There, just beyond the old hedgerow that is Middleburg, lies suburbia. Faced with the pressures of suburbanization, locals seem to have gone with a variety of responses – denial, acceptance, fight, flight.

Missy Janes is going with education.

Her experience and her optimistic and energetic nature make it possible for her to believe that, were local citizens and visitors aware of the richness and diversity of the natural landscape, they would be more inclined to protect and preserve it.

As part of that large and hopeful aspiration she has created a plan for a walking trail around the town of Middleburg that she has come to refer to as the Middleburg Meander. Last month her plan to received a positive reception at the Town Council meeting, thus placing its future, to some degree, in the hands of the townspeople.

Her vision is one that borrows from other communities and builds, both literally and figuratively, upon Janes' past experience when she established the Wankopin Trail around the Hill School and the MARE Center. The new educational, interpretive nature trail would incorporate that existing trail and then carry on beyond it. The exact path is yet to be determined, but basically winds its way in a fairly comprehensive loop around the town's residential and commercial center.

The final route will depend upon variables like landowner acquiescence, participation of local developers, even such largely undecided matters such as whether or not the path could or should accommodate bicycles as well.

Treasures

What would the trail reveal to the walker and how would it perform its educational objective? Janes traces her finger along a circle marked on a map of Middleburg, listing the ecological and cultural treasures to be discovered along the route.

Starting at the Hill School one could start the Wankopin Trail with its arboretum, horse pastures, and quail habitat conservation area. Then, as one walked along, the experiences would include an introduction and education (via informational plaques) on riparian buffers, fence line hedgerows, drystacked stone walls of the Civil war era, pasture land, croplands, mature oak stands, nesting sites, wildlife corridors, old Indian trails, wetlands, historic farm buildings, migration flyways and more.

Whether the trail eventually takes this path or another the objective will remain the same: "Developing a sense of stewardship amongst citizens," states Janes. "Because it's hard to do so with soul without people knowing about the wildlife and the plant life that is just as much a part of our community as are we."

Right now, it seems a large, somewhat unwieldy project as are so many in the beginning stages when a good idea requires hard work, research and management by an inspired champion, with the finish line only a marathon distance away.

Yet Janes has faced such daunting prospects before and managed to get things done.

As a former board member of the Piedmont Environmental Council and a member of the Goose Creek Association she is well-versed regarding the creation of conservation easements. But perhaps what drives her to protect the local ecosystems is deeper than any scientific or political understanding of how these things work – Janes grew up here.

Her parents had a farm where they raised ponies and made hay, making for a childhood she prizes and sees as the natural genesis of her active pursuit to preserve, at some level, that lifestyle and that landscape.

"I can't imagine," she says, "not having that."

Like others who grew up here, much of her time was spent exploring on horseback.

Beauty Pursued & Preserved

While that is still a common pursuit for many in the area, it is not as easily guaranteed as it once was. Thus, the suggestion that a walking trail be created that will allow everyone to enjoy and experience Middleburg's natural beauty. Moreover there are well-documented health benefits to country walks, an activity embraced in places like the United Kingdom, but an endeavor increasingly difficult to safely do in our fast-developing region.

This particular observation became clear to Janes on her frequent drives between Washington and Middleburg, a route that has undergone rampant growth in recent years.

Some might allow themselves to get discouraged faced so regularly with the oncoming sprawl, but Janes takes a more studious approach. She has taken note of the new communities being built and how they have succeeded in some regards (planting trees, planning green spaces) and failed in others (planting the "wrong" trees, not connecting the communities.)

Her hope is that these "wrongs" can be righted by effective education and the long-term benefits of preserving both ecological and cultural landscapes. She doesn't view the destruction of such as necessarily nefarious – just ill-advised, uneducated. "If someone is not a farmer or a horticulturalist, how would you know?"

Again, a basic education in the interdependent ways of ecosystems allows a person to appreciate and respect the reasons for sustaining them.

She gives an example that plays perfectly into her motivation to make education a key component of the walking trail - our ponds. Many newcomers come in and mow and weedwack the perimeter of a pond to make it neater. In doing so they unwittingly destroy the habitats for peepers and desirable bird life while attracting Canadian geese. The geese are fun for a bit – until they start making their trademark mess. And then the geese get cursed.

At the end of the day, the less "neat," more natural flora and fauna are easier and more pleasant to live with, a classic win-win scenario.

Janes has plenty of examples to illustrate that dynamic, the dynamic being, it's hard to improve upon nature.

Having presented her case to the Town Council in February, will continue forward.

According to Town Council Member Lisa Patterson, Janes' presentation was well received.

"The Council was very supportive," says Patterson, "And we suggested she come to the Planning Commission so we can include the walking trail in the Comprehensive Plan."

Janes plans to do so and will also be meeting soon with the Middleburg Main Street Committee. Over time and with input and help from like-minded individuals Janes hopes to ensure the future of the path, see it adopted by town planners, secure funding, and eventually, see the Middleburg Meander enjoyed by all.