April 5, 2018 - by DOF Area Forester Lisa Deaton Wildlife and Clearcuts Part 2 A beaver hut in the middle of a pond or swamp is a familiar sight. The one above is located in Beaverdam Swamp in Gloucester County. While mapping a creek for another Riparian Buffer Tax Credit application, I had the opportunity to see a number of signs of beaver activity alongside a clearcut. First, I came across the beaver... Read More
March 23, 2018 - by DOF Area Forester Richard Reuse March and April are the most beautiful months in Virginia. Relative humidity is low, the spring ephemeral wildflowers are blooming and the bugs aren’t out yet….except for the ticks. Here are some of the things I’ve seen this month. These are trout lilies. It’s very unusual to find them in eastern Virginia. Oh deer…there’s a fungus among us. A nice loblolly pine stand that... Read More
March 23, 2018 - by Area Forester Lisa Deaton Wildlife and Clearcuts, Part-One Cutover tracts of timber can look bleak during winter, but this leaf-less time of the year presents a great chance to see signs of wildlife. It is also easy to encounter wildlife in clearcuts because many species take advantage of the change in habitat. The Young Forest Project provides much more information on growing wildlife habitat and the benefits of young... Read More
March 22, 2018 - by DOF Longleaf Pine/SPB Coordinator Jim Schroering Several DOF staff participated in a field tour of the Zuni Pine Barrens in Isle of Wight County earlier this month. The Zuni Pine Barrens is a cooperative conservation project made up of the Blackwater Ecological Preserve (Old Dominion University) and the Antioch Pines Natural Area Preserve (Department of Conservation and Recreation). ODU Professor of Botany and Zuni Pines Preserve Manager Dr. Lytton... Read More
March 15, 2018 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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
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
