Conservation starts at home, but has broad impact, biologist says

FRONT ROYAL — There are ample opportunities for local residents to get involved in conservation efforts — many of which reach beyond the Shenandoah Valley.

Justin Proctor, chair of Front Royal’s Advisory Committee for Environmental Sustainability (ACES) and coordinator of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s (NZCBI) Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative, spoke recently about ways local residents can improve the lives of migratory birds.

A conservation biologist with a master’s degree in natural resources from Cornell University, Proctor has spent years working at the intersection of education, science, conservation, and agriculture. He moved to Front Royal in 2020 and has embraced an active role in the community.

Part of Proctor’s role at the NZCBI, working o