Celebrate the third anniversary as the Appalachian Highlands Chapter.

There will be a short business meeting with a social hour afterwards. We will hold the election of 2025 officers.

This is a great time as members to reflect on what we have accomplished and to discuss our future goals.

Water and coffee will be provided. Please bring your favorite light refreshment and your nametag.

The Summit building is set back from Volunteer Parkway with an access road between Eastman Credit Union and Bank of Tennessee. There is a cut-through on the Parkway divide for a left turn if you are coming from the downtown Bristol area.

Location: The Summit, Expedition Room, 1227 Volunteer Pkwy, Bristol, TN, 37620

Join Virginia Working Landscapes’ Graduate Research Fellow Bernadette Rigley as she reveals preliminary findings from her research on the behavioral ecology and conservation of grassland birds.

Bernadette, a PhD student at George Mason University and VWL Graduate Research Fellow, is conducting research on how grassland birds live, breed, and migrate throughout the different seasons and how their behaviors are influenced by management practices. Her goal is to identify management practices that can simultaneously support bird populations and the livelihoods of those who depend on these landscapes. 

This event will last for one hour. It will be recorded and made available online. Please register for this free event.

Must pre-regsiter

Blacksburg Community Center, 725 Patrick Henry Dr, Blacksburg, VA 24060

Invasive plant removal and improvement of native plants at Historic Smithfield Plantation, 1000 Smithfield Plantation Rd., Blacksburg. Parking is free without the need for a VT parking permit. The group is generally between the main house and the pavilion. If you cannot find them, text or call (727) 488-7378. If weather conditions present precipitation, high winds, or temperature lower than 40 degrees (F) or higher than 90 degrees (F), the event will be canceled. Recommend gloves and closed toed shoes. Bring a shovel, if you want to help dig shrubs, or loppers if you want to cut English ivy. Contact person is David McEwen, (727)488-7378 or dmcewen@davidmcewen.com.

Adopt-a-Garden or just come for the day and help. The garden consists of plants all native to our area, to both support pollinators and educate the public about native plants. Work with the group or come on your own. Workdays vary based on season and weather. Contact person is Barb Walker at brwalker@earthlink.net.

Meet on the paved walk between the Old Growth Forest and the end of Green Street. There may be a parking space on Green Street. If not, you can park (on Sunday!) across the street from the VTPD and walk up the paved path. If you cannot find us, text or call 540-257-2489. If there is precipitation, high winds, or the temperature is higher than 90 degrees or lower than 38 degrees, we will cancel the event. Please bring work gloves and wear closed toe shoes. For details, contact Beth Umberger at megachile300@gmail.com or call 540-257-2489.

Meet: Heritage Park, Dora Highway, Pulaski.

Contact: Friends of Peak Creek at info@friendsofpeakcreek.org.

Join us to help cultivate and maintain pollinator-friendly plant species.

The BRWS October Membership Meeting will feature “Fungi” by Dr. Bob Pohlad of Ferrum College. Bob is a Professor Emeritus of Biology and Horticulture at Ferrum College. Bob’s interests focus on plants and fungi. He and his wife led many student trips to Ireland, the Caribbean, and the Galapagos. He is also a senior scientist for the Water Quality Monitoring Program on Smith Mountain Lake.

The meeting will be held at Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs, 3460 Colonial Ave., Roanoke, VA. Snacks, social and sign ups will begin at 6:00 pm and the talk will begin at 6:30 pm.

Meet on the paved walk between the Old Growth Forest and the end of Green Street. There may be a parking space on Green Street. If not, you can park (on Sunday!) across the street from the VTPD and walk up the paved path. If you cannot find us, text or call 540-257-2489. If there is precipitation, high winds, or the temperature is higher than 90 degrees or lower than 38 degrees, we will cancel the event. Please bring work gloves and wear closed toe shoes. For details, contact Beth Umberger at megachile300@gmail.com or call 540-257-2489.

Members only!  Steele Creek Park, Civitan Shelter, Bristol

Fall is a great time to share both native plants and seeds from our gardens. Our annual event is one of the benefits of being an official Wild Ones member! This is an opportunity to thin out your flower beds of native plants and bring your labeled plants or seeds to swap and share.

Please start to gather your extra plants or seeds and identify them for the swap. If you don't have any extras, just come and take some home!

The Swap will be followed by a potluck supper and social hour. Please bring your own beverage and a dish to share. This will be a great opportunity to learn about natives, get plants, and meet members.

You will be charged $2 at the gate for parking.

Subject matter is chosen to supplement the delivery of Virginia SOLs while focusing on the Clinch River ecosystem. Most regional school systems approve the event as recertification credits for attending educators. We also have some great prizes to give away at the end of the day, including two new laptops equipped with Microsoft Office software.

