September 26, 2008 - 6:00 PM
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA
Student Commons - Commonwealth Ballroom
Register * Auction Items *Donate Items * Awards
Directions * Parking * Lodging
* Sponsors
This fall, please join us on September 26 and 27 to celebrate VCN’s continued growth at the network’s annual meeting, the Virginia Environmental Assembly. Hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, this year’s assembly promises engaging speakers, hands-on tours and the chance to network with your environmental allies.
You won’t want to miss the VCN Awards & Auction Gala that Friday night, September 26. Featuring a live auction with vacation packages from the Allegany mountains to the Eastern Shore to the jungles of Puerto Rico. A silent auction featuring eco-friendly items, autographed books by the presidential candidates, art and more.
Enjoy live music and a cocktail buffet. Network with more than 200 leading conservationists and elected officials.
Individuals and businesses making auction donations will be recognized in pre-event publicity, on the VCN website and at the event, with special recognition by the auctioneer during the live auction.
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 Why Should You Attend?
All proceeds benefit Virginia Conservation Network’s environmental education and advocacy programs.
The Network’s “Defender of the Wilderness Lifetime Acheievement Award” will be presented to Senator John Warner (invited).
The Network's 2nd Annual "Scarlett Award" will be presented to Larry Schweiger, NWF President. This award is given to an individual for continued focus on wildlife education and protection. The 2008 award is being presented by Ed Clark and Scarlett, The Wildlife Center's retailed hawk.
The "Blue Ridge Award" will be presented to "The Green Team" to individuals who help focus public attention on environmental issues and who exemplify the cooperative spirit of the Virginia Conservation Network.
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Registration
Register for the Auction & Awards Gala: click here
Pay Online by clicking Here
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Sponsors
  
  
  
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AUCTION ITEMS:
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Alice Cannon Framed Painting
Watercolor painting with various nature segments
Watercolor and walnut ink
Donated by: Jen and Alice Cannon
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 Puerto Rico Vacation Package for two
Trip to take place in June 2009
Guided birding trip to Parrot Trail with Sergio Colon
Guided birding trip to Cabo Rojo with Shana Diaz-Mendez
Lodging offered at home of Shana Diaz-Mendez in Utuado
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Ellwood Thompson's Envirokit
Containing eco-friendly products such as dishwasher tabs, laundry detergent, soap, tissues, paper towels and more.
Donated by: Ellwood Thomspon's
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Kiawah Golf Resort Package - Kiawah Island, S.C.
Two one-bedroom scenic view villas for 3 nights
1 round of golf for 4 (except Oceans Course)
$ 75 gift certificate to Newton Farms Gourmet Market
$ 25 gift certificate to Java Java Coffee Shop
Charleston Book (Very Charleston, A Celebration of History, Culture and Lowcountry Charm by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler)
Kiawah Golf Resort Information
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Oriental Rug
(59 1/2" (including fringe) x 36")
Donated by: Rockbridge Interiors, Inc.
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Burrito Bash from Chipotle Mexican Grill
Enjoy a burrito bash for ten people at your local Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Donated by: Chipotle Mexican Grill (featuring burritos, nachos and more....)
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Nags Head, NC Vacation Trip
 
1 week stay at 4 bedroom beach cottage "The Legacy"
during month of April 2009
Less than 500 feet from ocean
Pool and hot tub with an outdoor shower
Game room with foosball table
Screened porch with outdoor grill
Linens provided
TV, DVD, VCR, Stereo System
No Pets and No Smoking
1 King with private bath
1 Queen with private bath
1 Queen and 1 Two Bunk sets share a full bath
Pigman's Bar-B-Que $ 25.00 Gift Certificate, Kill Devil Hills
Donated by: The Wilkinson Family
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Jabebo Earrrings made from cereal box cardboard (5 pairs)
Red-tailed Hawk (one pair)
Ruby Throated Hummer (one pair)
Little Brown Bat (one pair)
Monarch Butterfly (one pair)
Painted Turtle (one pair)
Donated by: Jabebo Earrings
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Cookies-Of-The-Month
Four (4) dozen freshly baked cookies sent to you* each month for twelve months. Each month will bring you a different kind of cookie for you to enjoy.
* Great gift - you may also designate cookies to be sent to your college student, an elderly relative or a solidier serving overseas.
