VNPS Events

VNPS 2009 Annual Meeting

2009-07-28T16:32:00.001-05:00

The Virginia Native Plant Society announces its 2009 ANNUAL MEETING to be held September 25, 26 and 27th in Salem, Virginia.

Hosts: Blue Ridge Wildflower Society and the New River Chapter of VNPS.

Please click on 'See State Newsletters' below for a full schedule, motel information and registration form. If you cannot attend, please send the proxy form to the office so that we can be sure our election is valid. In case the first motel fills, rooms have been added at a second motel. Please check with the office if you need information about this or any aspect of the program.

Friday evening Peter Heus, owner of Enchanters Garden nursery and native plant propagation professional is our speaker. After the Saturday banquet, our nationally known speaker will be Douglas Tallamy, author of "Bringing Nature Home." There will be a full day of field trips on Saturday, and some half day trips and suggestions for trips on your own for Sunday. The Board of Directors will meet on Sunday morning.

The business meeting will be held prior to the evening's featured speaker to conduct the election of VNPS Board members and to briefly highlight VNPS and the year's accomplishments. A silent auction will be held to benefit the Flora of Virginia Project. The "Flora of Virginia" is to be published in 2012 after a 250 year germination period since "Flora Virginica," was published in mid-1700s based on the herbarium of John Clayton by Gronovius in the Netherlands.

SEE CROW'S NEST BY WATER AND LAND

2009-05-06T16:58:00.003-05:00

Due to weather, we have rescheduled the Crow's Nest field trip for

Sunday, June 21, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM. Here is the announcement again.

If you were unable to come on the previous date, here is another chance!

New Crow's Nest Trip Date: Sunday, June 21, 2009

Hal Wiggins will lead a VNPS trip to the new Crow's Nest Natural Area Preserve. Find information about the preserve at:

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/natural_area_preserves/crowsnest.shtml

Participants will meet at the headquarters of a Fredricksburg river outfitter. While there, Hal will make a presentation and all will be outfitted with personal floatation devices. From there, we will travel to Potomac Creek for a tidal/flatwater paddle to Crow's Nest. We will walk part of the preserve.

The trip will be an all day adventure. We will meet at 9:30 am in Fredericksburg and return there at about 5 pm. Hal Wiggins is a member of VNPS, long time advocate for Crow's Nest and author of Virginia Native Plants and A Field Guide to Crow's Nest. This field trip is a special opportunity to visit the area with a guide who has explored it for many years.

The trip cost is $25, which covers canoes, transport and a donation.

Limit 18 people. Rain or shine, except for severe weather.

Reservations necessary due to the canoe rental and must be made by June 15.

If you must cancel, we will try to arrange to transfer your spot if we have a wait list.

Please reserve by sending your check to:

VNPS Field Trips, 400 Blandy Farm Lane #2, Boyce, VA 22620.

Note that the office is now available to take credit card payments by phone.

Visit Virginia's Mountains

2009-05-06T05:41:00.004-05:00

Chris Ludwig, chief biologist with the Virginia Natural Heritage Program, gave a program for us at our March workshop about places to see plants in the mountains of Virginia. He has generously sent us copies of his program that are attached here. There are two versions - the first is the text with no pictures (252K) and the second has most of the pictures attached (much bigger file, 8.9MB). If you travel in Virginia this summer, this may be information you can use. Thank you Chris!

highland-text.pdf

highland-Ludwig.pdf

VNPS Southwest Virginia Trip

2009-03-01T20:29:00.003-05:00

Trip Dates: Sunday May 10 to Saturday May 16, 2009

Join VNPS on an excursion to the southern Ridge and Valley of Virginia, a place of high mountains and diverse valleys. We will visit National Forests and Recreation Areas, Natural Area Preserves and a State Park, and will see some of our tallest mountains and a natural limestone tunnel. The Southern Appalachians are a hotspot of biological diversity, and our tour will include parts of the Clinch River drainage, noted for diversity of aquatic species and home to state and globally rare plants and habitats.

Although in mountainous terrain, the hikes will be very moderately paced and will focus on the plant life. However, some hikes will be a few miles in length at high altitude, so some physical stamina is necessary. Naturalist led tours in the morning to early afternoon will be followed by leisurely explorations later in the day.

We will spend half of the week in Abingdon and half in Big Stone Gap. Cost of the trip is $500, which includes a $100 donation to VNPS. Price includes lodging (2 people per room), tours and lunches. Travel to and from the trip is on your own. We will do our best to arrange carpools from our lodgings to the sites each day to minimize fuel use and parking needs.

There are more places to visit than we can see in a week, but if you extend your trip we will have information about some of the places we have not been able to schedule. Be aware that the racetrack in Bristol can make reservations scarce.

Please reserve by sending a deposit of $100 by Monday, March 23 to

VNPS SWVA Trip, 400 Blandy Farm Lane #2, Boyce, VA 22620.

Full payment is due by April 24, due to required cancellation notices for rooms. You may choose to pay the entire fee as deposit.

More information:

Shirley Gay at shirleywg@verizon.net or

Sally Anderson at rccsca@comcast.net

SEE CROW'S NEST BY WATER AND LAND

2009-03-01T19:58:00.004-05:00

Crow's Nest Trip Date: Sunday, May 3, 2009

Hal Wiggins will lead a VNPS trip to the new Crow's Nest Natural Area Preserve. Find information about the preserve at:

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/natural_area_preserves/crowsnest.shtml

The trip cost is $25, which covers canoes, transport and a donation.

Limit 18 people. Rain or shine, except for severe weather.

Reservations necessary due to the canoe rental and must be made by April 24.

If you must cancel, we will try to arrange to transfer your spot if we have a wait list.

Please reserve by sending your check to:

VNPS Field Trips, 400 Blandy Farm Lane #2, Boyce, VA 22620.

VNPS Annual Workshop

2009-01-23T17:23:00.007-05:00

Save the date for this year's Annual Workshop

The Workshop is now full. We are sorry if we have not been able to accommodate you.

Please contact the office if you are registered and cannot attend, vnpsofc@shentel.net

High Mountain Flora

Saturday March 7, 2009

9:15 am to 3:15 pm

Gottwald Center for the Sciences

University of Richmond

Keynote speaker: Elizabeth Byers, West Virginia Natural Heritage Program

Additional speakers are Chris Ludwig, Virginia Natural Heritage Program; Tom Wiebolt of Virginia Tech's Massey Herbarium; Laura Neale, President of the Virginia Wilderness Committee.

Here is a PDF of the Workshop Brochure:

WKSHbrochure.pdf

Visit the BRUCE PENINSULA with VNPS

2009-01-06T11:48:00.003-05:00

Location: Ontario, Canada. The Bruce Peninsula lies between Lake Huron
and Georgian Bay, northwest of Toronto.