Welcome and Keynote Address (8:30am): Terri Brown, Assistant Professor of Geology at UVA-Wise, will open the day with a keynote address on work to engage regional high school students with field-based instruction in Southwest Virginia.

To register, please email the following information to creec.committee@gmail.com:

Your Name, Contact Phone Number, Email Address, School System and Department

Please indicate any dietary restrictions or food allergies. We will do our best to accommodate them if possible.

Symposium is open to formal and informal educators—you do not need to be a K-12 educator to attend.

Please register by October 15, 2024

Please email questions or comments to the Clinch River Environmental, Education Committee at creec.committee@gmail.com.

Location: Oxbow Center, 16200 E. Riverside Drive, St. Paul, VA

Benjamin Vogt is the author of “Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design” and “A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future.” His design work has been featured in The American Gardener, Dwell, Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Midwest Living, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He operates Prairie Up, a firm dedicated to offering garden design, online classes, workshops, webinars, and guidebooks, and speaks nationally on natural garden design and landscape ethics.

Learn all about captivating caterpillars with Dr. Rebecca Forkner, Associate Professor, George Mason University. Caterpillars are: diverse, often colorful, excellent camouflagers; the larvae of moths and butterflies, the second stage of four in the insect’s life-cycle; nutritious food for birds, ants, spiders, wasps, toads, and other wildlife. Chickadees can feed their young from 390 to 570 caterpillars a day.

Caterpillars are often hidden from view, but these Lepidopteran larvae are diverse, often colorful and important to our ecology. Dr. Forkner is an entomologist, community ecologist and plant biochemist. She researches the ecological and evolutionary factors responsible for the colors we observe in plants and in insects and plant-insect interactions.

During our online workshop, we will teach you how to best manage invasive plants during the autumn and winter seasons. This workshop will take place via Zoom and will include a Q&A period with PRISM experts.

Topics covered in this session include:

• Best seasonal practices for specific invasive plants

• Using manual & mechanical control methods

• Methods for controlling invasive plants with careful use of herbicides

• Methods for controlling invasive plants without herbicides

• Planning a work schedule with best timings for multiple plants

Cost: $10

This virtual session will be recorded. Those who register will receive access to the recording.

Invasive plant removal and improvement of native plants at Historic Smithfield Plantation, 1000 Smithfield Plantation Rd., Blacksburg. Parking is free without the need for a VT parking permit. The group is generally between the main house and the pavilion. If you cannot find them, text or call (727) 488-7378. If weather conditions present precipitation, high winds, or temperature lower than 40 degrees (F) or higher than 90 degrees (F), the event will be canceled. Recommend gloves and closed toed shoes. Bring a shovel, if you want to help dig shrubs, or loppers if you want to cut English ivy. Contact person is David McEwen, (727)488-7378 or dmcewen@davidmcewen.com.

Stroubles Creek flows through parts of Montgomery County, the town of Blacksburg, and Virginia Tech's campus. At roughly 12 miles long, this stream passes through notable landmarks such as Main Street, the Drillfield, and the Duck Pond. Interestingly, the portion along the Drillfield has been piped underground, and many people are unaware that there is flowing water beneath their feet! Stroubles Creek plays a crucial role at Virginia Tech by providing essential freshwater and supporting biodiversity within the ecosystem. Learn more about how VT’s Site and Infrastructure and the Office of Sustainability are collaborating to promote awareness about Stroubles Creek, its health, and the impacts it has on our community. Part of the presentation will include information on a brand new streamkeepers program created to monitor an inlet of the creek that flows from West Campus Drive to the Duck Pond. Our speakers include VT MS4 Coordinator Katelyn Muldoon and VT Office of Sustainability interns: Rose Harvey, Leilani Hyatt, Peyton Penland, and Hannah Worthy.

Held in the Blacksburg Community Room at the Blacksburg Library, 200 Miller St SW, Blacksburg. To join virtually please register

Adopt-a-Garden or just come for the day and help. The garden consists of plants all native to our area, to both support pollinators and educate the public about native plants. Work with the group or come on your own. Workdays vary based on season and weather. Contact person is Barb Walker at brwalker@earthlink.net.

Meet on the paved walk between the Old Growth Forest and the end of Green Street. There may be a parking space on Green Street. If not, you can park (on Sunday!) across the street from the VTPD and walk up the paved path. If you cannot find us, text or call 540-257-2489. If there is precipitation, high winds, or the temperature is higher than 90 degrees or lower than 38 degrees, we will cancel the event. Please bring work gloves and wear closed toe shoes. For details, contact Beth Umberger at megachile300@gmail.com or call 540-257-2489.

Our online workshop will provide an introduction to invasive plants and will help you to confidently identify different species in the autumn and winter seasons. This session will take place via Zoom and will include a Q&A period with PRISM experts.

Cost: $10

This virtual session will be recorded. Those who register will receive access to the recording.