Donated by: VCN Board Members Sallie Sebrell, Martha Wingfield and Margaret O'Bryan
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Sylvan Spirit Pearl Necklace
Gold plated Dogwood sculpted piece on freshwater pearls. (16" necklace)
Donated by: Sylan Spirit Jewelry (Maureen and Rebecca Worth, Lexington VA)
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Cape Charles Virginia Trip  - Eastern Shore of Virginia
4-6 nights exclusive waterfront cottage
for two people
Palace Theater tickets plus a behind the scenes tour
Restaurant Certificates
The Eastern Shore of Virginia is one of the last remaining undeveloped areas on the East Coast. If you are looking for solitude, peace and tranquility, then this is the place for you! Enjoy a quiet beach, various nature trails and marsh tours done on kayak. Looking for something more exhilarating? The Eastern Shore is quickly becoming a hot-spot for Kite-surfing, and lessons are available. The small town of Cape Charles is just north of our rental, and it features a 5 star Arnold Palmer/Jack Nicklaus Golf Course at Bay Creek Resort, paired with a beautiful Marina if you choose to come by boat! Charter Fishing, both on the Chesapeake and Deep-Sea Atlantic, are available for day trips; there are horse trails, bird watching spots, live theater, historical ruins from the Civil War and World War II, and more quaint restaurants and boutiques than you can visit in a single week! But no matter what, you can't beat the peace and quiet of the Chesapeake Bay in your back yard!
The Eastern Shore has an amazing history and amazing scenery! Just 2 miles from your vacation home are Civil War battlements, used for POWs. Less than a mile down the beach is a WWII submarine tower. The Virginia Wildlife Conservation Park features miles and miles of trails, and less than 15 minute walk along the beach will take you to SouthEast Expeditions, a provider of kayak and kayak tours. Go explore the Barrier Islands, the natural protective formations on the Atlantic Ocean Side; climb the light towers or stay over night in the public cabins. Just 15 minutes north on Route 13, you can visit Historic Eastville and browse some of the oldest documents in the Nation. Take a charter fishing boat up the Chesapeake Bay for flounder, drum and rock fish, or test your strength out on the Atlantic on any of the many available deep-sea fishing charters. Don't forget deer season! The Eastern Shore is famous for its healthy deer population and hunter friendly license fees!
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Fly Casting Lesson
One hour fly casting lesson for beginner, intermediate or advanced caster.
Lesson can help you learn the sport or get you ready for your next fishing trip.
Donated by: Andrew Stiles
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Signed book by presidential nominee John McCain
Hard Call - Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them
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One Year of Free Delicious Organic Milk
52 coupons redeemable for any one organic valley dairy product (milk, eggs, cheese...)
Donated by: Organic Valley
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Signed book by Stephen Colbert
I Am America (And So Can You)!
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Little Theater of Alexandria Play Tickets
October 10th performance of "Picnic"
Donated by: Little Theater of Alexandria
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Lynchburg, TN Trip
3 nights private cottage
Private Tour of Jack Daniel's Distillery
Dinner at Miss Mary's Restaurant
One Bottle of Jack Daniel's Whiskey
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"All of Creation" Watercolor and Ink Reproduction
11" x 14"
The Native Americans have a concept where they are responsible for taking care
of the earth. Not just for themselves, or their children but "unto the Seventh
Generation. For good or for ill, we have inhereted that responsibility to
nature. By practicing recycling, using renewable resources, and other methods
of sustainability, we carefully hold nature cradled in our hands for the
great-grandchildren of the grandparents that have yet to be born.
"All of
Creation" incorporates Native American symbols to show our heritage, while the
hands cradle the trees in the cycle of the seasons.
Donated by: Patricia Robin Woodruff
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A Week at Bramble Hill Farm in Highland County
Your bid is for a stay for up to six people for a week in the century
old farmhouse belonging to Margaret and Wayne O'Bryan.
Come in May or June and wake to the singing of Golden-wingedWarblers. Roam freely over our thirty acres of meadows and woodlands and search for breeding warblers, cuckoos, and other birds.
Visit in August and enjoy picking blackberries across the acres of meadows. If you are lucky you may see the black bears feeding on the berries.
Early October brings the fall foliage, and the Fall Foliage Festival.
Join the citizens of Highland as they celebrate this beautiful time of
year.
Surprises abound in beautiful Highland County. There are resident
Golden Eagles, and breeding birds that are found nowhere else in
Virginia. Rightly referred to as Virginia's "Little Switzerland,"
enjoy a tranquil and peaceful week as a guest of Bramble Hill.
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Christmas Greens - "Over the River and Through the Woods"
 
Fresh, fragrant greens will be provided to decorate your home for
the holidays. Types of greens include: magnolia, holly, virginia cedar,
pine, running cedar, princess pine and english yew.
Enough greens will be provided to decorate three rooms. This offer will also include four (4) freshly made 12-16" boxwood wreaths and one sprig of mistletoe!