For a location map cut and paste this url:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Toronto,+Ontario&sll=47.15984,-82.045898&sspn=13.690395,25.620117&ie=UTF8&ll=43.953282,-80.892334&spn=3.622336,6.405029&z=7

Trip Dates: June 6-13, 2009**(see note below)

Leader: Dr. Stanwyn Shetler, Curator of Botany Emeritus, Smithsonian
Institution

We will stay at Wildwood Resort Lodge on the shore of Lake Huron, and will carpool to see fens, bogs, rich woods, alvars (limestone pavements) and several lakeside habitats. The trip will include a boat trip to Flowerpot Island. The flora is rich in orchids, ferns and many other northern and some western wildflower species. There is opportunity for birdwatching and photography too. Meals at the lodge are included, and vegetarian options are offered. Participants are responsible for travel to and from Wildwood Lodge.

Cost of the trip is $1050.00 and includes a donation to VNPS.
Send your $250 deposit by January 31, 2009 to reserve your space.
(Mail to: VNPS Bruce Trip, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, #2, Boyce, VA 22620)

More information: Sally Anderson, rccsca@comcast.net, or 540-722-3072
**My apologies for publishing an incorrect date last week. This is the correct week.

VNPS Gift ideas for friends, students, or family

2008-12-08T20:42:00.002-05:00

VNPS GIFT MEMBERSHIP
A holiday gift idea of extraordinary pleasure and importance!
Your gift of a membership to the Virginia Native Plant Society would enrich the life of a friend - or a young botanist or ecologist, or Natural Resources Manager of a local park, woodland, forest or refuge. Mail the form on this website (click Join VNPS), or contact Karen York in our office at vnpsofc@shentel.net or call 540-837-1600. Notice of your gift will be sent to your recipient. If time is short for mailing, it can be sent by e-mail.

T-SHIRTS with wildflower artwork of Anita Cooper, Shenandoah Chapter artist (photo above) $15 per shirt ($3 shipping/handling) Available in Forest green, Eggplant and Brown. Small choices limited, but currently all available. Medium, Large and XL available in all colors.

NOTE PADS VNPS Note Pads with Anita’s colorful wildflower artwork border. $4 per pad, 3 for $10, please contact VNPS office for shipping price, vnpsofc@shentel.net or 540-837-1600.

BOOKS

FINDING WILDFLOWERS IN THE WASHINGTON BALTIMORE AREA Cris Fleming, Marion Lobstein & Barbara Tufty, Johns Hopkins University Press. Maps and line drawings. $25 at Amazon.com

THE VIRGINIA NATURALIST John Trott, illustrated by Nicky Staunton Essays from 1927-2000, originally published in the Fauquier Times Democrat. Published by Piedmont Chapter of VNPS with the Middleburg Garden Club. Line drawings. 2nd Printing. $24 ($20 + $4 shipping/handling ) VNPS Office vnpsofc@shentel.net 400 Blandy Farm Lane, #2 Boyce VA 22620 or 540-837-1600

THRILLING TRILLIES AND CAPTIVATING CATTAILS Elwood Fisher Ethnobotanical Essays of Mid-Appalachia Contact bowlenchris@comcast.net $15 ($10 + shipping/handling) Line drawings

VIRGINIA NATIVE PLANTS Hal Wiggins A Short Course on Plant Taxonomy to Describe the Dominant Flowering Plants in the Fredericksburg Area, by Hal Wiggins, Environmental Scientist with the Regulatory Program, US Army Corps of Engineers. Color photographs Amazon.com or http://stores.lulu.com/halwiggins $24.57 Full color - Paperback

A FIELD GUIDE TO CROWS NEST Hal Wiggins http://stores.lulu.com/halwiggins $33 Full Color Paperback $10 Black & White Paperback "A Field Guide to Crow's Nest" takes you on an incredible journey to a land that time has forgotten. Hal Wiggins has worked for over 13 years to document, study, advocate and protect over 1800 acres of a unique peninsula in Stafford County, Virginia that is surrounded by a freshwater, tidal estuary. This is a history of Crow's Nest, from its beginnings millions of years in the past, through Colonial America, the Civil War and the efforts to save it today.

RESERVE NOW VNPS Annual Meeting

2008-08-17T11:51:00.002-05:00

Reservations for the Courtyard by Marriott for our reserved annual meeting rooms must be made before August 29, so get your room now! 703-751-4510

Annual meeting brochure and registration form:
BrochureAnnMt.pdf
AnMtRegForm.pdf

VNPS 2008 Annual Meeting

2008-07-21T07:36:00.002-05:00

September 12th to 14th, Alexandria, VA
“The Potowmack Experience: Flora along the Fall Line”

The 2008 VNPS Annual Meeting will focus on the diversity of plant communities along our national river, the Potomac. The Potowmack Chapter lies in the fall line region, where the Piedmont meets the Coastal Plain. Despite our area's urbanization, spectacular local and national parks line the river and protect dramatic falls, fascinating geologic features, meadows, bogs, and marshes - all along a surprisingly short section of the river. During the weekend, we've lined up a variety of field trips to some outstanding natural areas, gardens, and herbaria. On Friday evening, enjoy a dessert reception followed by a presentation. Saturday night features the annual meeting, a buffet dinner, and our keynote speaker. We hope you will join us.

Accommodations: Rooms are being held until Friday, August 22nd at the Courtyard by Marriott, Alexandria Pentagon South, 4641 Kenmore Ave., Alexandria, VA 22304; $99/2beds/night plus tax and $10 parking fee. Call (703) 751-4510 and mention VNPS Annual Meeting. Other local hotels include the Comfort Inn (703) 642-3422, Econo Lodge (703) 979-4100 and Best Western (703) 979-4400. Field trips will leave across the street from the Marriott and it is the banquet location; we encourage you to stay there.

Directions to the Marriott: From the south: Traveling on I-95, take I-395 north towards Washington, D.C. Take Exit 5, East (King Street, Rte. 7). Make first right on Menokin Drive then turn right on Van Dorn Street. Travel one mile, turn left on Kenmore Avenue.
From west: Take I-66 east to Falls Church, exit at Route 7 and head east (right). It’s 8 miles to Menokin Drive. Turn right, then right on Van Dorn St. Travel one mile, turn left at Kenmore Ave.

Directions to Green Spring Gardens: From the south or north: From I-395, take Exit 3B (Little River Turnpike West, Rte 236). Go 1.25 miles, then turn right on Braddock Road. Stay in the right hand lane and turn right onto Witch Hazel Road, the entrance to Green Spring. Go right at the stop sign to the Horticulture Center.
From the west: From I-495, take Exit 52B (Little River Turnpike East, Rte 236). Travel 3.5 miles, turn left on Braddock Road. Follow directions above.