Meet: Heritage Park, Dora Highway, Pulaski.

Contact: Friends of Peak Creek at info@friendsofpeakcreek.org.

Join us to help cultivate and maintain pollinator-friendly plant species.

Meet: Gateway Trail Parking Lot, 2701 Meadowbrook Dr., Blacksburg.

Contact: sustainability@blacksburg.gov or sawdon@msn.com.

Join us for monthly mechanical removal of Asian Bittersweet vines in a two-acre Town of Blacksburg stream and park restoration project at Heritage Community Park and Natural Area. Autumn olive has been removed and 900 native tree and shrub seedlings have been planted. Now we’re removing bittersweet from native trees. Our efforts will reduce the need for herbicides to control invasive regrowth.

-          Arrive by 9 am or shortly before

-          Bring your own hand tools (pruners, loppers, hand-saws, shovels) and gloves

-          Wear closed-toed shoes/boots and clothing to protect against sun, ticks and thorns

-          Use sunscreen and tick repellant

-          Bring your own water and snacks

Meet on the paved walk between the Old Growth Forest and the end of Green Street. There may be a parking space on Green Street. If not, you can park (on Sunday!) across the street from the VTPD and walk up the paved path. If you cannot find us, text or call 540-257-2489. If there is precipitation, high winds, or the temperature is higher than 90 degrees or lower than 38 degrees, we will cancel the event. Please bring work gloves and wear closed toe shoes. For details, contact Beth Umberger at megachile300@gmail.com or call 540-257-2489.

College of Natural Resources and Environment Geography Instructor Stewart Scales ‘09, ‘11 will lead two of the most popular hikes in the area! Hikers will learn about the history of Mountain Lake and local geology, landforms, and flora as they take in beautiful views of West Virginia and the New River Valley, as well as Virginia’s largest distribution of American Chestnuts. Hikers will travel about four miles total at the two locations, including a steep ascent of .4 miles.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Tara Nepper at 540-231-5484 or tnepper@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Please be sure to wear appropriate hiking shoes and bring energy snacks to keep you fueled on the trail.

Free to attend but registration required.

College of Natural Resources and Environment’s Dr. Dendro (John Seiler, tree physiology specialist) will lead a hike at Pandapas Pond, one of the U.S. Forest Service’s most popular recreational areas, for a casual walk on easy trails. Seiler will discuss ecological processes that are driving ecosystem changes around the pond, and hikers will be able to discuss—and taste! —common and unique tree species found in the area.

Please be sure to wear appropriate hiking shoes and bring energy snacks to keep you fueled on the trail.

Free to attend but registration required.

Volunteers will help remove invasive vines from trees along the Huckleberry Trail in Blacksburg. Meeting location TBD so watch the Sustainable Blacksburg website for updates or email to request the location information. Wear gloves and closed toe shoes. Bring clippers or loppers if you have them. Will be canceled in the event of precipitation, high winds or temperatures of 40 or below.

Join Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension Foresters from across Virginia for a 15 minute video on a timely topic every other Friday at 12:15 on Facebook Live  or YouTube Premier.  All videos can be viewed on the Virginia Forest Landowner Update YouTube Channel any time (subscribe to be notified when new videos are added).

Invasive plant removal and improvement of native plants at Historic Smithfield Plantation, 1000 Smithfield Plantation Rd., Blacksburg. Parking is free without the need for a VT parking permit. The group is generally between the main house and the pavilion. If you cannot find them, text or call (727) 488-7378. If weather conditions present precipitation, high winds, or temperature lower than 40 degrees (F) or higher than 90 degrees (F), the event will be canceled. Recommend gloves and closed toed shoes. Bring a shovel, if you want to help dig shrubs, or loppers if you want to cut English ivy. Contact person is David McEwen, (727)488-7378 or dmcewen@davidmcewen.com.

Join us for our virtual Fall Meeting where we’ll dive into the fascinating world of insects and their importance in our ecosystem!

Butterfly, ladybug, firefly, caterpillar, luna moth, bumble bee– all insects! (Spotted lanternfly– also an insect.)

Insects play a crucial role in our world. Yet, their numbers are declining at a steady and alarming rate. Most insects are extremely beneficial to our local ecosystems. Our birds, plants, flowers, trees, and vegetables could not survive without them! However, there are some insects–displaced from their original habitat– that pose challenges to our local environment.

During our event, Dr. Linda Fink will discuss the beauty and importance of insects, and will examine the effects of invasive organisms on our native insects. She will also talk about the effects of invasive insects on our forests.

Adopt-a-Garden or just come for the day and help. The garden consists of plants all native to our area, to both support pollinators and educate the public about native plants. Work with the group or come on your own. Workdays vary based on season and weather. Contact person is Barb Walker at brwalker@earthlink.net.