College love story grows into a lifelong mission for nature

Deb McDonald ’77 and ’99 and Dennis McDonald ’76 met as first-year students at Virginia Tech, bonding over their shared enjoyment of nature.

Their relationship may have been destined. The windows of their residence halls – hers in Newman Hall, his in Vawter Hall – faced each other. They married after she finished her bachelor’s degree in biology and he earned his in accounting.

Deb McDonald credits her time at Virginia Tech with exposing her to Virginia’s natural beauty in the first place.

“As a freshman, people are asking you if you’ve been to the Cascades yet, if you’ve hiked there at night and in the winter, or they’re telling you about their walks or ice-skating stints at Pandapas Pond,” she said, referring to two popular hiking spots near Blacksburg in the George Washington and Jefferson Natural Forests. “Right away, you get out and explore the incredible nature sites right in your back yard. I was a budding biologist, so bugs and plants were already of interest, and this was another way of experiencing that.”

As students, the couple hiked all the local and regional trails and camped with friends at sites such as Peaks of Otter. Later, when they were both working in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area, they welcomed their son and daughter into their family, passing along their love of nature by traveling to national parks across the country for camping, fishing and hiking adventures.

“When you're a college student or you have a young family,” Deb McDonald said, “your budget is pretty tight. Going into nature and recreating is something you can do at no or low cost. And if you start a family, you’re giving your kids a chance to appreciate nature, too.”

“I was the task master, signing them up for scouts and the like,” Dennis McDonald said with a laugh. “Our now-young-adult children, who sometimes balked at the many outdoor activities we had on the schedule when they were young, now thank us for taking them out hiking and camping and passing on our love of nature.”

The McDonalds went on to work busy careers, Deb in a bustling lab and Dennis at an accounting firm. When the children’s school needed volunteers, she stepped in and soon discovered a passion for helping students. She returned to Virginia Tech, earning a master’s degree in education counseling and forging a second 16-year career as a school counselor.

Both McDonalds retired a few years ago and not only continue to hike and bike, but travel across the country for their outdoor adventures. They recently received their Virginia State Parks Trail Quest Master Hiker certificate, visiting all 42 parks to hike and explore the diverse and varied beauty found in each one.

A commitment to conservation

Both McDonalds continue to volunteer in their free time. He serves as trail patrol on the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park, a 45-mile paved trail along the former roadbed of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, which runs through the urban heartland into the Virginia countryside. “I wear a bright green shirt that says ‘Trail Patrol’ and ride my bike around the park for a few hours every week, helping people who have a flat tire on their bike or need water or directions.”

She is a Virginia Master Naturalist (VMN), channeling her enthusiasm, knowledge, and skills to protect and preserve the Fairfax area’s natural heritage. Virginia Master Naturalists translate their love of the outdoors into tangible conservation efforts aimed at preserving the commonwealth’s natural heritage.

Deb McDonald volunteers weekly at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, rehabilitating Potomac Valley Collection native species to restore regional plant diversity, preserve the habitat for wildlife, and reinforce resilience to climate change. “It’s my happy place,” she said.

She also participates in ongoing education and outreach projects in the area.

“Deb stays connected to Virginia Tech in many ways, and one way is through her service as Virginia Master Naturalist volunteer,” said Michelle Prysby, senior Extension specialist and Virginia Master Naturalist program director. “The Virginia Master Naturalist program is a statewide Extension volunteer training and service program focused on natural resource conservation. As a VMN in the Fairfax Chapter, Deb helps steward Northern Virginia parks, doing trail work, restoring habitat, and maintaining native plant demonstration areas. She also helps her chapter train new VMN volunteers each year. Since her start in the program in 2017, Deb has contributed more than 500 hours of service to benefit natural resource conservation and education in her community.”   

“For me, it’s restorative and reinvigorating to be outside,” Deb McDonald said. “I find such peace in nature. And it’s tremendously rewarding. After even short amounts of time and effort, we see the direct impact in our area, which only strengthens my commitment to conservation. But I also learn so much. It’s a form of continued education really.”

Connected to campus

The McDonalds support Virginia Tech and visit often. “We all joke that there’s something in the water around here that makes your blood run orange and maroon,” she said. “We were in Blacksburg the week before school started, walking around campus, and we’ll return again next month.”

Deb McDonald also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board of the College of Natural Resources and Environment, while her son, Matt McDonald ’04, who graduated with a degree in architecture, serves on Virginia Tech’s Architectural Advisory Board.

 “To my knowledge, we’re the only mother-son duo serving on Virginia Tech advisory boards,” she said, “and I’m pretty proud of that.”