Pocahontas Chapter Field Trip: Difficult Creek

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Date/Time
Sunday, September 9, 2018
11:00 am - 3:00 pm

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(Richmond, VA) – Join the Pocahontas Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society on Sunday, September 9 at 11 a.m. for a special guided tour at Difficult Creek Natural Area Preserve in Halifax County. We are fortunate to have Chris Ludwig, Chief Biologist of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, as the trip leader. Ludwig considers Difficult Creek as one of his favorites, not because of its looks, but for all the fascinating plants which he labels as “a diversity unheard of in that region.”

Contact trip coordinator Leslie Allanson at leleorr4@gmail.com or 804-335-5866 to register for the trip and get directions. Anyone with an interest in our native landscape is welcome, from novice to expert. The outing is free. Wear walking/hiking shoes and bring your own insect protection (ticks are prevalent), as well as water and snacks. There are no rest rooms on site. Trip may be canceled due to heavy rain; contact trip coordinator in case of bad weather.

The ecological significance of this 819-acre preserve was first noted by botanists who discovered several rare plants growing along a roadside and beneath a wide powerline clearing near the creek. Those open areas had become a refuge for sun-loving prairie grasses and forbs that declined during the fire suppression era of the 1900s and were
displaced by planted loblolly pine stands established after about 1960. Some of these prairie plants are very rare in Virginia and occur at this site due, in part, to the presence of basic, clay-rich soils. DCR manages the natural preserve using prescribed fire and loblolly pine removal with the objective of restoring the historic Piedmont savanna / woodland ecosystem with its open structure, high biodiversity and constituent rare species.

The Pocahontas Chapter is one of 12 Virginia Native Plant Society chapters, and serves the counties of Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, King William, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, and the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond. In addition to eight monthly meetings, the chapter conducts field trips, holds a May picnic and wildflower walk, hosts the annual Virginia Native Plant Society Winter Workshop, and sends a monthly newsletter.

Membership in a chapter is available to anyone who joins the Virginia Native Plant Society. VNPS members enjoy the natural world and support efforts to preserve Virginia’s native plants. Ranging in age from students to seniors, members are professionals, knowledgeable amateurs and many who are just beginning to learn about our flora. While some members join enthusiastically in activities, others help out occasionally or support the society solely with their memberships and their interest. All are welcome.

 

For more information, visit the chapter and state websites https://vnps.org/pocahontas/.

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