Woodland Owner Retreats
Beginning Woodland Owner Retreats:
- are hosted by the Virginia Department of Forestry and Virginia Cooperative Extension
- are geared towards landowners who are new to forest management
- provide information on both hardwood and pine forest management
- offer chances for interaction with natural resource professionals from various agencies in Virginia, as well as with other landowners
- provide information on estate planning, management planning and certification
- provide hands-on experience with tree identification, forestry equipment, and more...
Beyond the Basics Retreats:
These advanced Retreats build on concepts taught in the Beginner Retreats. They take a deeper dive into specific woodland and wildlife management topics as identified by past Retreat attendees. Beyond the Basics Retreats focus on giving participants hands-on experiences with a variety of woodland management tools. The location of Beyond the Basics Retreats will rotate among the three locations.
Here's what 2024 participants said about the experience:
- "It was a great day and a half. Thank you for all the information! Great people!"
- "I cannot express how much I enjoyed the program! There were so many useful nuggets of information! Thank you all for putting this together."
- "Great workshop!"
- "This was well presented. I learned a lot and really enjoyed it."

Upcoming Retreats
Central Virginia
- Beyond the Basics Woodland Owner Retreat: Topic Coming Soon
- March 13 -14, 2026
- Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, Appomattox
- Agenda
- Registration opens January 2026
Southwest Virginia
- Beginning Woodland Owner Retreat
- 2026 dates and location coming soon
Southeast Virginia
- Beyond the Basics Woodland Owner Retreat: Managing Your Forest for Wildlife
- September 5-6, 2025
- New Kent Forestry Center, Providence Forge
- Agenda coming very soon
- Individual
- No lodging: $65
- Lodging: $130
- Couple
- No lodging: $130
- Lodging: $260
- Register by mail
- Register online