2020 Annual Meeting Saturday, March 28, 2020
DoubleTree Hotel
Charlottesville, VA 22901
**OUT OF CONCERN FOR OUR MEMBERS AND GUESTS REGARDING EXPOSURE TO THE CORONAVIRUS THE VOWA 2020 ANNUAL MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
The VOWA board of directors has worked very hard to organize an exceptional Annual Meeting for 2020. HOWEVER, in view of the coronavirus pandemic as declared by the World Health Organization, President Terry Lewis with the concurrence of the VOWA Board, has CANCELLED this meeting.
President Lewis writes “I’m sure we will all miss the great opportunity for swapping stories and the wonderful camaraderie we have at our Annual Membership Meetings. But when we consider the dire circumstances that could result from this gathering, for this year we will have to forego those pleasantries.”
We are very grateful to the outstanding speakers and special guests who were scheduled to make presentations for our meeting, and hope we will be able to hear from them in the future. Please stay tuned for updates on our Spring Fling and Fall Event plans.
Our Speakers:
Bobby Whitescarver, his wife Jeanne & their dog Val
“Writing, Publishing, and Selling a Book by an Unknown Author!”
This humorous but informative presentation by VOWA’s own Bobby Whitescarver is about what he learned during his three year journey to publish and sell, Swoope Almanac: Stories of love, land, and water in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. And a journey it was . . . and still is!
Bobby is a “watershed restoration scientist, farmer, award-winning writer and educator” with thirty-one years of field experience. Bobby has won numerous honors for his conservation work regarding clean water, saving the Chesapeake Bay, and soil health. Bobby and Jeanne, with the help of Val, operate a commercial cow-calf operation in Swoope Virginia.
Bobby holds a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Virginia Tech and a master’s in public administration from James Madison University. You can read more about Bobby’s book which has been nominated for some prestigious awards on our VOWA News page.
Lynda Richardson
“Greenland 2019: Photographing an Adventure!”
Join Lynda Richardson as she takes you on a short trip to the island of Kulusuk in southeastern Greenland to experience a week of native dog sledding over the sea ice, polar bear awareness training, as well as tasting the local fare, seal. Needless to say, it was a beautiful, scary, challenging, and cold experience!
Lynda, Art Director for Virginia Wildlife Magazine, is on the far left in the Greenland image wearing a blue hood with rabbit fur. In her thirty years’ experience as a professional photographer, Lynda Richardson has traveled to Africa, Central and South America, Cuba, and throughout the United States on assignment. Her specialty is shooting endangered species, environmental issues, nature and wildlife. Her work has been featured by major magazines and organizations such as the Smithsonian, the National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy and the National Geographic Society.
Special Guests:
Molly Sorge Kirk
New Editor Virginia Wildlife Magazine
Molly Sorge Kirk recently took on the role of Creative Content Manager at the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. She acts as editor of Virginia Wildlife magazine and oversees the content of the agency’s website and email newsletters, and Notes from the Field, as well.
Molly enjoyed a 20-year career at the prominent equestrian publication The Chronicle of the Horse where she reported and photographed at Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup Finals. She served as Assistant Editor and Website Content Editor. She also worked in equestrian public relations for a few years after leaving the Chronicle, learning the PR side of the business.