Events Calendar

2019

October

Invasive Species & Herbicide Panel

October 16
1 - 4:00
Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce
Free

We all know there are times when manual controls such as pulling, mowing, and hacking are just not enough. When you need to use a herbicide it is important to be safe - both for the person applying the product and to protect our native plants, animals, and of course, our bees!

Our panel of experts is ready to answer your questions on herbicides. We’ll also address issues such as regulation, management techniques, and soil breakdown. If you have Japanese Stiltgrass, Tree of Heaven, or any of the terrible 12 invasive plants, join us and bring your questions. Check out our website for more information on invasive plants.

Panel Members:

Charlie Smyth – VM & Aquatics Territory Manager – Nutrien Solutions
Brian Morse – Co-Founder and Wildlife Biologist, Virginia Forestry and Wildlife Group
Adam Downing – Extension Agent; Forestry and Natural Resources; Northern District – Virginia Cooperative Extension
Dean Cumbia – VDOF Forest Management Director

Charlotte County Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tour

October 17
8 - 5:00
Farm Bureau, Charlotte Courthouse
$45/person; $80/couple - includes lunch

Meet at 8:00 behind the Charlotte Courthouse Farm Bureau Building. Tour begins promptly at 8:30.

From the heart of Virginia’s Southern Piedmont in rural Charlotte County… explore the scenic and productive forests of this historic area. Charlotte County was formed from neighboring Lunenburg County in 1764 and named for Queen Charlotte, wife of George III of England. The village of Charlotte Court House has been listed with the state and National Registers of Historic Places as a Historic Courthouse District for its uniqueness in architecture, not unlike colonial Williamsburg.

Stops 1-2: Ridgeway Farms – Take a peek at a segment of an over 3,000+ acre farm managed for forestry, wildlife and agriculture – once part of the original Bruce Estate. See farming practices of old along with timber management that enhances modern-day quail and other wildlife, including a waterfowl impoundment adjacent to the Roanoke River. Witness a mixture of yellow-poplar and other bottomland hardwood stands that accompany pine management techniques.

Stop 3 (with lunch): Morgan Lumber Company – a family owned 4^th Generation Southern Yellow Pine Sawmill – Ken and John Morgan welcome you to a first-class southern pine sawmill. Since the 1940’s the mission of Morgan Lumber is to consistently and efficiently produce for their customers value-added products of superior quality. A mill overview and tour will be given with state-of-the-art headsets for all participants.

Stop 4: Old Crowe Farm (Jim Moyer) – Private forest landowners need realistic objectives. We will learn about some of these here at this historic bed and breakfast plantation farm where they have heritage breeds of livestock and organic farm produce. Southside is full of early-age stands of hardwoods but many are unmanaged. How does one best manage a 21-yr old hardwood stand? Have cattle and timberland? See the beginnings of a silvopasture system and learn what it can do for landowners.

Stop 5 (if time allows) – Kunath Farms – Travel forward 10+ years for an advanced silvopasture system. See what landowners can expect in terms of maximizing pine timber while raising livestock with proven low stress levels from raising them in the shade.

Return by 5:00 p.m.

Registration is closed.

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

2019 Mapping with Drones

October 22-24
Richmond
$400 - inlcudes lunch all 3 days

Workshop Summary
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 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;
In-depth discussions of sUAS platforms (fixed wing and multi-rotor), sensors (including true color, NIR, multispectral, thermal), and associated applications;
sUAS project workflows, including;
Compliance with FAA regulations and safe practices;
An overview of sUAS operation planning software, check sheets, and smartphone apps;
Demonstrations of fixed wing and multi-rotor aircraft (contingent on weather and other local conditions / regulations) of both autonomous and manual operations, and;
A comprehensive presentation and demonstration of image processing software techniques and options (image mosaics, NDVI, etc.).

Registration

This is an intensive, yet introductory level workshop. No previous knowledge or experience with drones, sUAS, or GIS is required. Online registration is required and is available here. (major credit cards are accepted). The fee includes instruction, handouts, resources, and lunch (for all 3 days). After registration has been received, you will receive further information about the workshop (exact location, etc.).

Space is limited. Registration are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Questions associated with the workshop should be directed to John McGee (jmcg@vt.edu) or Daniel Cross (falkus@vt.edu).

