Healthy Land and Wildlife

Healthy Land

Ensuring our soil is free of pollutants and our land is free of litter is vital to total environmental health. Chesterfield works hard to provide residents with the resources they need to make sure their own land is healthy and thriving, prevent dangerous land pollutants from entering our waterways and help organize community clean-up efforts to keep the county beautiful.

Community Enhancement

The Department of Community Enhancement’s Keep Chesterfield Beautiful (KCB) team is a Chesterfield County resource that is on a pro-active mission to serve, support and inspire a litter-free and attractive community. Is there a spot in your neighborhood that could use a clean-up? Volunteers for the Adopt-A-Spot program take ownership of smaller areas in need like parks, lots, streets or walkways, beautifying their neighborhood while the county provides garbage bags, pickers and safety vests. 

In collaboration with neighborhood groups, community advocates and local organizations, Community Enhancement schedules community cleanups throughout the year. Neighbors are encouraged to participate in this community effort to keep our community a clean and welcoming environment. Please complete the community cleanup request form to schedule your cleanup. 

View our Put Litter in its Place video to learn more about anti-litter opportunities.

Cooperative Extension

Learn about how to increase sustainability and make a difference at your own home through Cooperative Extension's Sustainability at Home series of land care programs. Interested in making your home and garden more sustainable? Chesterfield Cooperative Extension leads a Sustainable Landscaping series which teaches homeowners how to work with nature no matter where they live. Worried about the quality of your lawn or need help testing your soil? Cooperative Extension has put together lawn care and soil testing resources to help.

Chesterfield Master Gardeners are also available to visit your property and answer site-specific questions. View more about the Learn Your Landscape program.

The Virginia Land and Energy Navigator (VaLEN) brings together GIS information related to prime farm and forestland, land conservation, electric utility infrastructure, and other themes to support land use planning and decision-making at the local level.

Environmental Engineering

Our Environmental Engineering Department is responsible for many environmental initiatives, including ensuring the health of our county’s soil and land. Watch this video to learn more about the department and specifically how we address erosion and sediment control.

General Services

General Services provides day-to-day preventative maintenance, repairs and major maintenance upgrades at many historical sites, including the 1892 Jail, 1917 Courthouse, Castlewood plantation house, County Museum and Magnolia Grange. Chesterfield County and the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia provide many opportunities to explore local history.

Located on the Chesterfield Courthouse Green, the Nunnally Oak was planted by Lawson Nunnally in 1814, making the tree over 200 years old. View the video explaining how General Services cares for this piece of living history.

Parks and Recreation

Our Parks and Recreation Department manages over 1,700 acres in five conservation areas. Visit one of these areas to enjoy Chesterfield’s preserved environmental and historical resources.

Parks and Recreation also works to monitor county vernal pools, identify and manage wildflower data, oversee 92 miles of riverfront on the Appomattox and James rivers, help oversee trash clean-up at park sites and more. Additionally, Chesterfield’s park system has benefited greatly from partial and total land donations at dozens of sites. Learn more about these Parks and Recreation efforts and land donations.

Located in the heart of Chesterfield County, Pocahontas State Park offers 7,919 acres of nature to explore. Boat, hike, camp, learn about nature and so much more at Pocahontas State Park.

Healthy Wildlife

Wildlife is a vital part of Earth’s ecosystem. Plants and animals play an important role in maintaining the delicate balance of nature. Protecting their natural habitats is beneficial to humans as it enriches our planet and raises awareness of the need to conserve natural resources. Here’s how Chesterfield is working to keep our wildlife safe and protected.

Cooperative Extension

Each year, the Chesterfield Cooperative Extension and our Master Gardeners, in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension, work with community partners to host the Bumblebee Jamboree, an event dedicated to pollinator conservation.

Like bumblebees, butterflies contribute to our ecosystem as pollinators. To attract monarch butterflies to our area during their annual migration, we planted milkweed at North Courthouse Road Library. To learn more about monarch butterflies, milkweed and how you can become involved in conservation efforts, visit Monarch Watch.

Parks and Recreation

Our Parks and Recreation Department works hard to ensure the safety of wildlife throughout Chesterfield, including monitoring bird nesting boxes and partnering with local bird conservation groups. View Parks and Recreation’s environmental stewardship page for more information.