Posts

A Preview of Upcoming Virginia Tree Events

/in , , /by

SAVE THE DATES – February to April, 2019

Tree Farm Dinner

February 21 – King & Queen County, VA

“One-stop shop” for woodland owners wanting to better manage their land and citizen scientists desiring to expand their applied knowledge base! 

Details and registration  

Landowner’s Woods & Wildlife Conference(s)

February 23 – Culpeper, VA (15th annual)

February 23 – Roanoke, VA (new)

This popular event is different every year with diverse topics and speakers throughout the day for you to choose from.  Geared toward woodland owners, and great for citizen scientists desiring to expand their applied knowledge base! 

Details and registration

On-line Woodland Options for Landowners

March 4 – May 24 – from anywhere you can “connect”

Self-paced, with “coach/mentor” interactions.

More information and registration https://forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/landow

Free Seminar:  A Primer on Pruning

March 27 – Fredericksburg, VA

Hosted by the Master Gardener Association of the Central Rappahannock Area

Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Main Branch (1201 Caroline Street,  Fredericksburg, 22401). Free and open to public. 

More information: [email protected]

Virginia Forestry Summit

April 30 – May 3  – Norfolk, VA

For Forestry professionals and Forest landowners organized by VFA, SAF (Virginia Division) and ACF(Virginia Division)

Details and registration forthcoming  

VNPS Annual Winter Solstice Field Trip, 23 December

/in , , /by

Chapman State Park, MD (driving directions and more information here)

Sunday, 23 December 2018

10 am – 4 pm

Please join the Virginia Native Plant Society for this annual winter tradition to celebrate the beginning of the winter season at Chapman Forest (Chapman State Park, MD) with its spectacular scenery and remarkable diversity of native plants, wildlife, and natural communities! Leaders will be Rod Simmons, Bonnie Bick, Mary Farrah, and Robin Firth.

This year they will visit the old-age forest section from the low river terrace and extensive Water-willow Shrublands along the Potomac River to the marl cliffs and ravines near Glymont. This section of the park is a fascinating and regionally unique meeting ground for plants with a primary range in the inner Piedmont and mountains and those of the Coastal Plain. Before participating, be sure to read Rod’s description of the old-age forest at Chapman.

The Winter Solstice Field Trip is free and open to non-members. Registration is not required.  For additional information, contact Anne DeNovo at [email protected].

Native plants for beginners symposium, Feb. 8

/6 Comments/in , , /by

Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

  • Create a beautiful yard
  • Save time so you can enjoy other activities
  • Create habitat for birds & pollinators
  • Save money on fertilizer
  • Improve water quality
  • Reduce erosion
  • Stop mowing, Start growing!

Learn more at the Prince William Native Plant Symposium on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at the Northern Virginia Community College-Workforce Center

2675 College Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22191

9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  

The $20 fee covers coffee and donuts, lunch, and materials.  

Let us help you to stop mowing and get going on your dream landscape!  

Call 703-792-7070 for more details and register here.

Fall service opportunities at Riverbend Park 

/in , , /by

For questions or to volunteer, contact Valeria Espinoza at [email protected] or 703-759-9018.

Record your hours as S109: FCPA Habitat and Parkland Management.

Thursday, Nov. 8, 1pm-TBD  Grass Seed Collection Training

Learn how to collect native grass seeds.  Once trained, you can do this at your convenience.  Other training dates/times available. 

Saturday, Nov. 10, 9-11am   Trail Work Day

Join master naturalist Scott Schroth on a hands-on trail restoration and erosion control project.  

Saturday, Nov. 17, 9-11am   Fall Tree Planting and Restoration

Assist in planting over 400 trees and shrubs, building cages, and removing invasives to help restore sections of the forest.

Moonshine and Mayhem: Not Your Typical Hike in the Woods

/in , , /by

Photo: Ana Ka’ahanui

You probably think about trees, trails and animals when you conjure up images of the parks in Fairfax County, but some of today’s beautiful public properties have a dicey past.

