2022
Fireside Chat with Virginia Tech's Forestry Extension Team
- Friday December 2
- 12:15 - 12:45
- ZOOM
- Free
Join Virginia Tech's Forestry Extension Team for an informal question and answer session. Come any time between 12:15 and 12:45 and have your forestry-related questions answered.
Cookies, cocoa, and/or eggnog are encouraged.
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu for more information.
Mapping with Drones
- December 13-15
- 9 - 5:00
- Virtual
- $250
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) are permeating many sectors of industry, and are increasingly being employed as data collection platforms to support of an array of applications. Applications span disciplines and industries and can include: planning, natural resource management, marketing, inspection of structures, agricultural production, permitting, and public safety. Specific sensors can be used to tailor application needs. Flights can be scheduled and conducted under short notice to accommodate weather, and temporal considerations. sUAS operations support efficient workflows and provide opportunities for ‘data on demand’.
This is an intensive, yet introductory level workshop, and can be considered a ‘drone boot camp’. No previous knowledge or experience with drones, sUAS, or GIS is required. This 3-day workshop will provide participants with the following:
- An understanding of FAA and sUAS lingo;
- A comprehensive knowledge of current federal commercial sUAS regulations;
- Discussions of sUAS platforms (fixed wing and multi-rotor), sensors (including true color, NIR, multispectral, thermal), and associated applications;
- An overall understanding of sUAS workflows.
- An understanding of flight planning
- An introduction to image processing
Register online - note registration closes 1 month prior to the start of the workshop.
Contact John McGee (jmcg@vt.edu) or Daniel Cross (falkus@vt.edu).
2023
Mapping with Drones
- January 3-5
- 9 - 5:00
- Virtual
- $250
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) are permeating many sectors of industry, and are increasingly being employed as data collection platforms to support of an array of applications. Applications span disciplines and industries and can include: planning, natural resource management, marketing, inspection of structures, agricultural production, permitting, and public safety. Specific sensors can be used to tailor application needs. Flights can be scheduled and conducted under short notice to accommodate weather, and temporal considerations. sUAS operations support efficient workflows and provide opportunities for ‘data on demand’.
This is an intensive, yet introductory level workshop, and can be considered a ‘drone boot camp’. No previous knowledge or experience with drones, sUAS, or GIS is required. This 3-day workshop will provide participants with the following:
- An understanding of FAA and sUAS lingo;
- A comprehensive knowledge of current federal commercial sUAS regulations;
- Discussions of sUAS platforms (fixed wing and multi-rotor), sensors (including true color, NIR, multispectral, thermal), and associated applications;
- An overall understanding of sUAS workflows.
- An understanding of flight planning
- An introduction to image processing
Register online - note registration closes 1 month prior to the start of the workshop.
Contact John McGee (jmcg@vt.edu) or Daniel Cross (falkus@vt.edu).
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: So You Bought Some Land
- Friday January 6
- 12:15
- Free
- ZOOM, Facebook Live, or YouTube Premier
One of the most common questions we get is "I just bought some land, where do I start?" In this video, VFLEP Coordinator Jennifer Gagnon will cover all the resources available to help new landowners learn about thier forests and keep them healthy and productive.
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu for more information.
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Charcoal Furnaces & Iron Ore
- Friday January 20
- 12:15
- Free
- ZOOM, Facebook Live, or YouTube Premier
Virginia has a long history of using hardwood-fired furnaces to make iron ore. You may have even encountered an abandoned furnace in the woods of the Appalachian Mountains. Learn more about this history and process with Virginia Cooperative Extension's Northern District Forester Adam Downing.
Contact Adam Downing, 540-948-6881, adowning@vt.edu for more information.
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Boundary Lines
- Friday February 3
- 12:15
- Free
- ZOOM, Facebook Live, or YouTube Premier
As a landowner, one of the most important things you can do is locate and mark your boundary lines. This is especially important before conducting any type of forest management activity. Virginia Cooperative Extension's Central District Forester, Jason Fisher, will show you how.
Contact Jason Fisher, 434-476-2147, jasonf@vt.edu for more information.