Donated by: Lynn and Martha Wingfield (VCN President)
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Kiawah Island Nature Trip 
4 nights at beachfront house for 8 people
4 prepared breakfasts and dinners served onsite by gourmet chefs
Private tour of Dungannon Heritage Preserve (200 pair roosting woodstorks)
Private tour of ACE Basin - Bear Island - Donnelley (shorebird and
waterfowl birding)
Private tour of Beidler Forest
(Audubon Headquarters for S.C. - boardwalk over bottomland cypress swamp).
Dates: March 4-8, 2009 or June 10-14, 2009
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Ross Custom Leather Pocketbook
Leather pocketbook features a beautifully hand carved horse framed with wild roses that flow around to the back side. Wild roses are carved on the side gussets. Magnetic closure and adjustable leather strap with conchos. Interior is fully leather lined. Single, double and triple loop leather lacing cover exterior edges.
Donated by: Ross Custom Leather
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Handmade Necklace
Donated by: Handmade for you by Heather Smith, Wetlands Watch
(98calluna@verizon.net)
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Soap Basket
Beautifully handcrafted, luxurious, rich, and smooth goat milk and olive oil soap is available in a variety of animal and floral designs. Soap contains 100 % goat milk. Perfect for everyday use and also makes a wonderfully unique and special gift.
Donated by: Soap Works in Virginia
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Kissing Rock Horse Campground Weekend Stay, Sugar Grove VA
Located in Sugar Grove Virginia, midway between Damascus and The New River. A short ride puts you in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. We invite you to bring your horse, camp and ride the 63 mile Virginia Highlands Horse Trail (VHHT) and it's nearly 200 miles of intersecting trails. KRC offers shady campsites, along with the safety and quiet that seems so hard to come by these days.
Donated by: Annie Malone, Kissing Rock Camp
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Rain Barrel
Rain barrels collect rainwater from your down spout and store it for future use. Water from rainbarrels can be used to water your plants. A rain barrel can help you save money on your water bill and reduce the amount of water withdrawn from the aquifer.
Donated by: Friends of Norfolk's Environment
Friends Of Norfolk’s Environment was established as a 501(c)3 in 1999 to support the environmental education programs of the Norfolk Environmental Commission.
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Signed book by Hullie Moore - "Shenandoah Views of Our National Park"
Donated by: Hullie Moore
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Kissing Rock Looney Cabin Weekend Stay, Sugar Grove VA
Hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, fisherpeople, this is one great little cabin that puts you right where you want to recreate. Looney is a snug little place, just right for a get-away.
The cabin contains all you need to cook a great meal, on a camp stove, or over the firepit. Looney is a rustic cabin that sits at the border of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, nestled in a gated community called "Saddlebrook Farm". The Virginia Highlands Horse Trail is located just above the cabin.
Kissing Rock in its current incarnation is a primitive camp for the mostly self-sufficient.
Donated by: Annie Malone, Kissing Rock Camp
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$ 250 Arbonne Pure Swiss Skin Care Products Gift Certificate
 The vision to provide skin care products unparalleled in quality and effectiveness developed in Switzerland more than 25 years ago when entrepreneur, Petter Morck, together with a group of leading bio-chemists, biologists and herbalists, founded Arbonne. These products, based on natural, botanical principles, are now shared throughout the world through Arbonne's network of Independent Consultants. Building on these same founding principles, Arbonne's product line has since grown to include both inner and outer health and beauty products that are pure, safe, beneficial!
Donated by: Anne Doyle, Garden Club of Virginia
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Edisto Island, SC Beach House for 8 people
 
One week stay Sunday to Sunday available October 1, 2008- May 17, 2009
While there visit the Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area
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Citizen Eco-Drive Watch
Ladies Two-tone Citizen Eco-Drive Watch. (Light powered - no batteries needed)
Donated by: Tompkins Jewelers, Ashland VA
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Weekend at the Homestead, Warm Springs Virginia
Discover the timeless appeal of America's premier mountain resort at The Homestead. Founded 10 years before the American Revolution, this historic luxury resort continues to draw travelers to its legendary healing springs, wealth of recreation and traditional Southern hospitality. Your package also includes an opportunity to:
Experience a falconry demonstration at the Sport of Kings
Dinner for two at the Waterwheel located at the Inn at Gristmill Square
Dinner for two at Cucci's at the Varsity
Donated by: The Homestead, Waterwheel at Gristmill Square and Cucci's at the Varsity
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Apartment Recycling Bin
Sturdy, free-standing 6-gallon container for storing recyclable items. Contains minimum 25% recycled content.
