July 30, 2021 3:29 pm
Published by Ellen Powell
By Lori Chamberlin, Forest Health Manager Dead and declining trees are a natural component of healthy forests. But determining what initiated tree decline can be useful — especially when making management and control considerations, such as removal or treatment. Scouting your woods regularly can help you discover forest health issues before they become big problems. Proper diagnosis of tree problems is a key factor in forest management. If you notice... Read More
July 29, 2021 3:54 pm
Published by Ellen Powell
By Joe Lehnen, DOF Forest Utilization and Marketing Specialist, and Molly O’Liddy, DOF Community Forestry Partnership Coordinator Trees may have a lifespan, but wood is a renewable resource. Since trees are made of wood, is there truly an end to their useful lives? The answer, of course, can be “no,” if we consider the continuous carbon storage capability of durable wood products. Trees can also continue to be of service... Read More
July 16, 2021 2:08 pm
Published by Ellen Powell
By Lisa Deaton, DOF Area Forester; contributor: Rod Newlin, DOF Water Quality Engineer The Virginia Department of Forestry has many tools for prescribed burning, from bulldozers that pull fire plows, to UTVs with water tanks, to drip torches, fire rakes, shovels and more. The following two photos are from a dormant season burn of loblolly pine stands at Sandy Point State Forest, with a combined goal of wildlife habitat improvement... Read More
July 9, 2021 11:40 am
Published by Ellen Powell
By Ellen Powell, DOF Conservation Education Coordinator Walking along a forest path this time of year, it’s tempting to reach out and touch all those lush, green leaves. That’s not always a good idea, because Virginia has three species of plants in the genus Toxicodendron. When the botanical name translates to “poison tree,” it’s best to look, not touch. The most familiar of Virginia’s poisonous plants is poison ivy, Toxicodendron... Read More
June 9, 2021 5:22 pm
Published by Ellen Powell
By Ellen Powell, DOF Conservation Education Coordinator Contributors: Lisa Deaton, Kenny Thomas, Chris Thomsen Recently, I’ve received photos from several DOF staff, which I’d planned to use in a “What’s in the Woods Today?” post. This time, all the photos had something interesting in common: trees that were either going, or gone. Fortunately, a dead tree can be full of life, in more ways than one. This sassafras in... Read More