For maps, information on restaurants and links to field trip sites, visit www.vnps.org or contact the VNPS State Office at Blandy (vnpsofc@shentel.net).

Friday Schedule

Registration and Friday events are at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312
1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Registration
2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Plant sales at the Potowmack Chapter propagation beds. Proceeds donated to VNPS.
7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Dessert reception and social hour, book and plant sale to benefit VNPS.
8:00 to 9:00 p.m. Friday Evening Program: Notable Natural Areas and Flora of the Northern Virginia Region. Presentation by Rod Simmons, plant ecologist and VNPS Registry Chair

Friday Field Trips

1. George Mason University Herbarium, Tours at 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Join herbarium director, Dr. Andrea Weeks, for a tour of the Ted R. Bradley Herbarium on the campus of George Mason University. This research facility houses over 60,000 dried and pressed plant specimens, including a synoptic collection of Northern Virginia flora that is used by students, scientists, and natural resource professionals as a reference collection for ongoing floristics projects. Gain insight into archival specimen preparation, curation, and how the "business" of taxonomic work gets done! Notable specimens and the extensive reference-text collection will be available for viewing, as well. (Directions to herbarium will be sent with registration confirmation).

2. Turkeycock Run Stream Valley Park, 2 to 5 p.m. Visit an upland Oak-Heath Forest at one of the highest points in Fairfax County. Terrace Gravel Forests are old-age communities characterized by gravelly soils deposited as glacial outwash from the ancestral Potomac River. A variety of heath species, oaks, hickories and remnant American chestnut will be seen as well as some fall wildflowers. Led by Rod Simmons, plant ecologist and VNPS Registry Site chair. Meet at Green Spring Gardens. Moderate

3. Native Plant Garden tour, Green Spring Gardens, 3:00 to 5:00 pm. The Virginia Native Plant Garden demonstration garden features a diversity of showy natives from many regions of Virginia. These natives perform well in garden settings of naturalistic designs to more traditional mixed border, perennial border, shrub border, and rock wall settings. There is also a remnant magnolia bog in the garden area. Tour led by Green Spring plant curator and horticulturist Brenda Skarpohl. Easy

Saturday Field Trips

All trips start at 8:30 a.m. from the parking lot behind Francis C. Hammond Middle School, 4646 Seminary Rd, Alexandria, VA 22304 across from the Marriott. Enter parking lot by turning right off Seminary Rd. at Pickett St. Turn right on Pegram St. to the parking lot.

1. Riverbend Park: Morning kayak trip and afternoon plant walk.
Explore the fascinating interaction between geology, geography and plants along the Potomac River. Aquatic and riverine plants and geologic features explored by kayak; floodplain and upland forest featured in the afternoon. $30 extra for kayak rental fee includes lifejackets and paddles. Trip led by Martha Slover, geography instructor, George Mason University and VNPS board member. Moderate

2. Great Falls National Park: Explore the bedrock terrace habitats along Mather Gorge. Focus will be on rare, natural communities such as the Piedmont/Central Appalachian Riverside Outcrop Prairie and the Potomac Gorge Riverside Outcrop Barrens. Late summer species in flower include Indian grass, big bluestem, western sunflower, tall coreopsis, and riverside goldenrod. We also may explore Extensive rocky shoreline scour zone habitats may also be explored. Leaders: Cris Fleming, field ecologist and Maryland Native Plant Society president and Gary Fleming, vegetation ecologist, Division of Natural Heritage. Moderate

3. Mount Vernon Historic Site: For the native plant lover with an interest in history: Walk through the extensive upland and lowland forests behind the scenes at George Washington’s historic Mt. Vernon on the banks of the Potomac River. Focus will be native trees and shrubs in the wild and those selected by General Washington to landscape the grounds of his beloved home. In the last hour and a half, tour the mansion, outbuildings, formal gardens, threshing barn, demonstration farm, and museum. Led by Dr. Elizabeth Wells, botany professor at George Washington University who specializes in native and naturalized plants of the east coast and early floristics records in 18th C Virginia. Extra $11 reduced rate entrance fee. Easy to moderate

4. Chain Bridge Flats: This area offers flood-scoured Piedmont bedrock-terrace habitat with unusual flora and vegetation, including several Midwestern disjuncts or range-limit populations, such as prairie redroot, big bluestem, shingle oak, wild blue indigo, and rock grape, as well as various Appalachian, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain species. Slow hiking pace in the rugged terrain of the Flats, easy return on the C&O Canal towpath, about 2-3 miles each way. Trip leader, Dr. Larry Morse, served as Chief Botanist of The Nature Conservancy and as North American Botanist for NatureServe. Moderate to difficult

5. Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge: This walk will focus on early autumn meadow plants, birds and butterflies. The diverse wildlife habitat of the refuge is valued for its upland meadows and wetlands on Occoquan Bay. A botanical survey by Nicky Staunton and Elaine Haug found 699 plant species. Other surveys included butterflies (74 species) and dragonflies (59 species). Butterfly tagging demonstration during lunch break. Bring binoculars, hat, sun-screen, insect-repellant. Trip led by Nicky Staunton, board member of the Flora of Virginia Project and past president, VNPS and Elaine Haug, Information Manager, Smithsonian Botany Department. Easy

6. Huntley Meadows Park: This 1,500 acre park is set in a coastal plain lowland created by an ancient meander of the Potomac River. Boardwalks and trails wind through freshwater marshes, shrub swamps, forests and meadows. Morning exploration of wetland with a rich variety of fall bloomers likely, such as white turtlehead and climbing hempweed. Opportunity to observe many dragonflies and birds as well. After lunch and a look at the park herbarium, explore the park’s spectacular meadows where tickseed sunflower, purple gerardia, grasses, sunflowers, and many varieties of goldenrod will be out in full force. Led by Karla Jamir, Huntley Meadow’s herbarium coordinator and certified naturalist. Easy

7. Gardens of Washinton D.C.: Bill McLaughlin, Curator of the U.S. Botanic Garden will lead a tour of the National Garden. The garden features species from both piedmont and coastal plain habitats that impart the distinctive character of our flora, while emphasizing the garden-worthiness of those plants familiar and unfamiliar to horticulture. An exhibit garden on Rainscaping is also at the Botanic Gardens. Next, visit the beautiful, native landscape gardens of the National Museum of the American Indian. After lunch, explore the Smithsonian’s Butterfly Garden with an option to visit the Natural History Museum’s new Butterfly Exhibit. Easy