Get a little taste of that sketchy history (not literally, of course) on the “Moonshine and Mayhem Hike” at Riverbend Park on Saturday, November 3, 2018. On this 2.5-mile scenic hike, journey back in time to Riverbend’s secret past. As the trail winds through upland forest and hollows, enjoy stops along the way that reveal how the land was used as a hideout from local authorities during the days of prohibition.

This program is designed for participants age 13 to adult. It runs from 9 to 11 a.m., and the cost is $10 per person.

Register to claim one of the 14 open spots.

Potomac Conservancy Native Tree Planting, October 20th

/in , /by

Saturday, 20 October 18

10:00am-12:00pm

Stonegate Park, Frederick, MD

Volunteer opportunity! Do your part to stop pollution and restore our hometown river by spending a fall morning planting trees! Bring your friends and family and join Team Potomac and Stream-Link Education as they plant 200 trees at Stonegate Park in Frederick, MD on Saturday, October 20! You know that trees and fresh air go hand-in-hand, but trees are also a river’s best friend. Our healthy forested lands protect the water we drink and the river we love. Learn about the essential link between trees and healthy rivers while getting tips on how to plant your own trees at home and enjoying the great outdoors. Learn more details about the event and register.

Attend workshop: The future of our forests, 29 September

/in , , /by

Join the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal for a series of talks by leading experts on the eastern deciduous forest biome and a tour of SCBI’s research forests. Walter Carson, Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh), Jenny McGarvey, M.S. (Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay), and Bill McShea, Ph.D (SCBI) will cover topics including deer browse, fire, invasive species, water quality, climate change and more. A detailed agenda and speaker bios are available on our website.

Do not miss the opportunity to learn from and interact with researchers who are investigating the future of our forests. This workshop is free, but registration is required. Space is limited.

Saturday, 29 September 2018
9:00AM – 2:00PM

Doors open at 8:30AM, program begins promptly at 9:00AM. Optional lunch with speakers and attendees from 12:45PM-2:00PM. Lunch not provided but available for purchase (see registration page for details).

Register online or contact Charlotte Lorick (540-635-0038, [email protected]) for more information and to register by phone.

Green Spring Garden Talk: Planting Trees and Shrubs

/in , , /by

In this program at Green Spring Gardens, learn how to select trees and shrubs that thrive in Northern Virginia, and how to handle bareroot, balled, wrapped, and container plants. Receive helpful guidance from Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners on planting, feeding and caring for new trees and shrubs.

4603 Green Spring Rd, Alexandria, VA 22312

28 September 2018

Cost: $10 per person

Register online

For more information, call 703-642-5173

Counts for continuing education credit for FMN members

 

Learn how native plants support wildlife, September 12th

/in , /by

Join the Friends of Dyke Marsh to hear Dr. Desiree Narango speak about her research on how residential landscapes influence biodiversity.

Common yellow throat

The talk will focus on her research comparing how well native and nonnative trees provide food for insect-eating Carolina chickadees.  She will share results from her work that can help you choose trees and shrubs that will support habitat for birds and other backyard wildlife.  She is a postdoctoral researcher at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The program is sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh and co-sponsored by Plant NOVA Natives, the Northern Virginia Bird Club, and the Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society.

Huntley Meadows Park Visitor Center, 3701 Lockheed Boulevard, Alexandria VA

Wednesday, 12 September 2018

7:30 pm

 

 

Watch August VMN Continuing Ed webinar: Forest Health in Virginia, 16 August

/in , /by

Access for streaming the 2018 Virginia Master Naturalist videos is now available. Michelle Prysby will restore access to earlier videos, starting with 2017, later this month.

To watch any of the 2018 videos now and the earlier videos later in August, see VMN’s Continuing Education web page.

The August webinar will be on Forest Health in Virginia, with Virginia Department of Forestry’s Forest Health Manager, Lori Chamberlin.  It will take place Thursday, 16 August, at noon. 

For master naturalists, watching the VMN webinars counts toward continuing ed credits.