Foundation of the State Arboretum, and the Virginia Natural Heritage Program, earning recognition like the Heart of Gold Award for conservation leadership. If you visit Blandy Farm headquarters, check out the Virginia Native Plant Trail (especially vibrant during spring wildflower season, and I swear the trilliums practically glow) plus the 2.6-mile Wilkins Lane Loop Drive through the arboretum. Essential resource for Virginia gardeners, botanists, and anyone into native landscaping, pollinator gardens, and ecological restoration in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Happy Creek Arboretum is a free public arboretum in Front Royal, Virginia, maintained by the Front Royal/Warren County Tree Stewards, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and now celebrating over 27 years of community service. Located along scenic Happy Creek between Main Street and Prospect Street, this Virginia arboretum features over 30 labeled tree species including American Sycamore, Eastern Redbud, Carolina Silverbell, Sweetbay Magnolia, and Weeping Higan Cherry, making it an ideal destination for tree identification and urban forestry education. The arboretum offers a charming pollinator garden (butterfly garden), a graceful arched footbridge, gazebo, picnic tables, and benches perfect for nature contemplation or sketching—all free of charge and open dawn to dusk. Part of Front Royal's five-mile Greenway loop connecting to Shenandoah National Park, this Warren County nature attraction serves as an outdoor classroom where visitors can observe proper tree care techniques including mulching and pruning. The Tree Stewards, who officially adopted the park on Arbor Day 2001, host the popular "All About Trees" hybrid class each fall ($30 tuition, running 20+ years) and annual Arbor Day/Earth Day celebrations at the arboretum. Visitors can park near the Front Royal Visitor Center on Main Street and walk five minutes to this hidden gem; contact treesfrontroyal@gmail.com or Warren County Parks and Recreation at (540) 635-7750 for information. Front Royal has been a certified Tree City USA member for over 26 consecutive years, supported by the Tree Stewards' 2,500+ annual volunteer hours at this arboretum and other community locations.
Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (BRWC) in Boyce, Virginia, is the only wildlife teaching hospital in Northern Virginia, earning an outstanding 4.8 out of 5 stars from 258 reviews and a 4-star Charity Navigator rating (90% overall score) for its work rehabilitating native wildlife since 2000—now marking 25 years of operation. This 501(c)(3) wildlife rehabilitation center Virginia treats 3,400+ patients annually, including injured bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, great-horned owls, foxes, opossums, turtles, and snakes, with a 15-20% increase in patient admissions each year since moving into their 8,700 square-foot hospital facility in 2016. Open 365 days a year from 9 AM to 5 PM, the center's Wildlife Hotline at (540) 837-9000 assists the public with sick, injured, or orphaned native wildlife across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. The Wildlife Education Center welcomes visitors for self-guided tours and field trips featuring approximately 20 non-releasable ambassador animals in outdoor enclosures, including eagles, hawks, owls, and foxes, plus an indoor classroom with reptiles and amphibians. Educational outreach programs reach approximately 5,000 children and adults annually, covering topics from "Wild Neighbors" (Virginia SOLs aligned) to raptor biology, with 30, 45, or 60-minute sessions available for schools and groups. The center operates entirely on private donations with no government funding, and volunteers (18+, rabies vaccination required) can serve as animal care volunteers, patient transporters, or welcome desk staff after completing orientation. Paid rehabilitation internships ($100-$200/week, 12-week minimum) provide professional training in wildlife medicine, and 18 ongoing One-Health research projects explore the intersection of wildlife, human, and environmental health—contact info@blueridgewildlifectr.org to support this vital Virginia wildlife rescue organization.
Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) in Upperville, Virginia, preserves the 700-acre estate of legendary horticulturist Rachel "Bunny" Mellon—designer of the White House Rose Garden—who established this foundation in 1993 before her death in 2014 at age 103, now offering limited public access to one of America's most significant private garden legacies. This Virginia Piedmont historic garden foundation houses the Oak Spring Garden Library containing over 19,000 rare objects including horticultural books, manuscripts, and botanical art dating to the 14th century, accessible by appointment to researchers and fellowship participants. The formal half-acre walled garden features French-styled parterres, the iconic Mary Potter crabapple arbor (pleached trees), espaliered fruit trees, boxwood hedges, and hand-laid fieldstone pathways designed by Mrs. Mellon, who also restored the Potager du Roi at Versailles and designed gardens for Hubert de Givenchy. Public tour opportunities are limited: 2025 dates include April 24-25 (Virginia Historic Garden Week) and June 27-28 (Garden and Gallery Tours) with tickets priced at $50-$75 for self-guided access to Rokeby Farm and Bunny Mellon's Garden—advance purchase required with 30 tickets per time slot. The foundation offers prestigious fellowships and residencies for artists, writers, and researchers including the Stacy Lloyd III Fellowship for Bibliographic Study and the Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence, with residents housed on the 440-acre Rokeby Farm portion and provided chef-prepared meals. The Biocultural Conservation Farm established in 2019 grows Appalachian heirloom crops and donates at least 50% of produce to local food banks, while short courses cover topics from botanical illustration to holiday wreath-making. Led by President Sir Peter Crane FRS (former Director of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), this Virginia historic estate and garden library continues the Mellon philanthropic legacy—contact (540) 592-3284 or info@osgf.org to learn about visiting or supporting this remarkable institution.
