About the Nonprofit
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Round Hill AT puts on the Round Hill Appalachian Trail Festival as its main event. This free, family-friendly festival draws a wide crowd for a day of live music, trail talks by hiking experts, food and drink and hiking- and nature-oriented activities for all ages.
We invite environmental non-profits to set up display booths to educate the public about responsible hiking and camping, sustainable living, stewardship and environmental protection. Last year, participating groups included: Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Piedmont Environmental Council, Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Center for Wilderness Safety, Round Hill Fire and Rescue, Virginia Master Naturalists, Trail Dames and local Boy and Girl Scout troops.
Yearround, Round Hill AT serves as ambassador for the Round Hill A.T. Community, designated in 2019 by ATC, and we have sponsored A.T. stewardship projects and Leave No Trace Talks. Round Hill AT is a 100% volunteer organization, responsible for raising all funds needed for our programs.
We want to expand the Round Hill A.T. Festival to two days, because we have had requests for more "hands on" activities. We plan to run the first day as we did in 2019, at the first festival. Then, we'll have a second day, where we bring in experts to teach things like Orienteering, Basic Wilderness First Aid, Nature Journaling, Landscaping with Native Plants, Leave No Trace Camping, Trail Cooking, Yoga for Hikers, Stream Monitoring 101 and Bringing Back the Bluebird. We'll also lead short, themed hikes. We want to do more than talk about protecting the environment, we want to teach people skills and give them information in order for them to get them involved in protecting the A.T. and other natural treasures.
Our articles of incorporation and non-profit status are based on our mission to educate the public about protecting and responsibly enjoying natural spaces. From a survey we conduced at our first festival, we know that people came to the festival from our local county, as well as other Virginia jurisdictions, and they came from Maryland, West Virginia, DC and Pennsylvania, as well. People reported that they came to learn more about hiking and camping and because they wanted to participate in a family-friendly event. The people who came to the festival and who participate in our programing are all ages from a variety of backgrounds.