This workshop is sponsored by the Virginia Tech Geospatial Extension Program, in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), the Conservation Management Institute (CMI), and GeoTED-UAS.

Rockbridge Area Forestry & Wildlife Association Dinner & Meeting

October 24
6:00
$12 - includes dinner
South River District Volunteer Fire-Rescue, Fairfield

Karen Stanley, Rockbridge Area Forester, will speak on her experiences out west in some of our treasured National Parks. She will also discuss the difference in western ecosystems from those in the East and the scarcity of water due to climate, agriculture, and population. The climate differences create a much different fire ecology in the West, creating conditions for some of the country’s largest and most destructive wildfires.

Karen has been the Area Forester with the Virginia Department of Forestry since 2001 and is a wildland firefighter and certified arborist. She graduated from Virginia Tech College of Forestry and Natural Resources in 2000.

For more information or to register call Don 540-290-3803 or Lin 540-290-0082.

Blue Ridge PRISM Invasive Plant Workshop

October 29
1:00 - 5:00
Rockfish Valley Community Center, Nellysford
$25

Non-native invasive plants are quickly overwhelming many properties by tearing down the forest canopy and overtaking our native plants at the tree, shrub and/or groundcover levels. Understanding what invasive plants exist on the landscape and what it will take to control them can often feel overwhelming.

Our spring and summer workshops will enable you to learn how to confidently identify and manage invasive plants.

Topics covered in this session include:

Identifying invasive plants in spring and summer
Which invasives you can best kill now
Which invasives you should treat later
Best spring-time and summer-time practices for each invasive
Using manual & mechanical control methods
Methods for controlling invasives with herbicides
Choosing the right herbicide and equipment, and using it properly
Planning a work schedule with best timings for multiple plants

There will also be an opportunity to identify your plants, so bring samples of your mystery plants and we’ll identify them!

Each session includes classroom and outdoor instruction (weather permitting) and discussion.

For more information, visit PRISM's website.

Fredericksburg/Stafford Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tour

October 25
8:30 - 4:00
$45/person; $80/couple - includes lunch
Gari Melcher's Historic Belmont, Falmouth

Meet at 8:30 at Gari Melcher's Historic Belmont, 224 Washington Street, Falmouth, VA 22405. The tour will begin promptly at 9:00

Ramble with us through the urban forests of greater Fredericksburg as we follow the life cycle of an urban tree from cradle to grave. The city’s urban forest canopy and zero wood waste goals take work and partnerships both to plant new trees and to use old trees. These bookends function to provide valuable human and wildlife habitat features right where lots of people live, work, and play.

Stop 1: The Brompton Oak & Living History – One of Virginia’s most famous trees provided shelter to confederate soldiers and later, to convalescing union fighters. The big white oak has also witnessed the growth of scientific arboriculture and will soon watch the conversion of part of the President of the University of Mary Washington’s yard to native meadow.

Stop 2. Small spaces & Big Changes – Imagine a pocket park… or a small backyard that is more. More biomass, habitat, and value. And at the same time, less… less work and waste. It starts with the simple act of planting a tree. Observe species & age diversity in this urban forest snap shot and the conversion of a backyard into a zero grass oasis with escalating ecosystem value.

Lunch catered by Allman’s BBQ beside the Rappahannock River at Old Mill Park. Demonstrations: 1) treatment for Emerald Ash Borer and 2) “better” tree planting…

Stop 3. Urban Lumber? – Logging and lumber manufacturing from the urban forests is both different and the same as rural forestlands. Watch the reveal of beauty unique to high-character urban trees and the creation of value-added products from what might have previously been firewood, at best.

Stop 4. Much ‘ado @ Mulch - Norfleet has been turning tree and wood “waste” into treasure for 50 years. This behind the scenes mulch making tour will invite you into a process that completes an urban tree’s lifecycle as it is transformed into a product that benefits living trees, creates beauty and enables Fredericksburg to brag about their ZERO wood waste accomplishment!

Return by 4:00 p.m.

For more information, contact Adam Downing, adowning@vt.edu, 540-948-6881.

Events Calendar

2019

October

Invasive Species & Herbicide Panel

November

Karst Resources of the New River Region of Virginia

December

2020

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

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