This event has been cancelled due to inclement weather and the danger of high wind gusts. Smartview offers a variety of areas to explore. There is an old pond area, a meadow and a beautiful deciduous forest. The trail is a 2-mile loop. It is rolling, but no long climbs. This area is quite historic as…

Mount Rogers has several areas over 5,000 feet in elevation. We will drive to Whitetop and discuss the ecology of the bald area. From there we will walk the Appalachian trail to Elk Garden. This is a three-mile section which is all downhill. The trail takes us from mountain bald through a birch forest. It is quite…

The Blue Ridge Wildflower Society Plant Sale will be at the parking lot next to the Virginia Western Community College Arboretum greenhouse. We expect to have at least 50 species of native plants for sale. Some of the more popular varieties will be five species of native ferns, Solomon’s Seal and Plume, bleeding heart, Virginia bluebell,…

This is an opportunity to see fabulous displays of yellow lady slippers and turkey beard. There are usually some good displays of fire pink along the way. We will be stopping along the parkway and driving down into the Arcadia area of the Jefferson National Forest. There will be some walking, but mostly from the car for…

Tom received his BS in Entomology and Applied Ecology at the University of Delaware in1974 and his MS in Entomology from Virginia Tech in 1977. He has worked in the Entomology Department at Virginia Tech since 1977 to the present and is the manager of the Beneficial Insects Quarantine Laboratory. His work involves testing, releasing, and monitoring biological…

The Claytor Nature Center Field Trip  on Saturday, July 20 has been cancelled due to extreme high temperatures.   This field trip will be led by Professor of Biology Nancy Cowden from Lynchburg University. She will share lots of summer flowers including some rare orchids. We will be finished by noon. Lunch is optional. There…

This annual event is held in conjunction with the Roanoke Valley Bird Club, who will provide fried chicken, and we will provide barbecue. Please bring your favorite side dish or dessert. Water and soft drinks will also be provided. Meet: 4:00 – 6:00 pm, Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs, 3640 Colonial Ave., Roanoke Contact: Ellen…

Toni will lead us to a botanical treasure which features a nice board walk, waterfalls and lots of late summer flowers. Some of the flowers featured will be cardinal flower, monkey flower, bull rush, meadow beauty, goldenrod, lots of sedges and other wetland flora. Walking will be on the board walk and a short jaunt…

Chris plans to talk about wildflowers and their benefits to beneficial organisms. He will explain what they are doing in their lab as it pertains to wildflowers and insects, and will skew towards bees, but it won’t exclusively be all about them. There are actionable steps that people can take in their yards or other…

Long before the technology existed to cut timber from forests, people were gathering food, medicine and other products. These practices continue today, and are deeply embedded in the culture of our society. Foraging food and medicine from forests has increased over the last decade, with the ‘farm to table’ culinary movement, and increased interest in…