2022

August

Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: A Tour of a Home Improvement Store's Building Materials Aisle

Do you know the difference between particle board and Mbf? If not, join Virginia Tech's Jennifer Gagnon and Brian Bond for a stroll down the building materials aisle at a local home improvement store. Brian will teach you about the different materials for sale, their origin, how they are made, and what they can be used for. Brian also highlights which products are likely made from trees grown here in Virginia. 

Watch archived Fifteen Minutes in the Forest videos on our YouTube channel. For more information, contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu. 

Tree of Heaven and Spotted Lanternfly

  • August 17
  • Online
  • Free

SLF is a relatively new nonnative invasive pest in Virginia that prefers to lay its eggs on the ubiquitous tree of Heaven. Join the Blue Ridge Prism Team for this webinar to learn more about the relationship.

Register online

Contact Rowena Zimmermann rowena@blueridgeprism.org for more information. 

Focusing on Land Transfer to  Generation NEXT Legacy Planning Workshop

  • August 26 & 27
  • 6 - 8:30 and 9 - 3:00
  • Factory Street Brewing, South Boston
  • $80 for up to 2 family members; $40 for each additional family member - includes refreshments and breakfast and lunch on Saturday
  • Agenda

What will become of your land after you are gone? Are your heirs invovled in making these decisions? 

Join forestry, accounting, and legal professionals to learn how to talk to your family about planning for the future of your land. You'll gain skills to help you keep your land intact, in forest, and in the family.

All registrants will receive a copy of the award-winning Legacy Planning: A Guide for Virginia Landowners publication. 

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

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September

The Woods in Your Backyard Online Course

  • September 6 - November 15
  • Online
  • $95

Registration for the Fall 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 September 6th to November 15th, 2022 and is applicable for woodland owners in Virginia as well.

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, got o https://WIYB_Fall_2022.eventbrite.com. 

Registration is limited to 25 participants. Registration closes September 6th or when the course is filled.

Contact Andrew Kling, akling1@umd.edu, 304-432-2767 x 307, for more information. 

Beginning Woodland Owner Retreat

  • September 9-10
  • New Kent Conference Center, Providence Forge
  • Individual, No Lodging - $65 • Individual, Lodging Thurs. & Fri. - $105 • Couple, No Lodging - $110 • Couple, Lodging Thurs. & Fri. - $190

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.

Preparing for Generation NEXT - Legacy Planning Workshop

  • Sept. 7, 8, 14, & 15
  • 3-5:00
  • Virtual
  • $25/individual; $40/family  

Join the Generation NEXT Team and experienced conservation, legal, and financial advisors, to learn how to pass your land and your legacy on to the next generation while keeping it intact, in forest, and in family. 

All registrants will receive a copy of the award-winning Legacy Planning: A Guide for Virginia Landowners publication. 

Contact Karen Snape, ksnape@vt.edu for more information. 

Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Healthy Hunting

What's more local, organic, and grass fed than game caught on your own land? Join Virginia Cooperative Extension's Jason Fisher to learn about the health benefits of hunting.

Watch archived Fifteen Minutes in the Forest videos on our YouTube channel. For more information, contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu. 

New Christmas Tree Growers Meeting

  • September 10
  • 8:45 - 12:30
  • Spruce Rock Farm, Brightwood
  • $15/person; $20/couple

Kyle Peer, Superintendent - Reynolds Homestead Forest Resources Research Center, and Tim Williams, owner of Spruce Rock Farm, will discuss getting started with Christmas tree production, including seedling selection, planting techniques, farm layout, and shearing. We will also discuss applying pesticides and herbicides safely.

This is a hands-on workshop with indoor and outdoor sessions, wear appropriate footwear and bring work gloves. Please pre-register by September 6.

Contact Kyle Peer, krpeer@vt.edu, 434-694-4135, for more information. 

Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Digital Mapping & GPS

Having good maps of your property is essential to planning management activities on your land. The days of drawing boundary lines on paper maps are quickly going away. Instead, there are numerous online tools and Apps available to help you map your property. Join Virginia Cooperative Extension's Neil Clark to learn which ones can work for you. 

Watch archived Fifteen Minutes in the Forest videos on our YouTube channel. For more information, contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu. 

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October

Virginia Tree Farm Foundation Lunch & Tour 

  • October 6
  • 11:30  -4
  • Franklin Lumber, Franklin
  • $10/person - includes lunch

Over 10 million acres (63%) of Virginia’s woodlands are owned by folks like you.  Virginia woodland owners are committed to improving the health and productivity of their forests.  And over 700 Virginia woodland owners have taken an extra step to improve their forests by adopting and implementing the American Tree Farm Standards of Sustainability to become Tree Farmers.  

The Virginia Tree Farm Foundation would like to invite current and potential Tree Farmers to a social, lunch, & tour this fall.

This tour will provide a rare opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at an operating sawmill. Most people do not get the opportunity to see first-hand how their trees are made into solid wood products. 

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

Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Silvo-poultry Update

Growing chickens in the woods? Chickens are jungle fowl and prey animals. As such, they prefer cover to hide in. Silvopasture can not only provide cover, but forage for chickens and improvements of environmental health at the same time. 

Join Virginia Cooperative Extension's Adam Downing to follow up with some Virginia Tech research projects on Silvo-poultry. Watch the original video here.

Watch archived Fifteen Minutes in the Forest videos on our YouTube channel. For more information, contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu. 

46th Annual Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tour

  • October 7
  • Amelia-Henrico-Powhatan
  • 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • $45*/person; $80*/couple

In many parts of Virginia, the landscape quickly changes from urban to rural and back again. This tour will start in the city, with an exploration of urban forests and a discussion about the value of urban wood.  After lunch, we’ll move to the country to look at forest & wildlife management practices in a rural setting. 