8. Suitland Bog, Maryland: Visit one of the most diverse of the surviving Fall Line Terrace Gravel Magnolia Bogs. These bog-like wetlands, while technically spring-fed fens, were once common throughout the Fall Line in the greater Washington D.C. area, but are now globally rare. Sweetbay magnolia, poison sumac, dangleberry, red milkweed, rough aster and many other characteristic bog species will be seen. Trip led by Mark Strong, taxonomic botanist with the Smithsonian Institution. Half-day trip. Easy

9. Travilah Serpentine Barrens, MD: This is the only example in our region of the globally rare forested serpentine barrens community and is the largest site of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region. These communities are underlain by ultramafic rock which produces a soil that can inhibit plant growth. The plant community is characterized by “flatwoods” of oaks, hickories, short leaf pine, grassy glades and plants such as Leonard's skullcap and wild crabapple. Field trip continues at Blockhouse Point, a rugged forested area with disjunct montane species such as shagbark hickory, white pine, table mountain pine and cucumber magnolia. Trip led by Carole Bergmann, forest ecologist with Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Moderate

10. Barcroft Magnolia Bog and Terrace Gravel Forest: A half-day walk with a naturalist in and around Arlington’s most significant natural plant community. Magnolia bogs are globally-rare (G1) wetland and this one was first described by W. L. McAtee in the early 20th C. Participants will have an opportunity to observe a floristically unique patchwork of wooded seeps, a remnant Acidic Seepage Swamp (S3), and the terrace gravel forest that produced the wetlands. Led by Greg Zell, Arlington County Chief Naturalist. Half-day trip. Moderate

Saturday Evening Schedule

Social hour/Buffet/Annual Meeting and Guest Speaker
Courtyard by Marriott, Alexandria Pentagon South, 4641 Kenmore Ave., Alexandria, VA
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Social hour and cash bar
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Buffet
8:00 p.m. Keynote Presentation:
Whither Potomac Wildness? Proximal to both the Coastal Plain and Piedmont provinces, the tidal-Potomac watershed below the fall line retains remnants of an impressive biodiversity once sustained by extensive forestlands. Even as we commemorate lingering examples bequeathed us by history, such as tidal-freshwater marshes, regionally endemic Magnolia Bogs, and pockets of shell-marl forest, the need for conservation looms lest we pass along little in the face of spreading urbanization.
Keynote Speaker: Jim Long is coordinator of the Mattawoman Watershed Society and has been involved in southern Maryland and Potomac River conservation issues for many years. A Ph.D. physicist by training, he has assisted in field studies of Mattawoman Creek and its watershed, including botanical surveys and freshwater mussel assessments, and has led assays of habitat usage by migratory fish. Dr. Long has held numerous Maryland Scientific Collecting Permits, is a longtime, active member of the Maryland Native Plant Society, and was recently awarded the Conservationist of the Year award by the Southern Maryland Audubon Society.

Sunday Schedule

VNPS Board Meeting, Long Branch Nature Center 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Field Trips are scheduled from 9:00 to 1:00 p.m.

1. Great Falls Park: This 800 acre National Park is located at the fall line of the Potomac River where the piedmont and coastal plain meet and offers participants an opportunity to explore a wide variety of habitats and view colorful and sometimes rare native plants in bloom such as the riverbank goldenrod. Trip led by Marion Lobstein, associate professor of botany at Northern Virginia Community College and Joe Metzger, Maryland Native Plant Society field trip leader.

2. Turkey Run Park: Plant and Geology Walk. Mature forest with pockets of "old-growth” trees over 200 years old including the largest specimens recorded in the Potomac Gorge of sugar maple, tulip poplar, white oak, American beech. Floodplain and upland forest, deep ravines, streams and rocky bluffs. A key Potomac Gorge site, with interesting geologic features. Led by Rod Simmons, plant ecologist and Tony Fleming, geologist, formerly with the USGS.

3.Barcroft Magnolia Bog: See Saturday trips, number 10.

PDF version and PDF Registration Form only:
Regist%26BrochVNPS2008.pdf
AnMtRegForm.pdf

VNPS Annual Meeting 2008

2008-06-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

VNPS Annual Meeting
September 12-14, 2008
Hosted by Potowmack Chapter
Details coming soon in the newsletter and on the website.

Blackwater Ecological Preserve field trip

2008-05-29T09:55:00.002-05:00

Join us on June 28 (Saturday), 10 am to about 1 pm.

Easy to moderate. Blackwater Ecological Preserve in Isle of Wight County, with an area of 318 acres, is situated on dry to mesic sand ridges and has two of Virginia's rarest plant communities - longleaf pine-turkey oak flatwoods and longleaf pine savannas. These and other communities at the preserve were once more common in southeastern Virginia, but are now limited to a few precious stands. Preserve Steward Darren Loomis will lead this trip, which will also feature a stop at the Chubb Sandhill Natural Area Preserve's longleaf pine restoration site and a drive through the red cockaded woodpecker habitat at The Nature Conservancy's Piney Grove Preserve.

Space is limited and registration is required at least 10 days before the hike. There is a fee of $10 per hike a limit of 20 participants. Only heavy rain will cancel trips.

For all hikes, wear sturdy shoes or boots and be prepared for bugs and sun. Bring water and lunch or snacks.

Directions and meeting places will be provided to registered participants. Please provide your email address for this purpose, or request directions by mail on the form.

Please mail your registration with your field trip choice(s) and check to:

VNPS FIELD TRIPS, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce VA 22620.

REGISTRATION FORM:

Name _____________________
Address ____________________
City _______________________
State/ Zip Code ______________
Telephone __________________
email ______________________
_____ please mail directions to me

Field trips ($10 each):

____ Blackwater Ecological Preserve
____ Cypress Bridge Forest

____ Total

Reddish Knob - First 2008 State Field Trip

2008-04-28T18:16:00.001-05:00

This is the first of the Virginia Native Plant Society series of field trips for 2008 to some of the most botanically interesting preserves the state has to offer. We are making these trips yearly events to allow our members to visit some of our preserves, parks and Registry sites with expert guides.

Space is limited and registration is required at least 10 days before the hike. There is a fee of $10 per hike a limit of 20 participants. Only heavy rain will cancel trips.

May 17 (Saturday), 10:30 am to about 3:30 pm. Easy to moderate. Reddish Knob, in the George Washington National Forest is one of the highest peaks in the state at feet, with sweeping views and mountain flora. Members of the Shenandoah Chapter will lead us on a trip along FR 85 South and the side road that leads up to the peak. Both roads are veritable arboreta and are lined with ferns, heath shrubs and many mountainwildflowers such as turkeybeard, Clintonia, gaywings, painted trillium, black cohosh, dwarf crested iris, stargrass, and much more. It was at Reddish Knob that former President Clinton delivered remarks at a "Roadless Lands" event in 1999, when the Roadless Rule in the National Forests was being deliberated.

