Wildlife Center Focus Forwards

by Kate Guenther The third major workday for the Wildlife Center (Focus Project) was a lot of snowy fun and new faces turned out to help! On Saturday, March 8, volunteers really moved the project forward slushing through snow to hang six nest boxes, paint and reconstruct the sign infrastructure, test out the new rain…

VA Wildflower of the Year

by Stephanie Gardner Hurray for Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), recently succeeding Redbud as Virginia Wildflower of the Year (WOY)! Coral honeysuckle was voted WOY 2014 by the Virginia Native Plant Society Board of Directors after consideration of all wildflowers nominated this year by Virginia Native Plant Society members. Coral honeysuckle is one of three native…

Focus Project Progress!

Thursday, February 27, Master Naturalists and friends finally got a break from Grandfather Winter (as Don P. calls it) to allow us a workday at the Wildlife Center. We accomplished more than I think any of us thought we would. The day started off blustery and cold, but our hearts were warmed when RoxAnna T.…

Mossy Creek Revisited

RoxAnna Theiss It’s been almost a year since our last outing with Seth Coffman of Trout Unlimited to the Mossy Creek restoration site.  Last April our Basic Training class saw “before restoration” of the 2500 foot length of this unique and nationally known spring feed creek just south of the turn off from Route 42…

Buffalo Gap Redux

RoxAnna Theiss On a cold and raw Tuesday in late February a hardy band of eight met at the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) Buffalo Gap Work station near Churchville.  Six trainees: Kelly Rourke, Janet James, Malcolm Cameron, Sue Eckroth, Ginny Hoffman and Janet Joseph joined two chapter members from the 2011 Charter class Jerry…