Piedmont Environmental Council highlights three local conservation champions

The Piedmont Environmental Council profiles three individuals protecting the Virginia Piedmont.

• Main announcement: PEC spotlights three local stewards — volunteer Barry Buschow, community partner Greg Pirio, and legacy donor George Grayson — describing concrete actions such as Barry installing a riparian buffer in 2023 and pursuing a goal to plant more than 1,000 trees, Greg organizing the Sterling Community Action group after a gas-turbine power plant opened ~1 year ago 150 yards from homes (community-installed noise monitoring and an PEC-supported air quality study), and George’s long-term support including joining the PEC Board in 2015 and participating in PEC’s Bill Backer Legacy Society (first gift in 1992).
• Background & details: The profile references PEC programs including Plantings for the Piedmont, Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative, and the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows; it states PEC and partners have collectively preserved over 440,000 acres, notes media coverage (Smithsonian Magazine, BBC), and identifies community actions (meetings, noise monitoring, air quality study) already underway with PEC facilitation.