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
October 13, 2021 - By Ellen Powell, Conservation Education Coordinator Last week I took a hike at Whitney State Forest, located in Fauquier County, just south of Warrenton. I was a little early for brilliant fall colors, but right on time for another kind of “fall.” There were loads of nuts on the ground, one of the hallmarks of autumn in a Piedmont oak-hickory forest. Known in wildlife circles as hard mast, nuts provide... Read More
September 10, 2021 - By Ellen Powell, DOF Conservation Education Coordinator Virginia’s forests in fall are showstoppers, dazzling us with their vibrant colors. But my eyes are often drawn to the weedy roadside ditches and field edges, where fall wildflowers paint the landscape in an Impressionist haze. Fall-blooming flowers aren’t just for looks. They provide an important late-season food source for bees, wasps, butterflies, and other pollinators. Keeping these insects fed and happy is... Read More
October 13, 2020 - By Ellen Powell, DOF Conservation Education Coordinator With the autumn foliage season getting underway, it’s easy to miss a key feature of Virginia’s fall landscape: fruits. First, a disclaimer: Don’t eat wild fruits unless you can identify them positively and know they are safe. Many can be eaten by wildlife, but are toxic or even deadly to humans. In wildlife circles, fleshy or squishy fruit eaten by critters is known... Read More
October 25, 2017 - Each week during the fall foliage season DOF shares information about leaf color around the state. Tree color is influenced by precipitation and temperature, so there could be big differences in color and peaks from one region to another and from year to year. Below is our report for the weekend of Nov. 11 More information is available here. Although winter is fast approaching the higher mountains, most areas below 3000... Read More
September 28, 2017 - Have you looked outside lately? The leaves are beginning to change colors and it won’t be long before parts of Virginia are decked out in their finest foliage! Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year in Virginia. Whether you are traveling along the Blue Ridge, exploring Southside or journeying along the Eastern Shore, you’re bound to enjoy the vibrant colors of the Commonwealth’s fall foliage. Each week... Read More
