Michael Compton Collins
October 16, 1960 - July 29, 2025
It is with sadness that we note the passing of our friend and neighbor Mike Collins who was killed in an accident on July 29 while assisting a stranded motorist.
Many knew Mike as the Co-founder and Executive Director of American Climate Partners (ACP), a charitable organization working since 2006 “to design, create, and manage projects, programs, and businesses which help rural America become more resilient in the face of climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution, and disease,” according to its website.
Mike was an idea man known for his energy, vision and commitment to the environmental causes he championed. He was also on the ground doing the day-to-day hard work of cleaning rivers, improving soil health, and restoring habitats throughout central Virginia and beyond.
“He had an abiding belief in the sacredness of the planet and our responsibility to steward it to keep it alive and healthy. He also believed strongly that healing the earth would lead to healing the climate and ourselves,” according to Mary Dennis, Administrative Manager at ACP.
The breadth of his work focused on naturally restoring the health of people, communities, and ecosystems, and included several significant restoration projects of ACP:
StreamSweepers, which started by cleaning tires and trash out of over 80 miles the Rapidan River and now focuses on the watersheds of Southwestern Virginia that are full of tires and trash from years of coal mining, timber harvesting, and most recently, catastrophic flooding.
SoilKeepers, which started by teaching people how to manage their lawns to avoid using synthetic chemicals that pollute the rivers, moved into establishing wildlife and pollinator habitat, and most recently a project to improve the racecourse at James Madison’s Montpelier.
The Rapidan Fish Passage Project, is creating a healthier free-flowing river and opening the historical spawning grounds of the Rapidan River once again to migrating fish from the Chesapeake Bay.
Southern Climate Restoration Solutions, which partners with landowners and experts on developing natural strategies to rebalance the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles essential to life—the key drivers of the earth’s climate.
A former member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a Class C contractor, Mike lent his expertise to Farmcolony in a myriad of ways.
In March 2014 Mike led a long-range planning initiative at the behest of the Farmcolony Board of Directors using a planning guide developed by the Holistic Management Institute. All members were invited to participate. Over several months, they crafted the following vision statement that was approved by the Board of Directors:
Farmcolony is a rural residential and wildlife sanctuary encompassing a mountain cove forest and working farm. The farm, while conserving a traditional aesthetic and historic buildings, uses best practices in environmental stewardship and natural farming to raise crops, livestock and improve the health of the ecosystem.
The diverse neighbors of Farmcolony join together to work, play, and learn. We honor our history and foster personal development as we support the farm, each other, and the greater community.
We recognize the interdependence of our community, farm, and environment, and make decisions that consider the well-being of each of these. We treat one another with compassion, dignity, and respect. We embrace collaborative teamwork and strive to foster a thriving and harmonious environment.
Mike stepped in again this past year to help guide the community through the planning process for the harvest of our timberland ensuring a healthy forest for future generations of Farmcolony.
Mike will be missed, not only by his friends and acquaintances at Farmcolony, and his family, but by the multitudes of people and communities that benefited from his untiring passion for conscious environmental stewardship.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at Oakencroft Farm and Winery at 5 p.m. The address is 1455 Oakencroft Circle, Charlottesville, VA 22901. There will be time for remarks and stories for all that wish to share. If possible, please RSVP to: tinyurl.com/collinscelebrationoflife so the family can get an idea of how many will be in attendance.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to an organization or non-profit that is close to your heart in memory of Mike, or consider a memorial contribution to American Climate Partners made in honor of Mike and his visionary initiatives to preserve our planet
