Category Archives: Wildlife

Southside Venture Outdoors Series

Attention Landowners!  Are you a new or existing forest landowner wishing to know more about your trees from tree identification to improvement techniques within your forest? Each spring Virginia Cooperative Extension offers one-day short courses on management options for your timberland. Learn what you should know about thinning a stand of timber for the benefits of stand health, profit, wildlife and overall satisfaction. A new topic this year is an update on our forest inventory as it pertains to harvest versus supply, a must know for future planning of our forests.

Class size is limited to the first 25 registrants so register early!

What? Venture Outdoors landowner education programs will showcase timber stand improvement, invasive plant species management, wildlife and your woods, and Virginia’s Forest Inventory update.

 When and Where?  Three sessions (attend one) are

April 29, May 6, and May 21. All sessions run 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and are FREE due to our sponsors, however attendance confirmation is crucial to classroom and field tour planning. Deadlines are 10 days prior to each session. Lunch is provided and the day will consist of morning classroom, lunch, and afternoon field tour nearby (dress for the weather). See registration brochure at www.ext.vt.edu/offices/halifax

For additional program information details, contact Jason Fisher, Extension Agent ANR, Forestry and Natural Resources at (434) 476-2147 or jasonf@vt.edu . See you there!

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147 during business hours of 8:00a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations 5 days prior to the event. *TDD number is (800) 828-1120.

Spring Venture Outdoors Series

2015 PSA

by: Jason Fisher, Sr. Extension Agent/Forestry

and Natural Resources

 

Attention Landowners!  Are you a forest landowner wishing to know more about hot topics regarding forested land in only a day? If so, then you need to register today for the Venture Outdoors program!

What? : Each year we at Virginia Cooperative Extension offer a number of landowner workshops that have topics of interest based on research and issues impacting our forestland to include invasive plant and insect species management, tree identification, and timber stand improvement techniques for hardwoods and pine. Partnering with state, federal and private expertise provides a reliable program the public has come to depend on. All classes have similar topics in nature.

 

When and Where? : Brunswick County  (April 24) SVCC Alberta Campus, Bedford County (May 8) Claytor Nature Center and Halifax County (May 15) Halifax Extension Office. Detailed classroom locations are noted on the attached registration sheet.

If you are concerned about the health of your existing and planned forestland, then this is a must class to gain sound advice from experts in the field of natural resources.  Class size is limited to the first 25 registrants so register early!

NOTE: Registration is FREE due to sponsor donations, however attendance confirmation is crucial to classroom and field tour planning. Lunch is provided and the day will consist of morning classroom, lunch, then afternoon field tour (dress for the weather). Visit http://offices.ext.vt.edu/halifax/ for a registration brochure soon, or call 434-476-2147 or patsyp@vt.edu to obtain a brochure to pre-register. Registration deadline will be two weeks prior to the event listed.

 

For additional program information details, contact Jason Fisher, Extension Agent ANR, Forestry and Natural Resources at (434) 476-2147 or jasonf@vt.edu . See you there!

 

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistance or accommodations, please notify the VCE- Halifax County Office at 434-476-2147 at least one week prior to the scheduled event.

 

 

Forestry & Wildlife Updates

Here are a few things going on with forestry and wildlife in the area. Check ’em out!

 

WORKSHOPS & TOURS

38th Annual Fall Forestry & Wildlife Tours
Sept. 29-30   –    Chesapeake Bay Bus & Boat Tour
Oct. 10   –   Halifax County
Oct. 30   –   Grayson & Carroll Counties
*Click the flyer for full .pdf pamphlet 

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Waynesboro Tree Care Workshop
This Friday, September 12, 2014
Best Western Inn & Conference Center
104 Apple Tree Lane
Waynesboro, VA
Cost: $100

Backyard Wood Workshops
**Two locations, each is a two day workshop (note: dates are non-consecutive)
September 22 & 29 from 6:00pm – 8:30pm in Warrenton, VA.
September 25 & October 2 from 6:00pm – 8:30pm in Manassas, VA.
Cost: $20, includes manual and CD

Make It Yourself Charcoal Demonstration
October 6, 2014 from 8:00am – 12noon
Madison County Farmers’ Market

1st Annual Trapping Workshop
Department of Game & Inland Fisheries
October 11, 2014 from 10:00am – 5:00pm
Meherrin Volunteer Fire Deparment
64 Moore’s Ordinary Road
Meherrin, VA
*Must register, no walk-ins

Agroforestry Workshop
November 8, 2014
Lord Fairfax Community College
Warrenton, VA
Cost: $15, includes lunch

 

OTHER EVENTS & INFORMATION

Fall 2014 Webinar Series: Non-Timber Forest Products
*Click on flyer to enlarge and use links for registration.

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Virginia Department of Forestry Acorn & Seed Collection
Looking to get involved? The VDOF is seeking your help in collecting seeds and acorns of many tree species across the state. Check out this press release for details!

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg, to check out more events visit the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program page or join their listserv for a monthly update!

Family and Farm Day!!!

It’s that time again… time for the annual Family & Farm Day at the Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research & Extension Center in Blackstone, VA! Bring the kids out for fun and farm on Saturday, September 13 from 9:00am – 2:00pm for games, crafts, animals, and more!

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Family & Farm Day.pdf

Watershed Adventure Camp with SWCD

Watershed Adventure Camp

Staunton River Battlefield State Park
Clover,  VA
June 2-6, 2014

For students currently enrolled in 4th and 5th grade. This weeklong adventure will offer hands-on activities in environmental issues such as:  mapping, pollution (point and non-point), agriculture bmp’s, soils, stream walks, forestry, wildlife, watershed information, biological and chemical monitoring and a dragon fly pond activity.  There will also be an overview of the park and a tour of the Clover Power Plant.  A canoe trip down the Staunton River will take place on Friday. The Camp will begin each day at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m.  Lunch and snacks will be provided, but transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian of the applicant.  Carpooling may be helpful. It’s a great week! For more information, contact the extension office.

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PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HERE

 

6th Annual Spring Landowner Retreat Coming

The 6th Annual Landowner Retreat has been set for April 25th-27th at Holiday Lake 4-H Center in Appomattox. Only a handful of spots remain open as of this posting. Hurry and register online today or contact Jason Fisher at 434-476-2147 jasonf@vt.edu for more information. landowner retreat spring 2014

6th Annual Spring Landowner Retreat: Focus on the Forest

The 6th Annual Landowner’s Retreat: Focus on the Forest will be held April 25-27 at Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center in Appomattox, VA.

This retreat, designed for new and inexperienced landowners will include both indoor and outdoor sessions. Topics to include:

  • Working with a forester
  • Timber sales/preventing timber theft
  • Managing for quail/creating early successional wildlife habitat
  • Water quality
  • Current research on hardwood and pines
  • Forest insect pests
  • Wildflower ID
  • Introduction to forest measurements

For more information, view the Landowner Retreat Spring 2014 brochure.

Please register by Friday, April 11, 2014.