Donated by: Green Alternatives, Norfolk VA
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Whole Foods Market Gift Bag
Reusable recycled bag filled with green cleaning products and a $ 25.00 gift card
Donated by: Whole Foods Market
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Washington DC Destination Package
Two nights lodging at the Four Points Sheraton
$ 100 Dining Certificate to the District Grill Bar
Location: 1201 K Street, Washington DC
Donated by: Four Points Sheraton, District Grill Bar
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2 Adult Bicycle Helmets (one white, one pink)
Donated by: Peddle Power Bicycles
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Alexandria Virginia Destination Package
 
Hotel Monaco Alexandria -
Two nights stay in a deluxe room
Jackson 20 Restaurant Gift Certificate (adjacent to Hotel Monaco)
Donated by: Hotel Monaco and Jackson 20 Restuarant
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Fair Indigo Sterling Ball Bracelet
3/8" polished sterling-dipped brass beads are strung on clear elastic.
Made in San Luis, Peru
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Lexington, Virginia Destination Package
Two nights lodging at the Historic Col Alto
Southern Inn Restaurant $ 80.00 Gift Certificate
Bistro on Main Street $ 50.00 Gift Certificate
Donated by: Historic Col Alto, Southern Inn Restuarant and Bistro on Main Street
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“Critzer’s Farm II" Oil Painting
.JPG)
Artist: Melba Houser
8" x 12" Framed Oil Painting
Donated by: Roger Diedrich, VCN Board Member
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Colonial Williamsburg Destination Package
Two nights stay for a family of four in two rooms with standard accomodations at the Williamsburg Lodge
Breakfast for four each morning in the lodge
Four Colonial Williamsburg Hotel Guess Admission Passes
(access to historic area, museums and programs)
Four tickets to the Jamestown Settlement
Colonial Williamsburg Official Guidebook
Donated by: Colonial Williamsburg Lodge
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Ansel Adams - Offset Lithograph of Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake
Denali National Park, Alaska, 1947
Image is 17"x22". Matted and framed with 2" wide black frame
Donated by: Linda Burchifiel, Sierra Club Great Falls Group
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Gift Basket from Beagle Ridge Herb Farm
Donated by: Ellen Reynolds, Beagle Ridge Herb Farm
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One night stay at the Jefferson Hotel, Richmond
An American Landmark since 1895 - Richmond, VA
Deluxe accomodations for Friday, Saturday or Sunday night
Reservations required, excludes December
Donated by: The Jefferson Hotel
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Seven Gallon Camellia Plant
Donated by: Ashwood Gardens & Nursery, Ashland VA
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James Bielmann Photography "Guardians of the Mansions"
Framed infrared black and white 11 x 14 print taken in New Orleans, LA in 2007
Donated by: James Bielmann Photography
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Pheasant Pendant
14 Karat Gold Pheasant pendant with a pearl center
Donated by: Wagner's Jewellers, 107 Hanover Avenue, Ashland VA 23005. 804-798-5864.
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Elk Hill Weekend Getaway (Nelson County)
 Historic Farm House in the South Rockfish Valley of Nelson County.
1/2 hour from Charlottesville.
Set in scenic Rockfish Valley, Nelson County, adjacent to Wintergreen Resort. Part of Rockfish Valley Farm. Tours included.
Collect your breakfast eggs, miles or river trails for picnicking and birding. Short distance to Nelson Wineries and Breweries. Up to three couples (no children under 12).
Donated by: Mr. & Mrs. Peter Agelasto III, VCN Board Member
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AWARDS
The Network’s “Defender of the Wilderness Lifetime Acheievement Award” will be presented to Senator John Warner (invited).
The Network's 2nd Annual "Scarlett Award" will be presented to Larry Schweiger, NWF President. The Scarlett Award is named after Scarlett the redtailed hawk from the Wildlife Center of Virginia. This award is given to an individual for continued focus on wildlife education and protection and the 2008 award is being presented by Ed Clark and Scarlett. Larry will also be the keynote speaker on Saturday at the Environmental Assembly.
The Blue Ridge Award will be presented to "The Green Team" to individuals who help focus public attention on environmental issues and who exemplify the cooperative spirit of the Virginia Conservation Network.
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Parking & Campus Map
Main Street Parking Deck (across street from the event, overflow Cary Street Deck).
Click here to view Map
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Directions
Virginia Commonwealth University
University Student Commons - Commonwealth Ballroom
907 Floyd Avenue
Richmond, VA 23284
Directions: Download file or visit http://www.usca.vcu.edu/commons/directions.php
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Lodging
Please contact Dana Roberts at the VCN Office (804-644-0283) to make a reservation. There are six rooms still available at the DoubleTree Hotel. (The Double Tree Hotel is within walking distance about 1/4 mile from the student commons.)
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Attire: Business Attire is preferred
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For information on sponsorship opportunities,please phone the VCN Office 804.644.0283
Virginia Conservation Network
Virginia’s only statewide network of over 115 environmental,
conservation, & community groups working for
a better future. 422 East Franklin Street, Suite 303, Richmond, VA 23219, 804-644-0283, dana@vcnva.org |