For 46 years, these tours have showcased sustainable woodland & wildlife management practices on public, private, and industry-owned lands. They also provide ample opportunities for landowners and natural resource professionals to discuss management options. 

*Registration includes transportation and lunch

  • Register online
  • Register by mail - coming soon

Blue Ridge PRISM Introduction to Invasive Plants and Identification

  • October 12
  • Virtual
  • $10

Blue Ridge PRISM’s 2022 Workshops are a blend of two virtual sessions and an optional in-person field session. Register for the virtual sessions or a field session or both! 

For more information, contact Blue Ridge PRISM.

Blue Ridge PRISM Control of Invasive Plants

  • October 13
  • Virtual
  • $10

Blue Ridge PRISM’s 2022 Workshops are a blend of two virtual sessions and an optional in-person field session. Register for the virtual sessions or a field session or both! 

For more information, contact Blue Ridge PRISM.

Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tours

  • Oct. 14 - Smyth-Washington

Bourbon is a very popular spirit these days. And did you know that the entire industry depends on well-managed oak forests? By law, in order for a spirit  to be labeled as bourbon, it must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. 

On this tour, we'll learn about two new programs designed to help private woodland owners improve the management of their hardwood forests and ensure an adequate supply of oak to support the bourbon and other industries. Then we'll visit two mills to see how bourbon barrels are made. 

These county-based tours showcase sustainable woodland and wildlife management practices on private, public, and industry owned lands. These day-long tours also provide ample time for discussions among participants. 

Registration includes transportation and lunch.

  • Register online
  • Register by mail coming soon

Blue Ridge PRISM In-person Identification and Control of Invasive Plants

  • October 15
  • Pen Park, Charlottesville 
  • $25

Join PRISM’s knowledgeable staff and volunteers in the field to learn invasive plant ID, herbicide safety, basic management strategies, and a how-to for manual/chemical control techniques.

This fall workshop will include an invasive plant identification walk and in-person instruction. Space is limited to 25 participants.

Please make note of the following:

  • Long pants and closed-toe shoes are required to participate. No exceptions.
  • You might want to bring work gloves, safety glasses, and the following tools (optional): hand pruners, hatchet, loppers
  • This event will be held rain or shine. Tickets are non-refundable. Blue Ridge PRISM reserves the right to cancel the event in the case of severe weather or insufficient ticket sales (refunds will be issued in these instances). If you find that you cannot attend, please be kind enough to let us know at least 48 hours in advance.
  • Register online

For more information, contact Blue Ridge PRISM.

Virginia Tree Farm Foundation Lunch & Tour 

  • October 21
  • 11:00 - 3:00
  • Wright Forestry, LLC, Blackridge
  • $10/person - includes lunch

Over 10 million acres (63%) of Virginia’s woodlands are owned by folks like you.  Virginia woodland owners are committed to improving the health and productivity of their forests.  And over 700 Virginia woodland owners have taken an extra step to improve their forests by adopting and implementing the American Tree Farm Standards of Sustainability to become Tree Farmers.  

The Virginia Tree Farm Foundation would like to invite current and potential Tree Farmers to a social, lunch, & tour this fall.

This tour will demonstrate how sustainble woodland management is implemented on privately-owned forestland. 

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

Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Golden-winged Warbler

The golden-winged warbler is a long-distance migrant that travels more than 3,000 miles annually from Venezuela and Colombia to breed in the mountains of Virginia. Its Appalachian population has been declining steadily since at least the mid-1960, and is reduced to a fragment of what it is once estimated to have been. Various conservation efforts are being implemented nationally and internationally to reverse those losses.

Join Virginia Tech's Karen Snape to learn about these conservation efforts. 

Watch archived Fifteen Minutes in the Forest videos on our YouTube channel. For more information, contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu. 

Preparing for Generation NEXT - Legacy Planning Workshop

  • October 27
  • Matthews State Forest, Galax
  • All-day

Join the Generation NEXT Team and experienced conservation, legal, and financial advisors, to learn how to pass your land and your legacy on to the next generation while keeping it intact, in forest, and in family. 

All registrants will receive a copy of the award-winning Legacy Planning: A Guide for Virginia Landowners publication. 

  • Register by mail
  • Agenda and online registration will be available 8 weeks prior to the event. 

Contact Karen Snape, ksnape@vt.edu for more information. 

Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tours

  • Oct. 28 - Louisa County 
  • $45*/person; $80*/couple

These county-based tours showcase sustainable woodland and wildlife management practices on private, public, and industry owned lands. These day-long tours also provide ample time for discussions among participants. 

*Registration includes transportation and lunch.

  • Register online
  • Register by mail coming soon

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November

Preparing for Generation NEXT - Legacy Planning Workshop

Join the Generation NEXT Team and experienced conservation, legal, and financial advisors, to learn how to pass your land and your legacy on to the next generation while keeping it intact, in forest, and in family. 

  • Register by mail
  • Agenda and online registration will be available 8 weeks prior to the event. 

Contact Karen Snape, ksnape@vt.edu for more information. 

Save the date flier

Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Autumnm Leaf Color

Did you know that fall is a great time to practice your tree identification skills? Some species, like red maple and yellow-poplar are easy to identify by their vibrant fall colors.

Join Virginia Cooperative Extension's Bill Worrell to learn about Virginia's beautiful fall colors.

Watch archived Fifteen Minutes in the Forest videos on our YouTube channel. For more information, contact Jennifer Gagnon, 540-231-6391, jgagnon@vt.edu. 

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December

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