Pleasure House Point

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Sign the Petition

PLEASE PRESERVE 100% OF PLEASURE HOUSE POINT NATURAL AREA in VIRGINIA BEACH VA

PHP before.

PHP after 5,214 trees were destroyed.

IMAGINE HOW INSPIRING TRANSPLANTING LIVE OAK TREES FROM PHP DOWN THE LYNNHAVEN RIVER TO RUDEE LOOP PARK COULDA BEEN! 💕

By the way …

PHP ~ LAND (incl internal water) IS:

CBF 10 ACRES + VB P&R 58 ACRES - CLEAR CUT 12 ACRES = ~ 46 ACRES LAND

ABOUT 20% OF PHP HAS BEEN “RESTORED” SINCE MARCH 17, ‘25.

“You were born at just the right moment to help change everything. Let’s do it.”

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Pleasure House Point | Instagram | Linktree

View Pleasurehousepoint’s Linktree to discover and stream music from top platforms like Spotify here. Your next favorite track is just a cli

DID YOU KNOW NOT ALL PHP IS PRESERVED?!

SIGN & SHARE THE PETITION NOW!

Sign the Petition

PLEASE PRESERVE 100% OF PLEASURE HOUSE POINT NATURAL AREA in VIRGINIA BEACH VA

WHAT WILL THE ADULTS TEACH THE KIDS & FUTURE GENERATIONS OF KIDS!?

Photo above March March on March 15.

One of short cuts taken:

Councilman Schulman Made the Motion, Councilman Berlucci 2nd the Motion then after lengthy testimony by the public, City Council voted unanimously January 7 ‘25 to light $12M on fire 🔥 on the no bid Capital Improvement Project(CIP) contract THAT IS UNNECESSARY!

EXCUSE ME NO BID CONTRACT HANDED TO ONE COMPANY WHAT!?

Another missed opportunity.

Too late. Live oak lumber destroyed. Ordinance language ignored.

Virginia Beach could have done this instead of destroy 65 live oak trees, The City Tree, over 4” DBH(diameter at breast height) as Ordinance passed January 7th ‘25 requested “preserve”.

Imagine the largest live oak you’ve ever seen - VB OFFICIAL CITY TREE - transplanted with a 99% SUCCESS RATE!

AT THE MINIMUM VB SHOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE OFFICIAL CITY TREE OR TRANSPLANT 100% OF THEM OR SAVE THE LUMBER FOR INSPIRATIONAL PROJECTS!

Tragic this opportunity was ignored.

“The City Staff and any contractor directed by the City are to make good faith efforts to preserve any trees that are at least four inches in diameter, especially live oaks. The City may work with nonprofit partners that focus on tree preservation in its preservation and replanting work on the Project. Without delaying and to the extent feasible for the Project, the City Manager is to bring forward publicly a plan to mitigate tree loss for those trees that are at least four inches in diameter.”

Learn more about the 2023 Urban Forest Management Plan here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/virginia-beach-departments-docs/parks-rec/Outdoors/CaringForParks/Urban-Forest-Management-Plan.pdf

That plan is where they pretend they care about the vital Virginia Beach Tree Canopy as it is a “plan” that can be ignored.

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🚨 PLEASE PURCHASE THE NEWLY AVAILABLE TIDAL WETLANDS CREDITS & REFINE PHPWMB PLANS. 🚨

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PleasureHousePoint.org

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Pleasure House Point’s(PHP) preservation began as an impossible dream in 2002.

Very few believed. June 2006 plans for Indigo Dunes became public. The community was brought together & ultimately stopped all required construction Permits from being approved. After the community successfully delayed any public hearings, May 2007 Wetlands Board voted 4-3 to deny destroying wetlands on PHP.

Permits were denied because this passionate hard working community encouraged Regulators to uphold the laws in place. The speculators attempting construction were foreclosed on due to the lack of acquiring any Permits for their construction plan. Then the bank took ownership.

In 2012, The Trust for Public Land & the City of Virginia Beach with help from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and others were ultimately able to purchase most of PHP for permanent preservation and saved $16.6M from the original price the speculators paid thanks to the work of the community.