Field Trip Registration

For all hikes, wear sturdy shoes or boots and be prepared for bugs and sun. Bring water and lunch or snacks.

Directions and meeting places will be provided to registered participants. Please provide your email address for this purpose, or request directions by mail on the form.

Please mail your registration with your field trip choice(s) and check to:

VNPS FIELD TRIPS, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce VA 22620.

Name _____________________
Address ____________________
City _______________________
State/ Zip Code ______________
Telephone __________________
email ______________________
_____ please mail directions to me

Field trips ($10 each):

____ Reddish Knob
____ Blackwater Ecological Preserve
____ Cypress Bridge Forest

____ Total

2008 STATE FIELD TRIPS

2008-04-16T16:26:00.002-05:00

The Virginia Native Plant Society announces a series of field trips for 2008 to some of the most botanically interesting preserves the state has to offer. We are making these trips yearly events to allow our members to visit some of our preserves, parks and Registry sites with expert guides.

Trips vary in level of difficulty so please read descriptions carefully. Space is limited and registration is required at least 10 days before the hike. There is a fee of $10 per hike a limit of 20 participants. Only heavy rain will cancel trips.

This year we are offering the following field trips:

May 17 (Saturday), 10:30 am to about 3:30 pm. Easy to moderate. Reddish Knob, in the George Washington National Forest is one of the highest peaks in the state at feet, with sweeping views and mountain flora. Members of the Shenandoah Chapter will lead us on a trip along FR 85 South and the side road that leads up to the peak. Both roads are veritable arboreta and are lined with ferns, heath shrubs and many mountainwildflowers such as turkeybeard, Clintonia, gaywings, painted trillium, black cohosh, dwarf crested iris, stargrass, and much more. It was at Reddish Knob that former President Clinton delivered remarks at a "Roadless Lands" event in 1999, when the Roadless Rule in the National Forests was being deliberated.

June 28 (Saturday), 10 am to about 1 pm. Easy to moderate. Blackwater Ecological Preserve in Isle of Wight County, with an area of 318 acres, is situated on dry to mesic sand ridges and has two of Virginia's rarest plant communities - longleaf pine-turkey oak flatwoods and longleaf pine savannas. These and other communities at the preserve were once more common in southeastern Virginia, but are now limited to a few precious stands. Preserve Steward Darren Loomis will lead this trip, which will also feature a stop at the Chubb Sandhill Natural Area Preserve's longleaf pine restoration site and a drive through the red cockaded woodpecker habitat at The Nature Conservancy's Piney Grove Preserve.

October 11 (Saturday, time tbd). Difficulty depends on water level. Cypress Bridge Forest is the fairly recently discovered site of many state and national champion cypress and swamp tupelo trees. In 2006, Fleming and Patterson reported in our newsletter that at least 12 individual swamp tupelos, and six individual bald cypress exceeding eight feet in diameter were measured. The largest individuals are between 10 and 12 feet in diameter. All of the large trees are hollow, which appears to be one of the principal reasons this forest has never been cut. Purchase of this land as a Natural Area Preserve is being negotiated. Byron Carmean will lead us on a trip to see these magnificent giants. We hope for low water at this time of year in order to be able to walk among these trees, but will likely need to be paddle a short distance to the site, and be prepared for wading and possibly for paddling depending upon conditions at the time. This may therefore be a more difficult trip.

For more information, contact the VNPS office at 540-837-1600 or vnpsofc@shentel.net.

Field Trip Registration

For all hikes, wear sturdy shoes or boots and be prepared for bugs and sun. Bring water and lunch or snacks.

Directions and meeting places will be provided to registered participants. Please provide your email address for this purpose, or request directions by mail on the form.

Please mail your registration with your field trip choice(s) and check to:

VNPS FIELD TRIPS, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce VA 22620.

Name _____________________
Address ____________________
City _______________________
State/ Zip Code ______________
Telephone __________________
email ______________________
_____ please mail directions to me

Field trips ($10 each):

____ Reddish Knob
____ Blackwater Ecological Preserve
____ Cypress Bridge Forest

____ Total

VNPS Tallgrass Prairie Wildflower Trip, May 31-June 7, 2008

2008-02-29T13:52:00.003-05:00

Join us for a trip to Kansas to experience the beauty of the Tallgrass Prairie that once covered 400,000 square miles of the North American continent. Less than 4% of this prairie remains, primarily in the Flint Hills. In the spring, long before the native grasses reach their peak, native wildflowers are in full bloom. Birds and butterflies are plentiful as well.

Tours will include the National Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Chase County Kansas, the Konza Biological Station and Tallgrass Prairie, Coblentz Prairie and more. Lodging will be in a guest house/motel near the preserves in Council Grove. Council Grove also offers many historic sites and museums and the Flint Hills Rodeo.

Participants will meet on the evening of May 31 for a reception and orientation. Those traveling by air should arrive in Kansas City, Mo. Transportation to Kansas and breakfast and dinner are the responsibility of the participants. Transportation while on tour will be by private car/carpool for those who plan to drive or rent their own car. For those who fly, we plan to arrange group transportation if needed. The cost of this transportation will be based on vehicle rental fees, gas and insurance costs, and will be determined when we know how many people will choose this option.

Cost of the trip is $500.00 and includes lodging, lunches in the field, tour fees, guide fees, and a tax deductible gift of $50 to VNPS.

Reservations and deposit of $200.00 are needed by March 15, 2008. Full payment of the remaining $300.00 is due May 1. Space is limited to 14 participants. For more information, contact Helen Hamilton at 757-564-4494, helen44@earthlink.net or Linda Wilcox, 757-468-4346, W8n2FotoF14@cox.net.

Links of interest:
National Park Site:
http://www.nps.gov/tapr/index.htm
Konza Prairie: http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/kansas/preserves/art65.html
Chambers of Commerce:
http://www.councilgrove.com/
http://www.chasecountychamber.org/

Want to Join the VNPS?

2008-02-13T08:25:00.001-05:00

From www.vnps.org: From the list on the left, go to the Resources section of the website, click 'Related Links', and scroll to the bottom where you will see Listserves. Click 'VNPS listserv for Announcements and Events'.

Or from your browser: Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vanativeplantsociety/.

Click 'Join this Group'. If you already have a yahoo account you can sign in. If not you need to choose 'Sign Up', fill a user ID and password - personal information including your name is optional. Once signed up, you can choose 'My Groups' and 'My E-mail Preferences' to adjust settings.

If you have a message you would like posted, please paste the details into an email message and send to rccsca@comcast.net. Events to be posted should be directly related to our mission. No need for fancy formats - they will not come through. Attachments cannot be delivered to group addresses. PDF brochures and articles, and also photos can be put on another section of the site and members can go and see them, but it is usually easier to include a link to another website for articles, brochures or registration information.

