The Bluffs at VMI in Lexington with Mary Lee Epps & Ruth Douglas
Date/Time
Saturday, April 8, 2023
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location
Virginia Military Institute
Categories
Email jeffvnps.com if you are interested in attending this field trip.
From Mary Lee Epps:
An April field trip is planned to the Heights at Virginia Military Institute. The area and adjacent bottomland are a delight for anyone who loves spring wildflowers. Both are exceptionally rich in in a wide variety of natives with a number of species that either haven’t been found in Albemarle or are very unusual here. The area is botanically special for several reasons. It boasts two different habitats —an elevated bluff with thin, rocky soil that descends extremely steeply with a north-northeast exposure to a floodplain with deep sandy loam. This steep descent discourages deer browsing and logging, resulting in mature forest on the slope. In addition, the entire area is at an elevation of roughly 900 to 1000 feet, much higher than Charlottesville. Finally, the underlying rock also contributes to the different flora. It is part of the Edinburg Formation with alternating layers of limestone and shale, so that the soil is much less acid than that of the Charlottesville Area.
Additional 2023 field trips and outings will be announced in the coming months. Future opportunities will include farm visits, area parks and trails, and several Virginia Natural Heritage Sites.
