December 21, 2018 - by Forester Lisa Deaton Surprises We expect to see Christmas trees at Christmas tree farms, but this decorated eastern red cedar is located on the edge of a 2-year old pine plantation. On a recent rainy day, the bald eagle below appeared to be hunting in a clearcut. One of my favorite things about this time of year on the Middle Peninsula is hearing the tundra swans fly overhead. A... Read More
August 27, 2018 - by Senior Area Forester Scott Bachman Earlier this summer my co-workers and I were finally able to get out and measure a harvest in Southampton County. The harvest had been in a stand of bottomland hardwoods. The landowner retained a riparian buffer on both sides of the stream channel during the harvest to protect the water quality of a significant tributary of the Blackwater River. The Blackwater River is a... Read More
July 2, 2018 - by DOF Senior Area Forester Scott Bachman An SMZ or streamside management zone, also known as a riparian buffer, is an area along a stream or creek (or a river if you have one in your back yard!). In forestry this SMZ is commonly wooded (grass buffers can be very important in agriculture areas). During a timber harvest the DOF encourages all landowners to retain at minimum 50 percent of... Read More
February 28, 2018 - by Area Forester David H. Terwilliger The red maple (Acer rubrum) is one of the first native trees to burst with color in February. You may recognize their seeds (samaras) as the little “helicopters” that spin to the ground when mature. The fall foliage is a brilliant red or orange. These trees are sexually unique. The species is polygamo-dioecious, meaning some trees are entirely male, producing no seeds; some are entirely female; and... Read More
December 27, 2017 - by Area Forester Lisa Deaton Creek Treasures An important skill for foresters is hopping across creeks without falling in, especially during cold weather. Last week, I was mapping creeks alongside a cutover to assist a landowner with a Riparian Buffer Tax Credit application. Wooded buffers along streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay are called riparian forests and help protect our water quality. Virginia landowners can receive a tax credit for... Read More
