A Conservancy volunteer collects seagrass in the shallow coastal waters of Virginia's Delmarva Peninsula. In a massive effort to restore eelgrass beds in the coastal bays of The Nature Conservancy?s Virginia Coast Reserve, volunteers gather reproductive shoots containing ripe seeds from the underwater plants. The shoots are measured into water tanks, and the seeds are cured, separated, and prepared for planting in the fall. The Conservancy?s Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR) is comprised of 14 undeveloped barrier islands, thousands of acres of pristine salt marshes, vast tidal mudflats, shallow bays, and productive forested uplands. Situated at the lower end of the Delmarva Peninsula, VCR is one of the most important migratory bird stopover sites on Earth.