It begins with wild turkeys. They come in packs of two and three through the expanse of the fields, performing impressive mating displays in the summer, sheltering downy poults no bigger than songbirds as the solstice’s light dwindles into autumn.

We only have one Virginia. From the radiant dawn over the foothills to a mountain range older than life on land, we are granted a vast canvas of natural wonders, too often drowned in the rush of the information age. The ancient landscapes are entrenched by our waste, the wildlife choking in the refuse we leave behind, and still we continue to expand.

One student at the Academies of Loudoun has taken initiative against human damage in Virginia. As part of the environmental organization Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 70th anniversary, she stepped up to the role of Student Ambassador for Virginia’s Environment (SAVE). Juliet Correll, who will graduate from the AOS program in 2025, has been selected as a SAVE ambassador for her commitment to the preservation of Virginia’s unique and precious natural resources. She will take part in a year of litter prevention, recycling, and community service projects to protect Virginia’s environment and promote knowledge in the people who inhabit it.

Correll, who is also a veteran officer of the ACL’s Green Earth Club, is an outspoken ambassador and frequent volunteer, contributing to environmentally-friendly practices in her own community and beyond.

written by Norah McCormick