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Pleasure House Point

discover explore love

Pleasure House Point’s(PHP) preservation began as an impossible dream in 2002. Very few believed. June 2006 plans for Indigo Dunes became public. The community was brought together & ultimately stopped all required construction Permits from being approved. After the community successfully delayed any public hearings, May 2007 Wetlands Board voted 4-3 to deny destroying wetlands on PHP. Permits were denied because this passionate hard working community encouraged Regulators to uphold the laws in place. The speculators attempting construction were foreclosed on due to the lack of acquiring any Permits for their construction plan. Then the bank took ownership. 
In 2012, The Trust for Public Land & the City of Virginia Beach with help from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and others were ultimately able to purchase PHP for permanent preservation and saved $16.6M from the original price the speculators paid thanks to the work of the community.

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discover

Pleasure House Point Natural Area is a unique park located in Virginia Beach Virginia.

Located just west of the Lesner Bridge and south of the Chesapeake Bay, Pleasure House Point Natural Area is 118 acres of water, tidal marsh, sandy shores and maritime forest.

It is bordered by Shore Drive, Marlin Bay Drive, Chesterfield Road & East Stratford Road. It includes parts of Pleasure House Creek & the Lynnhaven River & is feet away from the Chesapeake Bay.

It is home to the Brock Environmental Center (BEC) which is an innovative example of environmentally sensitive and smart building—among the first in the nation to embrace energy and water independence.

Brock Environmental Center becomes full Living Building Challenge certification recipient!

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Pleasure House Point Natural Area at VBGov.com.

Brock Environmental Center at CBF.org.

Living Building Challenge at Living-Future.org.

Brock Environmental Center Case Study at Living-Future.org

Living Building Challenge certification process at HouriganConstruction.com.

Learn more about receiving Living Building Certification at HouriganConstruction.com

About the Brock Environmental Center

Creating a Center for Environmental Inspiration

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation built the Brock Environmental Center to engage, inform, and inspire generations about the environment and how we can all help Save the BayTM. The Center, located at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach, Virginia…

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explore

You’ve discovered Pleasure House Point so now let’s help you explore it.

Pleasure House Point(PHP) is home to a various amount of native, and some non-native plant & animal species.

Because PHP is such precious vital open space bikes & motorized vehicles are not permitted and your canine friends must always stay on their leash. Thank you!

At various times of the year you could see over 120 species of birds including Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Buffleheads, & Herons. Turtles you could see include Diamondback Terrapins - by far the most visible, Loggerhead Sea Turtle & Kemp’s Ridley.

Birds seen at PHP list at Virginia Beach Audubon Society.

Field Trips by many especially the visitations by Steve and Julie Coari with help from Dianne Hinch, Keith & Karen Roberts, Jim Marcum, Brian Prendergast and a few others have identified over 122 species to date.

There’s also butterflies, wasps, bees, salamanders, raccoons, foxes, 2 deer, skinks, and much, much more.

Plants include Live Oak trees, Pine trees, Prickly Pear Cactus, Slender Glasswort, Queen Anne’s Lace and much more.

Common Plant Guide for Pleasure House Point 3 page PDF at CBF.org.

This Plant Guide is divided into three areas: Upland, Mixed Community, and Wetland.

More about Plants & Wildlife on PHP at CBF.org.

Many bird & animal species including the Diamondback Terrapin fledge their young on PHP - which is one of the reasons it’s critical to follow a few simple rules while exploring.

Please pack out all trash. Scoop the Poop. Always, always leash your dog and do not ride your bike or motorized vehicles ever. Show extra love and pick up any litter, especially plastics, that you see.

Official guidelines for exploring Pleasure House Point at VBGov.com.

Parks & Natural Areas

Direct: [phone] | Email: [email protected]

Animal Control at VBGov.com.

To have an Animal Control Officer respond to a call for service, call dispatch at [phone] Option #1.

Scoop The Poop at LRNow.org

Using this type of forensic science, scientists have found that dogs are a significant contributor of harmful bacteria in our waterways.

View the official Pleasure House Point Management Plan (not yet adopted).

Will be managed as a Natural Area Preserve by the City of Virginia Beach Department of Parks and Recreation. It will be open to the public from dawn to dusk. Soft trails, an ADA accessible loop trail with overlook and a non-motorized water access site are proposed as low-impact public access improvements for the property. Habitat restoration and habitat enhancement are also important objectives in the management of the property.

