January 25, 2023 - By Dean Cumbia, Director of Forest Management — As the site of the first permanent English settlement and a hotbed of activity during the American Revolution and Civil War, Virginia has a rich history. All throughout that history, trees have played a role. Have you ever wondered whether some of the first trees settlers saw when they arrived are still standing? DOF recently tried to find out. Last December, DOF... Read More
October 26, 2020 - by Patti Nylander, Senior Area Forester Every year the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) puts out the call to citizens across the Commonwealth to collect acorns to be planted at the Augusta Forestry Center (AFC) in Crimora for next year’s seedling crop. The acorns are prepped for planting through a rigorous process — to separate the good nuts from the bad — that involves a huge fan, a 55-gallon drum... Read More
October 2, 2020 - By Ellen Powell, DOF Conservation Education Coordinator There’s an old saying that you plant an oak tree for your grandchildren. There’s some truth to that, as oaks are not the fastest growing trees. But along the way to maturity, they provide benefits to us and to the environment. Shade? Check. Beauty? Check. Acorns for hungry wildlife? Check. Oaks do grow acorns, but just as importantly, oaks grow caterpillars. More than... 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
December 19, 2017 - by Urban Forest Conservationist Jim McGlone While leading a forest hike with a landowner and group of her friends, I was brought to a small group of pin oaks that had many of the growths pictured here. The landowner was concerned that it was a disease that would spread and kill all her trees. This growth, and others like it, are called galls. Galls form when an insect, usually a small... Read More
September 28, 2017 - The Virginia Department of Forestry needs your help to continue producing quality seedlings for Virginia landowners. Virginia-grown seed generally produces trees that will grow well in our state. Every year, homeowners from all over the state donate acorns and other seed to help us produce the next season’s crop. Seed collection is a great activity for children and adults. It’s also a wonderful way to learn more about Virginia trees.... Read More
