Now through Nov. 15, the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative (VGBI) is accepting applications from producers in 16 counties, including Rappahannock, who are interested in financial incentives for protecting nesting grassland birds during the 2025 haying season.
Entering its fourth year and funded by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, VGBI provides up to $35 per acre in exchange for delaying the first cut of hay until July 1 or later; and/or rotating livestock out of select fields between April 15 and July 1 or later.
Because most grassland bird species require wide expanses of grasses for nesting, the program requires a minimum 20-acre commitment, ideally a large, contiguous patch of grassland distant from thick forest edges and human development.
Click here to learn more about the program and to apply.
In-depth reporting from
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Foothills Forum recently did a deep dive into the serious decline of grassland birds, and how new farming practices could increase their numbers:
Grassland birds in serious decline
Today, grassland birds are in such dire straits local and national groups are seeking solutions, including encouraging farmers to delay haymaking to protect these birds during their nesting season.
‘Speed dating’ is for the birds (and other critters)
In a new twist on the “mini-dating” phenomenon, a way in which couples focus their attention on each other for a short date that lasts 20 minutes or so, the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative (VGBI), a consortium of regional and national conservation groups, launched the Conservation Speed-Dating Workshop program last year.
