March 15, 2018 11:32 am
Published by Janet Muncy
by DOF Senior Area Forester Scott Bachman It is not quite spring, but the signs of spring are abundant at the New Kent Forestry Center. The photo below shows one of the first signs of spring. The loblolly pine trees appear to have grown paper bags on their tips! These contractors are placing bags on the trees to protect the soon-to-be receptive pine flowers (Strobli) from wind-blown pollen. That... Read More
March 9, 2018 11:16 am
Published by Janet Muncy
by Area Forester Manij Upadhyay I went to Garland Gray Forestry Center, Courtland Virginia to learn about pine seedling production last week. Our nurseries have been growing quality seedlings based on research and experience for 100 years. The day that I arrived at the nursery people were lifting seedlings from the bed with the help of a machine called a lifter. Do you know how seedlings are grown in nurseries?... Read More
March 8, 2018 12:20 pm
Published by Janet Muncy
DOF Urban Forest Conservationist Jim McGlone March 2018 came in like a lion, roaring with sustained winds of 25 to 30 miles an hour. Predictably, trees fell on power lines causing fires that DOF personnel worked hard to put out. Media reports highlighted the mayhem falling trees caused; but there was another big story that didn’t make headlines: while thousands of trees fell, hundreds of millions of trees did not... Read More
March 7, 2018 10:32 am
Published by Janet Muncy
Big Trees and Little Trees by Area Forester Lisa Deaton Lately we have been recertifying trees for the Virginia Big Tree Register. Trees on this register are checked every ten years to see if they are still alive, and if so, remeasured. The swamp chestnut oak above is located in Mathews County. It is 6.5 feet in diameter and 96 feet tall We have also recently encountered a number... Read More
March 5, 2018 9:12 am
Published by Janet Muncy
Spring wildfire season, which began February 15, is in full swing and the high winds that raged across Virginia since Thursday only made conditions more dangerous. Governor Northam declared a State of Emergency Friday afternoon as a result of extreme weather conditions which resulted in hundreds of wildfires throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) firefighters have responded to fires in the counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Amelia, Appomattox, Bedford,... Read More
