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Wilcox Watershed Conservancy asks council to consider land protections, highlights rare species and trail plans
Summary
Matthew Whelan, president of the Wilcox Watershed Conservancy, updated council on efforts to rebuild the nonprofit, restore Legends Park trails and protect contiguous green space; he cited new funding opportunities that may require conservation easements and said volunteers recently documented a rare orchid. Council members pressed for signage, trail connections and follow‑up on an earlier water‑quality advisory.
Matthew Whelan, president of the Wilcox Watershed Conservancy, presented a wide-ranging update to Petersburg City Council Wednesday about plans to preserve and improve Legends Park and the Wilcox watershed.
Whelan said the conservancy is revamping its strategic plan, recruiting board members and supporting recent city work on playgrounds and court refurbishments. He told the council the park is the city’s largest contiguous green space and includes important cultural and geologic resources; the meadow there—created and stewarded in part by Works Progress Administration workers—hosts rare native species and requires periodic disturbance (mowing, fire or grazing) to maintain biodiversity. “This meadow is a biodiversity hotspot... full of populations of rare species,” Whelan said, and added that volunteers recently observed a rare orchid that had not been seen for several years.
Whelan asked the council to consider further protections—potentially a conservation easement—so the organization can access conservation funding and better support dam work and trail reconnection. Council members pressed staff and the conservancy on several practical points: better signage and interpretive placement, outreach to Virginia State University and the newly hired city arborist for habitat management, and a question from Councilmember Jones about a 2019 Department of Health advisory for Wilcox Lake. Councilmember Jones said, “That lake is unsafe... I didn’t hear that in nobody’s presentation,” and asked staff and the conservancy to verify whether any advisory remains in effect.
Whelan said he would investigate the advisory, noted ongoing citizen‑science water monitoring for coliform levels and said some infrastructure (including sewer lines that run through the lake) may have contributed to past problems. He and council members agreed to continued coordination; Westbrook asked for a future update and more visuals on planned interventions and access improvements.
Whelan also thanked city staff for trail‑grant work and credited local volunteers who help maintain Blandford Cemetery and Legends Park. He encouraged council to consider partnerships that could allow boat rentals or other low‑impact recreation once dam improvements and safety concerns are addressed.
