A Model for Modern Stewardship: OCHCF’s Annual Safari Returns
Written by Shayda Windle | Photos by Brooke McDonough
The Orange County Hounds Conservation Foundation (OCHCF) invites the community to its safari experience on Saturday, May 16, 2026, hosted at Glenstone Farm. This one-of-a-kind event offers the opportunity to experience conservation in action, with a special cocktail reception and presentation the evening prior on Friday, May 15.
Friday’s program will spotlight OCHCF’s conservation partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Virginia Working Landscapes (VWL), offering guests an engaging look at how collaborative land stewardship is shaping conservation across the region and far beyond.
The featured speaker is Fritz Reuter, a conservation landscape designer and the founder of Virginica LLC, who grew up on Glenstone Farm. Reuter will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the conservation practices implemented on the property and share examples of what he calls the “gospel of good land stewardship,” encouraging fellow landowners to see working landscapes as powerful tools for ecological health.
Amy Johnson, Ph.D., the program director of VWL, will also speak. Johnson has spent the past nine years leading the statewide initiative, working alongside landowners, nonprofits, and state agencies to better understand how land use impacts biodiversity. VWL conducts research across 16 counties surrounding Shenandoah National Park, producing science-based conservation strategies that guide land management throughout the mid-Atlantic, with ripple effects reaching well beyond the region.
Johnson will discuss the importance of collaborative conservation land management, noting that partnerships like the one between OCHCF and VWL unite communities around shared stewardship goals. These alliances allow scientific expertise to strengthen and amplify the meaningful conservation work already underway on private lands.
She will also highlight the practical outcomes of this collaboration — introducing technical service providers, connecting neighbors with similar conservation goals, and welcoming landowners to demonstration sites where sustainable practices can be seen and experienced firsthand.
At Friday evening’s reception and presentation, Johnson will further explore the broader relevance of the OCHCF-VWL partnership model, highlighting its influence in regions as diverse and distant as Brazil and Kenya.
Saturday’s safari invites attendees to step into the landscape and experience Glenstone Farm in motion. Guided by Reuter, Johnson, and the VWL team of conservation biologists, guests can explore the property on horseback, on foot, or by an all-terrain vehicle while discovering the land management practices that have made Glenstone a model for enhancing wildlife habitat on private land.
“Our annual Spring Safari is an extraordinary opportunity to explore stunning private properties. Led by VWL biologists and conservation professionals, this immersive experience reveals how local research and conservation action are shaping the future of our rural Virginia landscapes,” says Dr. Rae Stone, president of OCHCF.
This immersive experience takes participants deep into conservation research through expert-led tours across Glenstone and the surrounding properties. Guests will witness firsthand the impact of landowners joining forces to create expansive native habitats and wildlife corridors, while gaining practical insights into how to enhance biodiversity on their own land. Following the tours, participants will gather for a relaxed tailgate-style lunch where groups reconnect, share experiences, and engage with native plant and wildlife experts.
To ensure a meaningful and engaging experience, safari groups are limited to just 20 participants, allowing for conversation, questions, and personal interaction along the way. Options for horseback, walking, and vehicle tours ensure accessibility for all guests.
Guests choosing to ride horseback must bring their own horses and be comfortable navigating varied terrain, crossing creeks, and riding in groups. Riders should be mounted and ready when the program begins at 9 a.m. The morning program runs approximately two hours, after which all groups will reconvene for lunch and a lively Q&A session with the conservation team.
The two-day event is free to attend, but space is limited and requires advance registration. Attendees are encouraged to reserve their place for both the Friday Meadow Meander and Saturday’s guided tours to experience the weekend in full.
The VWL-OCHCF partnership began in an official capacity about three years ago and, Johnson reflects, has been “very fruitful on both ends.”
“OCHCF has an incredible network of landowners deeply invested in biodiversity conservation, and we are equally committed to collaborating with landowners,” she says. “Through this partnership, OCHCF has continued to fund a VWL biodiversity technician, now in his third year in the role. They’ve set a powerful example of how a community can step up to support conservation efforts.”
Both VWL and OCHCF are supported entirely through grants and donations. Working together, the organizations are informing and inspiring landowners across the northern Piedmont to adopt sustainable land management practices that preserve wildlife habitats and enhance biodiversity on privately owned land. For more information about OCHCF, visit ochcf.org. To learn more about Virginia Working Landscapes, please visit vaworkinglandscapes.org. ML
Posted on: April 9, 2026