April 18, 2022 - By Delaney Beattie, DOF Riparian Buffer Specialist- James River Buffer Program At Greene County Community Park, partners recently came together for the simple act of planting a tree. Thirty trees and shrubs, to be exact – and there are more to come. Greene County Community Park covers 70 acres and is the only public park in Greene County. The land is mostly open fields, but Quarter Creek runs through the... Read More
March 9, 2022 - By Meghan Mulroy-Goldman, DOF Community Forestry Specialist Spend some time in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and you will probably notice that there is a lot of water. Where there’s a lot of water, there are also a lot of boats. In Hampton Roads, this means everything from small kayaks to massive aircraft carriers and everything in between. In fact, Hampton Roads is home to Newport News Shipbuilding, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and... Read More
January 28, 2022 - By Eli Podyma, DOF Community Forester A large part of my work as a community forester involves collaborating with local non-profit organizations to protect and enhance the urban forest canopy. One of these organizations, Southside Releaf, was recently featured on an episode of Virginia Homegrown, speaking about their mission to build a healthy, equitable, and sustainable environment for all South Richmond residents. Sheri Shannon, co-founder of Southside Releaf, mentioned partnering... Read More
December 15, 2021 - By Ellen Powell, DOF Conservation Education Coordinator December is here – time to look forward to gifts, family visits, amazing food, and some welcome time off work. Raking leaves doesn’t rank very high on the December fun meter. But think of those fallen leaves as free mulch, there for the taking in this season of spending. Maybe you think of mulch as the chopped wood chips or bark that comes... Read More
November 10, 2021 - By Cory Swift-Turner, Public Information Specialist — Tangier Island is known for its soft-shell crabs and the unique lifestyle of its residents. But the very body of water that sustains the community is also threatening to swallow it. As ocean levels rise, coastal communities across Virginia are facing new challenges from storm-driven erosion, nuisance flooding, and tides that creep in further each year. Island communities such as Tangier, located 12... Read More
August 3, 2021 - By Kendall Topping, DOF Community Forester As rapid development and population growth continue in Hampton Roads, stormwater runoff and sea level rise have become more prevalent concerns. One of the direct effects of these issues includes more drastic shoreline and streambank erosion. Such extreme cases of erosion lead to unstable ground, forcing landowners to lose valuable land while making certain land uses impossible. This causes not only environmental, but also... Read More
July 29, 2021 - 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
May 18, 2021 - By Meghan Mulroy-Goldman, DOF Community Forester Ever wonder where the fruit in the grocery store comes from? In today’s supermarkets, you can find fruit and nuts from across the country and globe. You might find bananas from Guatemala, almonds from California, and apples from New York. Many familiar foods grow on trees and can be grown right in your backyard, in city parks, or even on street trees! While growing... Read More
May 4, 2021 - By Molly O’Liddy, DOF Community Forestry Partnership Coordinator Despite these uncertain times, communities across the Commonwealth have continued to celebrate their love of trees in Arbor Day celebrations. In Virginia, Arbor Day is annually recognized as the last Friday in April. Traditionally, cities and towns have held parades, concerts and festivals that bring the whole community together. During the first Arbor Day, held in Nebraska in 1872, one million trees... Read More
April 12, 2021 - By Meghan Mulroy-Goldman, DOF Community Forester Photography by Amanda Shields, The Mariners’ Museum and Park Right in the heart of Newport News, you will soon be able to see a shortleaf pine forest. On a perfectly sunny March day, 700 shortleaf seedlings from the Virginia Department of Forestry’s (DOF) nursery found a new home at the Mariners’ Museum and Park. With an historic range covering parts of twenty-two states and... Read More