VNPS Annual Workshop March 8, 2008

2008-02-03T18:17:00.000-05:00

Registration open!

Join us March 8 at the University of Richmond for an all day symposium on Virginia's native orchids, where our lineup of speakers will focus on orchid ecology and distribution.

Douglas Gill, professor in the Biology Department at the University of Maryland has studied a single population of pink lady slipper orchids for over 30 years, and will talk about answers to some questions about the life cycle of this orchid, and new questions that have come from his research.

Speaking about his reasearch about the fungal partners of orchids will be Dennis Whigham of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland.

Nancy Van Alstine of the Virginia Natural Heritage Program will share recent survey work looking for small whorled pogonia and Bentley's coralroot.

A noted photographer and contributor to the Flora of Virginia Project on the Orchidaceae, Hal Horwitz will take us on a photographic tour of the orchids of Virginia.

Download a PDF of the workshop brochure here:

WildOrchidBrochure.pdf

2007 VNPS Annual Meeting/Conference: "Where the Water Meets the Land," Sept. 14-16

2007-08-03T13:13:00.000-05:00

Registration Form at bottom, updated Sept. 6 with current field trip availability.
Presentations Friday and Saturday still available.

The 2007 VNPS Annual Meeting/Conference is being co-hosted by the John Clayton Chapter and the College of William and Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and will take place at the VIMS campus in Gloucester Point.

Teta Kain will lead daily paddle trips down Dragon Run, a unique river in Eastern Virginia. Lined with massive bald cypress trees and deep swamps, it is one of the most pristine waterways to be found anywhere in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Forming the boundary lines of four counties of the Middle Peninsula, it stretches 35 to 40 miles from King & Queen and Essex counties to the Piankatank River. The entire length of the river is privately owned and only a few roads cross the river making it almost completely inaccessible to canoe and kayak enthusiasts. Friends of Dragon Run owns several parcels of property along the middle reaches of the river, and it is from this area that the kayak trips will be conducted for the purpose of showing people first-hand how unique this waterway is and why the Friends of Dragon Run organization is dedicated to preserving it in its unspoiled state. For more information about Dragon paddle trips, including what to bring, wear and expect, visit the John Clayton web site at www.claytonvnps.org and click on "2007 State Conference" and then click on "Dragon Run Info."

To help celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown, a trip to Jamestown Island has been scheduled on Friday afternoon. Botanist Donna Ware will lead a walk to Black Point, where unusual oak species, as well as swamp plants and coastal grasses will be identified, including cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda), will be identified. A Jamestown interpreter will also tell about the use of native plants by the colonists.

Friday afternoon will also feature three presentations given by speakers from VIMS: “Living Shorelines,” “Current Phragmites Research,” and “Wetlands Research at VIMS.” In addition, Wesley Greene, Colonial Interpreter and Garden Historian with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, will give a talk titled “John Custis and the Transatlantic Plant Trade.” At 7:30 pm on Friday evening Keynote Speaker Dr. Jim Perry will present “Using Native Plants of the Mid-Atlantic States for Shoreline Planting and Stabilization.”

Saturday morning will begin with walking tours of VIMS Teaching Marsh, Coastal Forest Walkway, and Shoreline Management Structures. The Teaching Marsh is a small freshwater and tidal saltmarsh demonstration wetland constructed for water quality and educational purposes. The Coastal Forest Walkway is a short boardwalk through the plant community surrounding a small freshwater pond. The tour will also include a look at a living shoreline treatment of the boat basin entrance canal.

Rebecca Wilson, the Chesapeake Bay Region Steward for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, will lead a trip to the Grafton Ponds Natural Area Preserve on Saturday morning. Grafton Ponds represents Virginia’s best remaining example of a coastal plain pond complex. The many ponds here were formed by dissolution of the underlying calcareous marine deposits of the Yorktown Formation. This wetland complex supports several rare plants and animals for Virginia including Harper's fimbristylis, pond spice, Cuthbert turtlehead, Mabee's salamander and barking treefrog. The site is owned by the City of Newport News.

Also on Saturday, a tour and chance to buy plants at Sassafras Farm native plant nursery and trips to Mary Berg’s properties in Gloucester County will be offered. Mary’s morning tour on her homestead “Summerfield” will feature many native plants; this conservation habitat is an upland mixed hardwood forest with sandy soil. The afternoon trip to “Tripetala” features a mountain disjunct species, Magnolia tripetala. The 14-acre site is a ridge leading more than 30 feet in elevation down a calcareous ravine to a seep area with a slow moving stream. Fossil shells from the Yorktown Formation are exposed in this ravine. Expect to see a wide variety of native plants, including shadow witch orchid (Pontheiva racemosa), which is expected to be in bloom.

Saturday afternoon will include a trip to both the water-wise garden at the Human Services Building and to the Ellipse Garden, a demonstration garden of the Williamsburg Botanical Garden, both in James City County. A canoe trip to the Catlett Islands Reserve will be led by marine science field educators from the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia. The Catlett Islands encompass 690 acres of salt marshes, shrub wetlands, forested high ground, tidal creeks, and beaches on north side of York River in Gloucester County. In Donna Ware’s words, "the trip is a great opportunity to see a hard-to-get-to place!"

Informative talks will be presented on Saturday, concurrently with fieldtrips and tours. These include the following topics: “Coastal Plain Wildflowers” featuring slides by Hal Horwitz (Pat Baldwin), “Promoting Native Plants through Conservation Landscaping” (Carol Heiser, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and Susan Voigt, VA Cooperative Extension Master Gardener), “Distribution of Mountain Plants in the Coastal Plain” (Donna Ware), “The Archaeological Quest For John Clayton” (Bob and Lisa Harper), “Native Ornamental Grasses in the Home Landscape” (Helen Hamilton), “Native Trees for the Landscape” (Linda Johnson).

A party on Saturday evening will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the VNPS at the Freight Shed, on the York River waterfront. The evening will begin with a self-guided plant walk along the Riverwalk and a self-guided tour of historic Yorktown, and continue with a buffet dinner, the VNPS annual meeting, and a silent auction of native plant related items.

The conference will close on Sunday with the VNPS board meeting in the morning, and more great fieldtrips, including a native plant and bird walk at Beaverdam Park in Gloucester County with another chance to see shadow witch orchid, another trip down the Dragon, a native tree and shrub walk at Colonial Williamsburg and another tour of Sassafras Farm.

For a Detailed Schedule of the Conference visit http://www.claytonvnps.org/ and click on "2007 State Conference" and then click on "Detailed Schedule."

For questions about conference contact Jan Newton at jnewton110@cox.net or (757)566-3646 or Helen Hamilton at helen44@earthlink.net (757)564-4494. For registration questions call Karen York at VNPS at vnpsofc@shentel.net or (540)837-1600.

