By Janet Muncy, DOF Integrated Media Specialist It has been a long time coming… the new website is live! While I hope you’re very excited to see the new site, none can be more excited than I! As you can imagine, this was quite an undertaking. Our agency is very diverse and when you get down into the weeds of what information we need to have available, it can be... Read More
May 1, 2021 is Wildfire Community Preparedness Day and the entire month of May is considered National Wildfire Awareness Month. The Virginia Department of Forestry is joining in to dedicate May to prevention and preparedness. Prevention and suppression of wildfires is a key part of the Virginia Department of Forestry’s (DOF) mission; the agency achieves this through education, as well as responding to and suppressing wildfires. DOF responders suppress more... Read More
By Lori Chamberlin, DOF Forest Health Manager Hemlock trees have been under attack since the introduction of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that was first discovered in eastern North America in the 1950s. These small insects settle at the base of hemlock needles, feed on plant sap, and surround themselves in soft, white ovisacs that resemble cotton balls. They may look harmless, but the hemlock woolly adelgid has... Read More
By Todd Groh, DOF Forest Resource Management Program Manager The Reforestation of Timberlands (RT) Program is turning fifty years old this year. This program, managed by the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF), is a good example of what can be done when people come together for a common goal. More than fifty years ago, Virginia looked a lot different than it does today. Although forests were still prevalent across the state,... Read More
By Ellen Powell, DOF Conservation Education Coordinator Pleasant Grove Park in Fluvanna County offers a nature-rich experience for visitors and a variety of habitats for wildlife. Behind the scenes, it’s also a model for collaboration between county government and a plethora of partners. DOF has been a part of several education and stewardship projects at the park, including establishment of a tree identification trail, providing trees for planting, and most... Read More
