Williamsburg, Virginia
Private Lands Partners Day 2025
Williamsburg, Virginia | October 7th-9th
Williamsburg, Virginia is located in eastern Virginia, on the outer edge of the upper Coastal Plain. In 2015, the North American Coastal Plain was recognized by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund as the 36th biodiversity hotspot in the world. This designation is based on the high number of endemic species and high degree of habitat loss. The North American Coastal Plain is a fire-dependent region and the native plant and animal species have evolved to depend upon fire. Numerous landowners, federal, state, and NGO partners have cooperated to reestablish these fire-dependent ecosystems on working lands, benefiting both the landowners, and game and non-game species such as red-cockaded woodpecker, turkey, and northern bobwhite. Additional Coastal Plain partners including Native American tribes including the Pamunkey, upper Mattaponi and Mattaponi have joined together to increase aquatic connectivity, reestablish riparian corridors and restore native fish populations including river herring, Atlantic sturgeon, American shad and other native fish and mussel species.
Private Lands Partners Day 2025 will be convened at Colonial Williamsburg and will feature a field trip nearby (Wednesday) and a conference day (Thursday) which will feature partnerships from around Virginia, the broader region and from other parts of the country. Sponsor registration is open, link below, and attendee registration will be open soon
Location & Lodging
The primary venue for the conference is The Williamsburg Lodge. The block rate is $239 with a small number of rooms available at the federal per diem rate for eligible travelers. Reservations in the non-per diem block can be made at this link . If seeking a reservation at the per diem rate please call (757) 220-7976
The Williamsburg Lodge
310 South England Street Williamsburg, VA 23185
Traveling by Air
If you are traveling to Williamsburg by air there are three convenient airports servicing Williamsburg. The distances listed are to the Williamsburg Lodge where the conference is being held.
1. PHF (Hampton, Williamsburg, Newport News) 15 miles. It is a small airport and only serviced by American Airlines with commuter flights to Charlotte. If flying American and connecting through Charlotte it’s worth checking
2. RIC (Richmond) 45 miles – 50 minute drive. Serviced by most major airlines and easy drive to Williamsburg.
3. ORF (Norfolk) 42 miles – 45 minute drive IF no issues with tunnel (tunnel has toll). Serviced by most major airlines. (The tunnel can back up especially during rush hours).
Field Trip Dinner
Shirley stands as a testament to Colonial life and the early American history of the indigenous, settlers, indentured, and enslaved.
Shirley is Virginia’s oldest surviving plantation, founded in 1613 after a royal land grant carved the plantation out of the Virginia frontier. Shirley is also the oldest family-owned business in North America dating to 1638 when Edward Hill I began farming in Charles City along the James River. Construction of the present manor house began circa 1723 when Elizabeth Hill married John Carter, the eldest son of Robert “King” Carter. Completed in 1738, the “Great House”, is largely in its original state and the 11th and 12th generations of the Hill Carter family are the current stewards of the property.
