Protecting Bird Habitat in Coastal Virginia

Northampton County, Virginia lies on the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula on the Eastern Shore (between Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean). The tiny, rural county extends roughly 30 miles in length and averages just three miles wide. Dependent largely on agriculture, the county is struggling economically and its population of 13,000—about half African-American—is dropping, as many of the younger residents seek their fortunes in more urban areas.

Identified as one of the United Nations Biosphere Reserves, this is one of the most important stop-over locations for migratory songbirds each spring and fall.