Events Calendar

2023

March

Farm Family Transition Workshop

March 21 & 28
6 - 8:30
Shenandoah Valley Electric Coop, Harrisonburg
$30/individual - covers both evenings, dinner included
$45/couple + $15 for each additional family member - covers both evenings, dinner included

March 21: Making plans for when we need help: Long-term care planning, powers of attorney, advanced medical directives. Dusty Rhodes, Esq.

March 28: Planning the transfer of farm business assets and management, wills, trusts, and end-of-life events. Mark Botkin, Esq.

To register, call Tom Stanley, 540-588-0241 or e-mail: stanleyt@vt.edu.

Central Virginia Beginning Woodland Owner Retreat

March 24-25
Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, Appomattox
Individual, No Lodging - $65
Couple, No Lodging - $110

This retreat is designed for woodland owners new to active forest management. Topics covered will include:

Working with a forester (classroom)
Managing for wildlife (classroom)
Conducting a timber sale (classroom)
Sustainable forest management practices (field trip)
Tree identification (hands-on)
Tree valuation and measurement (hands-on)

Program is full. Please join us at one of our other Retreats!

Agenda

Contact Jason Fisher, jasonf@vt.edu, 434-476-2147 for more information.

Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Forestry Extension Team Fireside Chat

March 31
12:15
ZOOM or Facebook Live
Free

Join the Forestry Extension Team for an open house style chat. Bring all your forestry-related questions - or just tune in to listen.

Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, 540-231-6391 for more information.

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April

The Woods in Your Backyard online course - Spring 2023

April 3 - June 13, 2023
Online
$95
Register online

Registration for the Spring session of University of Maryland Extension's "The Woods in Your Backyard" online course is now open. This self-directed, non-credit course runs 10 weeks from April 3rd to June 13th, 2023. The course will help landowners convert lawn to natural areas and enhance stewardship of existing natural areas.

Based on the guide of the same name, the course provides strategies to landowners and managers of small parcels of land that improve the stewardship of their property for personal enjoyment and environmental quality. It uses a hands-on learning approach to help participants develop and implement a plan for their property.

Activities include how to map habitat areas, understand basic ecological principles about woodland and wildlife, choose and implement a few habitat management projects, and how to set a timetable and record your progress. Online discussion groups will allow participants to interact with others taking the course. A certificate of completion is awarded when all assignments are completed.

Registration includes the 108-page “Woods In Your Backyard” guide, workbook, and a tree identification guide.

For more information, go to https://go.umd.edu/the_course. To register through Eventbrite, go to https://spring23.eventbrite.com. Registration is limited to 25 participants.

Registration closes April 3rd or when the course is filled.

Trophy Hunting: For Trees

April 26
Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg
8 - 12:30
$25/person includes lunch

Join Big Tree Hunter Byron Carmean and Colonial Williamsburg Arborist Charles Gardener to learn about the big, remarkable, and historic trees in the Williamsburg area. Byron will demonstrate how to measure big trees using the historic Compton oak. This program will be partially outdoors and will require some walking around town (0.5 – 1 mile).

Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, 540-231-6391.

Virginia Forestry Summit

April 26-28
Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg

Join woodland owners and natural resource professionals to learn about forestry and the forest industry.

Agenda

Contact the Virginia Forestry Association for details.

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May

Spring Venture Outdoors

May 11
Antioch Church Fellowship Hall, Red Oak
10 - 3
$10 - includes lunch

Are you a woodland owner interested in these forestry topics:

tree identification
invasive plant/insect management
hardwood management
water quality?

If so, this spring your Central District Extension Forestry Program, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Forestry, is offering one-day short courses on management options for your Southside woodlands.

For more information, contact Jason Fisher, jasonf@vt.edu, 434-476-2147.

Advanced Learn to Burn: Using Prescribed Fire to Manage your Land

May 12
8:30 - 5:30
Airfield Conference Center, Wakefield
$15 - includes lunch

This one-day workshop is for woodland owners who have attended a previous Learn to Burn or Prescribed Burn Manager course in Virginia. Bring your burn plan to be reviewed by experts and gain additional hands-on burning experience (conditions permitting).

Program is full

Please e-mail jgagnon@vt.edu to be added to the wait list.

Spring Venture Outdoors

May 18
Halifax County Extension Office, Halifax
10 - 3
$10 - includes lunch

Are you a woodland owner interested in these forestry topics:

tree identification
invasive plant/insect management
hardwood management
water quality?

For more information, contact Jason Fisher, jasonf@vt.edu, 434-476-2147.

14th Annual Vegetation Management Workshop

May 18
8:00
Keystone Antique Truck and Tractor Museum, Colonial Heights
$55 - includes lunch

NEW THIS YEAR….The workshop will be a 100% forestry intensive conference focusing on land management techniques with a strong emphasis on vegetation management, genetics, tree improvement and fertility.

This full day workshop covers lots of land and weed management nuggets”and hosts a very fun and diverse group of 200 plus folks from the forestry, wildlife, and invasives markets. Included in our group will be applicators, foresters, biologists, land managers, manufacturers, seedling suppliers & professionals, forestry contractors, VT extension, Virginia Forestry Association, Virginia Dept of Forestry, professional consultants and even some forest landowners.

For more info the workshop, contact:

Adam Downing – 540-422-5292, adowning@vt.edu
Brendan Schnell – 804-356-6547, brendan.schnell@nutrien.com
Doug Pond – 804-241-8118, doug.pond@nutrien.com
Andrew Stewart – 336-613-7654, astewart@ifcoseedlings.com
Ben Lancaster – 864-266-2066, blancaster@ifcoseedlings.com
Jeff Tapley – 804-514-7546, jeffrey.tapley@nutrien.com

Southwest Virginia Beginning Woodland Owner Retreat

May 19-20
Matthews State Forest, Galax
No Lodging
- Individual $65
- Couple $110
Lodging Thurs. & Fri.
- Individual $105
- Couple $190

This retreat is designed for woodland owners new to active forest management. Topics covered will include:

Determining your management goals - Class
Management planning - Class
Timber sales and harvests - Class
Managing for wildlife - Class
Shiitake mushroom logs - Hands-on activity
Tree identification - Hands-on activity
Valuing your trees - Hands-on activity
Hardwood & white pine management - Field trip

Onsite lodging is available an encouraged.

Agenda

For more information, contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu.

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June

Online Woodland Options for Landowners

June 5 - Aug. 11
Online
$55/family

This 10-week self-paced online course teaches the fundamentals of forest management. Upon completion of the class, you can have a draft forest management plan. The class wraps up with an optional end-of-the-semester hands-on field trip in Appomattox on Saturday August 5th.

Syllabus

Contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu for more information.