Celebrating the Opening of the Chase City Conservancy
April 4th, 2025, marked the grand opening of the Chase City Conservancy in Southern Virginia, just off Butler Farm Road. The project team hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and volunteer tree planting event to celebrate the project’s completion and officially welcome families and nature lovers alike to explore the Conservancy and Little Blue Creek.
Originally announced in December 2022, The Chase City Conservancy is the first of its kind at Microsoft, with collaboration from the Virginia Master Naturalists – Southern Piedmont Chapter, the Southside Regional Library, Mecklenburg County Public Schools, and numerous community members over the past few years. Microsoft is grateful to New Bay LLC, Stantec Consulting Services Inc., and everyone who brought this dream to life.
The Chase City conservation project includes:
- 230+ acres of rural landscape protected from development, perfect for bird watching
- 16,300+ linear feet of restored streams and 8+ acres of wetlands created for habitat for frogs, fish, and bugs
- 25,000+ trees planted to establish 45 acres of forested buffers
- 185 acres of restored native pollinator habitats, including birds and butterflies
- 3+ miles of ADA accessible walking trails for everyone to enjoy
- New parking area with informational signage available off Butler Farm Road
In addition to the restoration efforts at the Conservancy, we collaborated with the Southside Regional Library and Mecklenburg County Public Library to create additional ecology-based learning opportunities for students and community members:
Southside Regional Library, located in Boydton, now has a seed sourcing program, aquaponics, and raised garden beds
Mecklenburg County Elementary Schools all received aquaponics stand sets
Mecklenburg County High School was set up with
- Two state-of-the-art greenhouses for the agriculture department
- A donated tractor and additional greenhouse equipment
- Tree planting materials for the forestry department
Whether you explore the ecological resources or the Chase City Conservancy on your own or share a picnic with family and friends, Microsoft is delighted to be part of this special place in your community.
Experience the natural beauty and tranquility by visiting the Chase City Conservancy off Butler Farm Road or learn more about the various other programs in Southern Virginia by visiting the community page.