Loudoun Valley Raptor Center (LVRC) in Lovettsville, Virginia is Northern Virginia's only dedicated raptor rehabilitation center, founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2017 by Mark and Heather Jeweler. They relocated from Maryland to a 4+ acre rural property in 2021 and now hold a Platinum Transparency certification from Candid (formerly GuideStar) as a 100% volunteer-operated organization. Nobody takes a salary here. This Virginia raptor center works exclusively with birds of prey including bald eagles, golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, Cooper's hawks, barred owls, great horned owls, barn owls, Eastern screech owls, American kestrels, peregrine falcons, ospreys, and vultures, providing emergency care with the goal of releasing healthy birds back to their native habitat. Their Wildlife Hotline at (571) 695-0050 serves Northern Virginia for reporting injured raptors, but heads up, the facility isn't open for public tours or visits. It operates like a hospital where the birds are patients requiring minimal human contact for successful rehabilitation. Makes sense when you think about it. Principal rehabilitator Heather Jeweler holds permits from both the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, having completed apprenticeships at Owl Moon Raptor Center, Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota. In 2025, LVRC is pursuing state and federal permits for Education Ambassador birds (non-releasable raptors that'll be trained for educational outreach at schools and community events), with a new $15k housing unit planned. Donations are accepted through Zeffy (no processing fees), PayPal, or mail, with all contributions supporting raptor rehabilitation in Virginia since they receive no state or federal funding. The center also maintains the Severna Park Osprey Nest Cam live streaming project at Severna Park High School in Maryland. Contact info@loudounvalleyraptors.org or visit loudounvalleyraptors.org to support this raptor conservation Virginia organization or report an injured bird of prey.
Luray Zoo - A Rescue Zoo is a privately owned wildlife sanctuary in Luray, Virginia, founded in 1982 and now operated by Mark Kilby for over 43 years, providing permanent homes for rescued animals including retired zoo ambassadors, confiscated wildlife, and unwanted exotic pets. This Shenandoah Valley rescue zoo Virginia is rated 4.2 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor from 307 reviews and features over 200 animals across indoor and outdoor exhibits, including one of the largest venomous snake collections on the East Coast with 60-80 reptile exhibits housing black mambas, king cobras, and an alligator snapping turtle over 150 years old. Admission prices are affordable at $12 adults, $11 seniors (56+), and $6 children (3-12), with kids 2 and under free; summer hours run daily 10 AM-5 PM (April-October), while winter hours are Wednesday-Sunday 11 AM-4:30 PM (November-March). The outdoor exhibits showcase a Bengal tiger, mountain lion, bobcat, capuchin monkeys, ring-tailed lemurs, camels, an Andean condor, golden eagle, and a petting zoo with goats, sheep, and llamas where visitors can purchase feed for $0.25. Highly-rated Discovery Tours ($25, approximately 2 hours) led personally by owner Mark Kilby offer behind-the-scenes animal encounters, feedings, and the opportunity to pet a porcupine and interact with primates—reviewers call this the "best zoo experience ever." Located just 0.6 miles from Luray Caverns on US Highway 211, this zoo makes an ideal pairing with the famous caverns for Shenandoah Valley family vacations; seasonal shows include animal encounters at 11:30 AM and venomous snake demonstrations at 3:30 PM (Memorial Day through Labor Day). Contact this USDA-permitted Virginia animal sanctuary at (540) 743-4113 or info@lurayzoo.org—notable trivia: Steve Irwin reportedly borrowed snakes from Luray Zoo for "The Crocodile Hunter.
Nirvana Ridge Ferret Rescue (NRFR) is a registered 501(c)(3) no-kill organization specializing in domestic ferret rescue and rehabilitation in Virginia. Karen M. Lamb, a retired engineer, founded it back in 1997 after buying her first ferret from a pet store and basically falling head over heels for those little chaos noodles. They've been running nearly 28 years now from their main facility at 19524 Swamp Poodle Lane in Brandy Station, VA. Over 2,000 ferrets saved through a network of foster homes across Virginia and North Carolina (including Richmond, Charlottesville, and Virginia Beach), with capacity for 117+ animals. Adoption fees work on a sliding scale: $200 for babies, adjusted pricing for adults, and seniors go home free. Bonded pairs are never separated, which honestly more rescues should do. Services include ferret rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, owner surrender (no cost to surrender), adoption matching, and lifetime sanctuary care for elderly and terminally ill ferrets who can't find homes. Every incoming ferret gets a full health check, flea treatment, nail trim, ear cleaning, and whatever vet care they need before getting logged into a master database with personality notes for optimal matching. Visiting hours are by appointment only. You can bring your existing ferret to meet-and-greet sessions to test compatibility... because ferret drama is absolutely real. Reviews are consistently 5 stars, with adopters praising Karen's deep knowledge of ferret nutrition and care, her personal attention to matching each ferret's personality with adopter lifestyles, and quick response times with solid post-adoption support. They also run Nirvana Ridge Wildlife Refuge, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator accepting 250+ injured and orphaned mammals yearly (raccoons, foxes, squirrels, the whole crew). It's 100% volunteer-run and every dollar of fees goes directly to ferret care. They've put over $100k into facility upgrades and do educational outreach through adoption events, informational packets on exotic pet care, and ferret advocacy work. Premier ferret adoption center and exotic animal rescue in Northern Virginia, hands down.