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love

Help us love & protect Pleasure House Point for all future generations.

Please choose to:

tread lightly

stay on established trails

don’t leave anything behind

do not feed nor disturb our precious wildlife

but above all, have fun discovering, exploring & loving PHP

 Learn more at the Official City of Virginia Beach website VBGov.com/PHP.

Hiking

Enjoy the designated trails, but please do not walk through maritime forest or beach grasses. Bikes and motorized vehicles are not permitted. Dogs must remain on a leash.

Fishing 

Fishing from land and water is permitted with a Virginia Saltwater Fishing License. Please do not walk through maritime forest or beach grasses to access fishing areas. Virginia Marine Resources Commission regulations apply​​.

Boating

Non-motorized watercraft are permitted in the waterways of Pleasure House Point. Kayaks/canoes can be launched from the beach or from the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & Beach Facility​; please do not launch from raised berms​. Motorized boats are not permitted in any of the canals on the property, but are allowed in the larger surrounding creeks.

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Pleasure House Point #TBT pic.

Believe it was taken in January 1974.

Big Lake on left, Little Lake, on right plus Western Finger. 

Mostly undeveloped Ocean Park just behind tree line of Pleasure House Point.

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Fire at Pleasure House Point Monday. Lots of wildlife foraging on new bare ground.

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Pleasure House Point peace, love & SNOW! Brock under construction in background.

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Another informative article about our beloved DiamondBack Terrapins who really need some love at Pleasure House Point to survive.

Check out Mary Reid’s article online and view Christine Peters amazing photos.

And even though they are protected today, the turtle's habitat is dwindling, because they have to come ashore on sandy or marshy river beaches to lay their eggs in soft upland sand. They cannot climb over the bulkheads that protect so much riverfront property.

Pleasure House Point, the city's natural area and home to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Brock Center, is one of the turtles' most popular nesting spots on the river, because there is no bulkhead round the shoreline.

Watched Christine’s video of a Diamondback placing her nest?

Here it is!

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This is a Yellow Crowned Night Heron boldly strolling where no other ....

Has anyone ever seen a YCNH strolling down a path before?!

Shared by Jon Ratcliffe of Ocean Park. Vid taken June 13.

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The show from Brock Environmental Center last night was spectacular.

We look forward to you sharing your words, videos & photos with us to post here.

Start here to share your PHP goodness.

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Great capture of a Royal Tern by Rob Bielawski! 

Thanks for allowing us to share it, and for the detailed info below.  You can see them fishing this time of year every day!

Let’s get started ...

From Audubon.org the Royal Tern favors:

Habitat

Coasts, sandy beaches, salt bays. Favors warm coastal waters, especially those that are shallow and somewhat protected, as in bays, lagoons, estuaries. Also found well offshore at times, and travels freely between islands in the Caribbean. Usually nests on low-lying sandy islands.

You can learn much, much more by following Rob’s page entitled Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus).

Zoom into this map at eBird.com to find Sightings, including photos.

By drilling down into each sighting, and select a Checklist.

Here’s Rob’s Checklist when he spotted the Royal Tern in the photo above.

Have you watched Royal Terns fish in the Lynnhaven & Pleasure House Creek?

Start here to share your pics & story.

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Diamondback Terrapin posing on PHP

Be careful where you walk at Pleasure House Point. You might run into this little fella! Happy Friday everyone!! #diamondback

A photo posted by Lynnhaven River Now (@lrnow) on Jun 12, 2015 at 5:47am PDT

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Photo by Ocean Park’s Kevin O’Hara of a “Needham's Skimmer male or Golden-winged Skimmer male, it's one of the two, not positive though” as described by Rob Bielawski.

View more of Kevin’s photos.

Learn more about Rob’s work including his  Photographic Guides to The Wildlife of Coastal Virginia.

Learn more about dragonflies & damselflies at OdonataCentral.org.

Join us in Facebook.

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Six-lined Racerunner

Six-lined Racerunner: What a pretty blue belly! We watched bunches running around looking for a snack. PHP- Va Beach, Va. June 7, 2015. To see more photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/123851148@N03/

Thanks to Rob of RBNature.com fame for naming this adorable critter.