Partnerships help a Miniature Catfish Swim Back into Southeastern Waters
A small, minnow-sized catfish tinged with yellow has made an encouraging comeback, taking again to creeks...
Virginia Refuge Supports Nesting Sea Turtles
At midnight, a 35-year-old female loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) crawls out of the ocean and onto the beach. Right, left... Read More
Prehistoric isopod offers insights to Virginia's drinking water
Millions of years ago, a tiny marine creature thrived alongside the dinosaurs. After ocean waters receded from its... Read More
Featured Species in Virginia
Swamp pink is a perennial herb in the lily family. It is known to occur in headwater streams and mountain bogs from New Jersey to Georgia.
Photo credit: Gene Nieminen, USFWS
Atlantic Coast piping plover
The piping plover is a dainty, sand-colored shorebird, distinguished from other small North American plovers by its pale plumage and bright orange legs.
Atlantic Coast piping plover.
Photo credit: USFWS
The purple bean and rough rabbitsfoot currently surviving in only a few river reaches in the upper Tennessee River system in Tennessee and Virginia.
Photo credit: Dick Biggins, USFWS
Partnership Stories in Virginia
Partnering to Conserve Virginia's Coast
A peaceful beach on the serene coast of Virginia holds a rich history as home to generations of families and abundant wildlife. But as Mother Nature changes the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, the homeowners on this beach have struggled to protect their narrowing strips of sand. More »
Unique to Virginia
The Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah) is only found on three mountains in Shenandoah National Park. This amphibian is generally found in woodland areas, and is mostly nocturnal, spending its days under rocks and in crevices. Habitat modifications and forest fragmentation, most likely from timber harvesting, mining and recreational activities are the biggest causes for its decline.
Photo credit: John White with permission, CalPhotos
The Virginia round-leaf birch (Betula uber) was originally discovered in 1918 and not seen again until 1975 when a population of 41 trees was found. The only naturally occurring population of this tree is in Smyth County, Virginia, along the floodplain of Cressy Creek. This single population is threatened by vandalism, collection, and inherent reproduction challenges.
Photo credit: Sumalee Hoskin, USFWS