Our Work

"Onkyayun Mandukai" is Tutelo for “Turkey Mountain”. Revolving around a set of peaks which contain ancient cultural sites, this project seeks to dramatically increase the total acres protected by NDPonics and to specifically protect an area of the valley significant to - the watershed, the wildlife of the valley, and incredibly important cultural sites. Onkyayun Mandukai also serves to protect mountain peaks in the valley for the purpose of migratory and resident bird populations. This project is ongoing.

Mani Ame is Tutelo for “Ground Water”. This project revolved around the completion of purchasing a small wetland in the valley that contains the confluence of two springs and the primary creek of the valley in a flat section of important wetland. This project was completed in 2022.

“Onkyayun oheki” is Tutelo for “Mountain to Valley”, and represents an ancient view on indigenous land tenureship. This project involves establishing an indigenous community forest and permaculture center on 3 parcels totaling 57 acres located in Rockbridge County, Virginia. It is strategically important in that it borders not only the Adam’s Peak Block of GWNF, but also our Eena-Ahtay land, which in turn borders nearly 350 acres of mountainous forest under conservation easement as a result of our efforts. The Onkyayun Oheki project was completed through 2020-2021.

The Eena-Ahtay Project is an agro-ecological and ethno-botanical rejuvenation project located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. This project spans an area of 79 acres acquired by NDPonics in 2019. This land has been under remediation and restoration, transforming it into a traditional indigenous ethno-forest. The Eena-Ahtay project was completed through 2019-2021.

In 2018, NDPonics secured VOF easements on ~180 acres of mountainous forest parcels belonging to private landowners, adjoining both the Parkway and a National Forest parcel deemed as "heritage viewshed". An unbroken wildlife corridor of 454 acres connecting Adam's Peak Road-less Area to Coates' Mountain has already been established as a direct result of our work.

Irish Creek in Rockbridge county is a land of immense historic, ecological, and cultural significance. The vast majority of indigenous people in Virginia descend from residents of the Irish Creek and Tobacco Row Mountain communities. There is not only a history dating to time immemorial, in the form of ancient temples, burial mounds, and terrace complexes in this area, but also the existence of extremely rare pre-Colombian forest ecosystems as documented by VOF conservation easements in this area. Including these easements. With protections for National Forest, 7071 acres of Adam's Peak Roadless Area, 6000 acres of Coates Mountain, and the rest under private ownership, a protected landscape of ~30,000 acres could be created.