Sparking a Vision of Protecting West Virginia’s Special Places: Toms Run Preserve

Sparking a Vision of Protecting West Virginia’s Special Places: Toms Run Preserve 

Written by: Crys Bauer, Director of Development

For the next stop in the Learning the Land series, I headed to a place that holds special significance for the West Virginia Land Trust: Toms Run Preserve. 

Joining me on the trail were two of my favorite running partners, my dogs, Master P and Nelly, as we explored the forest that helped launch a conservation movement in West Virginia. 

The Beginning of the West Virginia Land Trust 

To understand why Toms Run matters, it helps to look back to the early 1990s. 

At the time, conservation energy in West Virginia was building rapidly. Across the state, new initiatives and partnerships were emerging to protect rivers, forests, and wildlife. Outdoor recreation, whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and rock climbing were all gaining popularity, and people were beginning to recognize the social, economic, and cultural value of the state’s natural landscapes. 

Even more importantly, conservation easements were not yet legal in West Virginia, meaning there was no clear mechanism for landowners who wanted to ensure their land remained protected from development or major land-use changes. 

Recognizing this need, a group of concerned individuals came together to establish what would become the West Virginia Land Trust (WVLT). And one of the first priorities: helping to pass legislation that allowed conservation easements in the state, creating a powerful tool for permanent land protection. 

That vision laid the foundation for decades of conservation work across the Mountain State 

The Birth of Toms Run Preserve 

Not long after the creation of the West Virginia Land Trust, an opportunity emerged that would help bring the organization’s mission into focus. 

A Morgantown-area landowner, Elizabeth Zimmermann, approached the group with a simple yet powerful goal. 

Zimmermann, a lifelong birder and conservationist, owned a beautiful farm outside Morgantown that she called “Forever Green.” She cared deeply about the land and wanted to ensure that it would remain protected in perpetuity. 

At the time, however, the tools available to make that happen were limited. 

While organizations such as The Nature Conservancy were already protecting important landscapes across the region, their acquisition priorities often focused on large properties with exceptional ecological significance. Zimmermann’s farm, though deeply meaningful to her and the surrounding community, did not meet those criteria. 

And although the founders of the West Virginia Land Trust were already working to establish conservation easements as a legal tool in the state, the organization itself was still in its earliest stages—building its board, developing policies, and learning how to operate as a land conservation organization. 

Zimmermann’s vision helped turn those early ideas into action. 

Her commitment to protecting her land and her willingness to provide financial support to help launch the organization gave the young West Virginia Land Trust both purpose and momentum. 

With guidance from the Land Trust Alliance, the group began learning to structure conservation projects, steward protected properties, and work with landowners who shared the goal of ensuring the places they loved would remain intact for generations to come. 

Zimmermann’s property would become one of the first tangible examples of what that vision could achieve. 

What began as 84 acres of forested land eventually grew into what is now known as Toms Run Preserve. 

Over the years, through additional acquisitions and conservation efforts, the preserve has expanded to 318 acres of protected Appalachian forest. 

Today, the property represents a remarkable ecological landscape, recognized as part of the Old-Growth Forest Network, a national initiative dedicated to protecting mature forests across the United States. 

Toms Run stands as a powerful reminder of how a single landowner’s vision, combined with the determination of a small group of conservation advocates, helped launch a movement that continues to protect special places across West Virginia today. 

A Forest Rich with Life 

Walking through Toms Run, it’s easy to see why this land was worth protecting. 

Towering hardwood trees stretch high into the canopy. In the spring, wildflowers carpet the forest floor. Streams wind through shaded hollers, and waterfalls cascade across rocky slopes. 

This rich ecosystem supports a wide variety of wildlife, including migratory songbirds, white-tailed deer, salamanders and amphibians, and countless native plant species. 

Together, these elements create a thriving Appalachian forest ecosystem — one that remains remarkably intact just minutes from downtown Morgantown. 

Recreation and Connection 

While Toms Run protects important habitat, it also provides meaningful opportunities for people to connect with nature. 

Today, more than 3.5 miles of trails wind through the preserve, offering space for hiking, trail running, birdwatching, nature study and just unwinding in nature. 

For many visitors, Toms Run is their first experience with land protected by the West Virginia Land Trust, a place where they can step into the forest and truly experience firsthand what conservation makes possible. 

Stewardship: Protecting Land for the Long Term 

But protecting land is only the first step. 

Preserves like Toms Run require ongoing stewardship to ensure they remain healthy, resilient, and accessible for generations to come. Forests change, trails wear down, invasive species spread, and conservation boundaries must be monitored year after year. 

That’s why WVLT staff and dedicated volunteers regularly work on the property to: 

• maintain and improve trails 

• monitor conservation boundaries 

• manage invasive species 

• support forest regeneration and habitat health 

This long-term stewardship ensures Toms Run continues to thrive as both a healthy ecosystem and a place where people can connect with nature. 

But this work does not happen automatically. Stewardship, monitoring, and day-to-day operations are some of the most significant and ongoing costs the West Virginia Land Trust undertakes to ensure these lands remain protected forever. 

A Promise Worth Protecting 

At its heart, Toms Run represents something bigger than a single preserve. 

It represents what can happen when people come together around a shared vision: a vision that values forests, clean water, wildlife habitat, and outdoor experiences that shape our connection to West Virginia. 

For the West Virginia Land Trust, protecting these landscapes is not simply a mission statement. It is a promise. 

A promise to future generations that forests, rivers, and the places we love will remain wild, resilient, and protected — forever. 

But promises like this require continued care, commitment, and support. 

Follow the Journey 

Toms Run is just the beginning. 

Through the Learning the Land series, we’ll continue exploring the preserves, partnerships, and landscapes that make conservation possible across West Virginia. 

If places like Toms Run matter to you, places where forests thrive, wildlife finds refuge, and people can step outside and reconnect with the land, we invite you to be part of this work. 

Follow the series, join our email list, and consider making a gift to support the ongoing stewardship, protection, and care of West Virginia’s special places. 

Because protecting land forever doesn’t end with conservation. 

It continues with the people who choose to care for it.