Registration Form (Registration opens to General Public on September 1.):

UpdatedRegistForm.pdf

June 9 - Shenandoah National Park

2007-05-17T07:59:00.000-05:00

June 9 (Saturday): Shenandoah National Park
Registration still open for
Hawksbill Gap Area, 10 am - 3 pm
Sample some of the Park’s high-elevation natural communities with Gary Fleming, vegetation ecologist with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage. This hike, of moderate difficulty on steep and rocky trails, will leave from the Hawksbill Gap parking lot (Milepost 45.6) and will last four to five hours. Natural communities to be explored include boulderfield woodlands with mountain ash and yellow birch, rich cove forests, high-elevation seeps and greenstone barrens. Sturdy footware, preferably hiking boots, are required.
Stoney Man Nature Trail, 10 am - 3 pm
For a less challenging hike that still offers an abundance of wildflowers and a stunning view of the Shenandoah Valley, join Maryland Native Plant Society board member Joe Metzger at Stony Man Nature Trail. Expect to see a variety of ferns and possibly white clintonia, (Clintonia umbellulata) and shrub honeysuckle in flower. Meet in the parking area at the Stony Man trail head.

Field Trip Registration
Park entrance fees are not included in the registration price. For all hikes, wear sturdy shoes or boots and be prepared for bugs and sun. Bring water and lunch or snacks.
Please mail your registration with your field trip choice(s) to:
VNPS FIELD TRIPS, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce VA 22620.
Name _____________________
Address ____________________
City _______________________
State/ Zip Code ______________
Telephone __________________
email ______________________

Field trip ($10)
____ Hawksbill Gap, June 9
____ Stony Man Nature Trail, June 9

2007 STATE FIELD TRIPS

2007-04-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

SPRING 2007
Virginia abounds with scenic areas of botanical richness. Take this opportunity to visit some of these stunning places with some of our most knowledgeable trip leaders. We hope to make these trips yearly events, and to take our members to some of our Registry sites, preserves and parks. This year we are offering field trips in York River State Park, the Potomac Gorge and Shenandoah National Park. Trips vary in level of difficulty so please read descriptions carefully. Space is limited and registration is required at least ten days before the hike. There is a fee of $10 per hike with an extra $4 for the canoe trip. The Turkey Run hike is free for workday participants. Hike details follow registration form.

Field Trip Registration
Park entrance fees are not included in the registration price. For all hikes, wear sturdy shoes or boots and be prepared for bugs and sun. Bring water and lunch or snacks.
Please mail your registration with your field trip choice(s) to:
VNPS FIELD TRIPS, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce VA 22620.
Name _____________________
Address ____________________
City _______________________
State/ Zip Code ______________
Telephone __________________
email ______________________

Field trip ($10 each except canoe and Turkey Run)
____ Taskinas Creek Trail, April 28
____ Taskinas Creek ($14), April 28 Please do not bring your own canoe.
____ Powhatan Forks / Majestic Oak Loop, April 28
____ Difficult Run, May 5
____ Great Falls, May 5
____ Hawksbill Gap, June 9
____ Stony Man Nature Trail, June 9
____ Total

Turkey Run, May 6 - FREE - please register by contacting Shirley Gay at shirleywg@comcast.net or 703-920-1913

April 28 (Saturday): York River State Park
The park has 2,250 acres of beautiful and diverse natural areas including a coastal estuary. We will offer two different hikes in the morning and an afternoon canoe trip.
Taskinas Creek Trail Walk, 10 am - noon
Helen Hamilton, VNPS state board member, will lead an easy hike of 1.5 miles on the Taskinas Creek Trail. A variety of habitats will be explored from an upland mixed hardwood forest with chestnut oak and mountain laurel to a small brackish marsh along the creek. This trip is timed for combining with the canoe trip.
Powhatan Forks Tr. / Majestic Oak Tr. Loop Hike, 10 am - 2:30 pm
Dr. Donna Ware, Curator Emeritus of the Herbarium at the College of William and Mary, will lead a hike of moderate difficulty through various habitats in the watershed of a small tributary to the York River. Natural communities that will be explored include coastal plain bluffs, fringing and pocket marshes, and a ravine-bottom swamp with large leatherwood (Dirca palustris) shrubs. Other highlights include a very large white oak, the Majestic Oak, various ericaceous shrubs in flower, and a view from the bluffs of Purtan Bay, the location Werowocomoco, Chief Powhatan’s capitol in 1607.
Taskinas Creek Canoe Trip, 1 - 3 pm
Taskinas Creek and its surrounding watershed total 525 acres and are designated a Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Explore the rich salt-marsh ecology of this creek with a park naturalist and Dr. James Perry, Professor of Marine Science and a marsh expert from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

May 5 (Saturday) and May 6 (Sunday): The Potomac Gorge
The many different habitats of the Potomac Gorge - upland forests, dry bedrock terraces, floodplain woodlands and prairies, and ponds and marshes - are part of a region of exceptionally diverse flora, especially considering it is in an urban area of the East Coast. 1400 different plants grow within the Potomac Gorge including many rare species.
Difficult Run, May 5, 10 am - 3 pm
Rod Simmons, a leading regional ecologist and VNPS Registry co-chair will lead this field trip. A major watershed of Fairfax County that flows into the Potomac below Great Falls, Difficult Run is a rugged, wild place with lots of waterfalls and massive rocky outcrops. Like all of the Potomac Gorge, the area is extremely rich with diverse plant communities. Expect to see a wide variety of spring wildflowers, including spiderwort (Tradescantia viginiana), yellow pimpernel (Taenidia integerrima) and bird’s foot violet (Viola pedata). Melic grass (Melica mutica) and a number of sedges grow in this rich, rocky woods. The walk will continue to Mather Gorge, where there is a sweeping panoramic view of the Potomac River. A potential extension of this walk is to continue to Great Falls for a round trip distance of approximately five miles from start to finish.
Great Falls Park, May 5, 10 am - 2 pm
Marion Blois Lobstein, Associate Professor of Biology at the Manassas Campus of Northern Virginia Community College, will lead an easy walk starting from the Visitor’s Center at Great Falls Park. Highlights of this trip include water willow (Decodon verticillatus), the rare few-flowered valerian (Valeriana pauciflora), starry false Solomon’s-seal (Smilacina stellata) and the anglepod milkweed (Matelea obliqua), and there are views of Great Falls from the bluffs.
FREE Turkey Run Invasive Workday May 6, 10 am - 12:30 pm and hike, 1:30 pm to 4 pm
Join Mary Travaglini of the Nature Conservancy for an invasive removal work party in the Gorge. Wear long pants and long sleeves and bring work gloves. There will be a lunch break before a walk down a somewhat steep trail to the shore of the Potomac River, and a more moderate return trail. The hike will be led by Dr. Stanwyn Shetler, Botanist Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution (note that this is a change from previously annouced leaders). Recently named a VNPS registry site, this mature forest with interesting understory vegetation gives way to rocky and sandy shores along the river.
To register for this workday and free field trip, contact Shirley Gay, shirleywg@comcast.net or 703-920-1913. Please include your telephone number with any message.