Landowner Woods & Wildlife Conference
- February 11
- 8:30 - 4:30
- Wytheville Meeting Center, Wytheville
This all day conference:
- is for owners of large or small tracts of land;
- is a one stop/first stop for individuals, families, and managers wanting to learn about woods, wildlife, and other natural resources;
- provides multiple links to information, sources of assistance, and a better understanding of the natural resources around you;
- will explore a myriad of forestry and wildlife issues relevant to owners of woodlands.
Agenda and registration available December 2022
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, 540-231-6391, for more information.
Virginia Association of Forest Health Professionals Conference
- February 13-14
- Blacksburg
More details coming soon.
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Growing Pecan Trees in Virginia
- Friday February 17
- 12:15
- Free
- ZOOM, Facebook Live, or YouTube Premier
When I was a kid, we would drive from Massachusetts to Florida for winter vacation. We always knew we were getting close when we started seeing signs for Stuckey's pecan log rolls. As such, I've always associated growing pecans with deep-south states such as Georgia. But it turns out, pecans are grown commercially right here in Virginia. Join Virginia Cooperative Extension's Southeast District Forester, Neil Clark, to learn more.
Contact Neil Clark, 757-653-2572, neclark@vt.edu, for more information.
Landowner Woods & Wildlife Conference
- February 25
- 8:30 - 4:30
- Daniel Technology Center, Germanna Community College, Culpeper
This all day conference:
- is for owners of large or small tracts of land;
- is a one stop/first stop for individuals, families, and managers wanting to learn about woods, wildlife, and other natural resources;
- provides multiple links to information, sources of assistance, and a better understanding of the natural resources around you;
- will explore a myriad of forestry and wildlife issues relevant to owners of woodlands.
Agenda and registration available December 2022
Contact Adam Downing, adowning@vt.edu, 540-948-6881, for more information.
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Forest Microhabitats
- Friday March 3
- 12:15
- Free
- ZOOM, Facebook Live, or YouTube Premier
What are forest microhabitats? What role do they play in biodiversity? How can you identify them? Learn the answers to these questions and more with Virginia Tech's Karen Snape and Carolyn Copenheaver.
Contact Karen Snape, 540-231-6494, ksnape@vt.edu, for more information.
Introduction to Forest Carbon Programs Conference
- March 3, 2023
- Brightpoint Community College, Chester
- A virtual option will also be available
Forest carbon markets are expanding rapidly in the commonwealth. If you are a forester, landowner, county leader, or just interested in the topic, this Introduction to Forest Carbon Markets Conference may be for you. At this conference, you will: Learn how forest carbon markets work; Hear about opportunities for private woodland owners to participate; Be introduced to a decision-making tool that will help determine which, if any, carbon programs are suitable for your land and management goals; Hear from woodland owner with experience participating in carbon markets.
- Agenda and registration available in January.
For more information, contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, 540-231-6391.
Central Virginia Beginning Woodland Owner Reteat
- March 24-25
- Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, Appomattox
This retreat is designed for woodland owners new to active forest management. Topics covered will include:
- Working with a forester
- Managing for wildlife
- Conducting a timber sale
- Sustainable forest management practices (field trip)
- Tree identification (hands-on)
- Tree valuation and measurement (hands-on)
Onsite lodging is available an encouraged.
- Agenda and registration available in January.
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 and registration available in February.
Contact the Virginia Forestry Association for details.
Southwest Virginia Beginning Woodland Owner Reteat
- May 19-20
- Matthews State Forest, Galax
This retreat is designed for woodland owners new to active forest management. Topics covered will include:
- Working with a forester
- Managing for wildlife
- Conducting a timber sale
- Sustainable forest management practices (field trip)
- Tree identification (hands-on)
- Tree valuation and measurement (hands-on)
Onsite lodging is available an encouraged.
- Agenda and registration available in March.
Southeast Virginia Beyond the Basics: Advanced Woodland Owner Reteat
- September 8-9
- New Kent Forestry Center, Providence Forge
This retreat is designed for woodland owners with experience in active forest management. Topics TBD.
Onsite lodging is available an encouraged.
- Agenda and registration available in July.