The Environment: Diversity of Habitat and Wildlife

Hull Springs Farm is rich with habitats unique to the tidal reaches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  It is situated between two tidal creeks, Glebe Creek and Aimes Creek, which are tributaries of Lower Machodoc Creek and eventually the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. 

The farm has approximately 200 acres of agricultural fields or building sites and 418 forested acres. In addition to 8000 feet of shoreline, the farm has wetland, riparian (streamside), agricultural, and forest habitats in addition to a freshwater pond. Forest types include: pine-hardwood, bottomland and wetland hardwoods, and pine. The tidal creeks on either side of the property vary in their salinity -- approximately 5 to 10 parts per thousand.

Longwood University intends to establish an education, research, and demonstration center for best management practices for sustainability in the areas of forestry, agriculture, wetlands, habitat, and shoreline protection, serving Virginia and the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed. Learn more about the natural resource plans and the plants and animals of Hull Springs Farm.

Hull Springs Farm featured in "A Sustainable Chesapeake" Book and on YouTube
A Sustainable Chesapeake: Better Models for Conservation provides an important conservation resource for individuals, organizations, governments and businesses across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This new book profiles promising conservation practices and technologies and describes the protection of critical land and water resources. The work at Hull Springs Farm is one of 31 case studies that feature the work of government and private organizations and conservation leaders throughout the Bay watershed. The book was developed by David Burke, an experienced conservation planner (and long time partner of HSF), and Joel Dunn, Program Coordinator of The Conservation Fund’s Sustainable Chesapeake initiative. Download your copy of A Sustainable Chesapeake here.

Hull Springs Farm's Living Shorelines partnership with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science is featured on YouTube.

Learn about Hull Springs Farm's award winning shoreline stabilization project which employed Living Shoreline methods.