Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Virginia’s working farms and forests, battlefields and other historic sites, natural areas, parks and rivers are critical to its economy, culture and quality of life. In 1999, the assembly and governor established the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF) to fund protection of these resources. The interactive map below depicts VLCF-grant projects funded since 2000.
| Name: | Camp Kum-Ba-Yah (FY22) |
|---|---|
| Category: | Open Spaces and Parks |
| Grant Round: | FY22 |
| Acres: | 42 |
| Locality: | City of Lynchburg |
| Management Agency: | Virginia Outdoors Foundation |
| Owner: | Private |
| ConserveVirginia: | None |
| Amount Awarded: | $250,000.00 |
| Applicant: | Virginia Outdoors Foundation |
| Latitude: | 37.440341 |
| Longitude: | -79.207885 |
| Description: | The Virginia Outdoors Foundation utilized three VLCF grants (FY2020 - $201,134; FY2021 - $79,807; FY2022 - $250,000) to secure a conservation easement over Camp Kum-Ba-Yah (CKBY). a 42-acre urban forest located in Lynchburg. The easement now protects the property as a public recreation, learning center, and outdoor space in perpetuity. CKBY has facilitated outdoor nature programming on this property for more than 70 years. The land has connections to the civil rights movement – the only space in the city to offer a meal to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his 1962 visit, and the first pool in Lynchburg to welcome African American families to swim alongside their white neighbors. Generations of children have had formative nature experiences in the woods, which includes a fishing pond, walking trails, low-impact day camp sites, a ropes course and a community garden. Today, KBY offers scholarships to nearly half its campers, fulfilling a core value that no child is denied the gift of camp due to financial need. It continues to expand its year-round programming to school groups, families and partner organizations. |
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