June 9 (Saturday): Shenandoah National Park
Hawksbill Gap Area, 10 am - 3 pm
Sample some of the Park’s high-elevation natural communities with Gary Fleming, vegetation ecologist with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage. This hike, of moderate difficulty on steep and rocky trails, will leave from the Hawksbill Gap parking lot (Milepost 45.6) and will last four to five hours. Natural communities to be explored include boulderfield woodlands with mountain ash and yellow birch, rich cove forests, high-elevation seeps and greenstone barrens. Sturdy footware, preferably hiking boots, are required.
Stoney Man Nature Trail, 10 am - 3 pm
For a less challenging hike that still offers an abundance of wildflowers and a stunning view of the Shenandoah Valley, join Maryland Native Plant Society board member Joe Metzger at Stony Man Nature Trail. Expect to see a variety of ferns and possibly white clintonia, (Clintonia umbellulata) and shrub honeysuckle in flower. Meet in the parking area at the Stony Man trail head.

Seeds of Success Workshop - Please RSVP

2007-03-20T08:52:00.000-05:00

VNPS SOS Collectors - Spring Greetings!

It is time to meet again as collectors for the Seeds of Success program.

Andy Walker, North Carolina Botanical Garden, is coming to review protocols, teach us new techniques, give us a new collection list for target species and bring us up to date on any changes for shipping. In the future, collections will be shipped to Andy in North Carolina.

Following the workshop, we will be collecting and sending seed and herbarium specimens to Andy, the SOS Coordinator through NCBG, collecting in the Mid-Atlantic South region.

John Hayden has been communicating with Andy and has graciously offered to host the Workshop. There will be training in the Gottwald lab at University of Richmond followed by a short field trip to practice our skills. The information you will need follows:

Saturday, March 24, 2007
9:45 a.m.
University of Richmond
Gottwald Science Building A-205
(Directions are on the University of Richmond website)

9:45 a.m. Assemble in Room A-205 of Gottwald
10:00 a.m. Session #1
11:30 a.m. Session #2

12:30 p.m. Lunch
(Please bring a bag lunch and drink to enjoy in the atrium or outside "forum")

1:00 p.m. Field Session
2:30 p.m. Wrap-up

Bring:
Loupe or hand lens
Pocket knife
Flora or other book for identification of plants
Notebook, pens/pencil for note taking

The classroom will have some very nice dissecting microscopes and John will have several copies of the Carolina Flora for you to borrow for the Workshop.

For the walk: perhaps hiking boots incase there are some Spring muddy spots. We don’t expect to find many native plants that have set seed, but there will be some plants to practice our new skills. It will not be a long hike, rather someplace fairly close to the campus, if not on it.

John has plans to put up VNPS signs on stakes by the road to get us across the U of Richmond campus and to Gottwald. Those "trail markers" are appreciated.

If there are questions, please send them to me on my e-mail nstaunton@earthlink.net or call
540-547-2813.

There are some spaces for the workshop, so if you know of someone who wants to collect seeds to be preserved for posterity through Kew's Millennium Seed Bank's Seeds of Success program in North America, invite them to join our effort.

Seeds of Success (RBG Kew) Workshop

2007-03-17T11:24:00.000-05:00

On March 24, 2007 VNPS will host Andy Walker of North Carolina Botanical Garden at the University of Richmond for a day long workshop teaching us the proper methods for seed collection for our project with the Millenium Seed Bank's Seeds of Success Program. A schedule will be posted soon. There will be both a field and a lab section to the training. VNPS has a list of 60+ plants that need to be collected. If you are interested in the program, please contact nstaunton@earthlink.net. The project is focused on evaluating and collecting large numbers of seeds from big populations of common plants, and the documentation necessary for the collections.

VNPS Annual Workshop

2007-01-31T09:53:00.000-05:00

Virginia Native Plant Society 2007 WORKSHOP

DISCOVERING VIRGINIA 1607-2007: Bushwackers, Botanists and Pioneers

Saturday, March 3, 2007
9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
University of Richmond, Gottwald Center for the Sciences

Inspired by the quadricentennial of the Jamestown settlement, this workshop looks back at 400 years of botanical exploration, cultivation and colonization in our state. Considered by many to be the birthplace of botanical study in the New World, Virginia has a long and fascinating history of pioneers and explorers who have made significant contributions to science and to our cultural heritage. In the 18th century, for example, pioneers who pushed through the boundaries of the Blue Ridge Mountains created an entirely new cultural and agrarian landscape in the Shenandoah Valley. On a broader scale, early botanists like John Clayton laid the foundation for plant exploration that can be traced from the publishing of Flora Virginica in 1743 up to present day efforts to produce a new Flora of Virginia. Join us as we celebrate some of the remarkable people who have contributed so much to our present day botanical knowledge and to Virginia’s history.

As an added attraction, workshop participants are invited to a special viewing of
“Native Plants of Virginia: Selections from the University of Richmond Herbarium” on exhibit in the Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature. This exhibit links line drawings by Lara Gastinger with herbarium specimens and botanical photographs.

VNPS thanks the Department of Biology, University of Richmond for hosting this event.

Full brochures are on the way to members. Can't wait? Download the pdf brochure:

Workshop Brochure

VNPS returns to the Bruce Peninsula, Ontario

2006-12-06T11:06:00.000-05:00

June 16-23, 2007
VNPS members may join us on a visit to Ontario's Bruce Peninsula, a rich botanical area and UN Biospehere Reserve located between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. The trip includes a week's stay at a lodge, guided field trips and meals. See bogs, fens, rich woods, alvars (natural limestone pavements) and rocky lakeside habitats. Reservations and deposits are needed by January 10. Please see our recent newsletter or contact the VNPS office at vnpsofc@shentel.net or 540-837-1600 for further information.

VNPS merchandise

2006-12-06T09:43:00.000-05:00

VNPS note pads are 50 pages with a beautiful reproduction of the watercolor wildflower border on white paper. $4.00 each.

T-shirts feature a border with our name on the front and our logo on the sleeve. Sizes from S to XL in the green, chestnut and eggplant are $15.

Items are available from your VNPS Chapter or by contacting the office at vnpsofc@shentel.net or 540-837-1600. Shipping will be added for items ordered by mail.