Events Calendar
2025
Generation NEXT Legacy Planning Workshop
- August 15, 5:00 - 7:30 PM & August 16, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- James Madison's Montpelier, Orange County
- $90 for 2 family members; $10 each additional family member
Join family communication, conservation, legal, and financial experts to learn how to plan for passing your land on to the next generation while keeping it intact, in forest, and in family ownership.
Registration fee includes dinner, light breakfast, lunch, and 56-page Legacy Planning Workbook.
- Agenda
- Registration is closed
- Contact Karen Snape, ksnape@vt.edu, for more information.
Virginia Tree Farm Foundation Lunch Tour
- August 22
- 11:30 - 3:00
- Upper King & Queen Ruritan, St. Stephens Church
- $15/person; $30/couple
After a catered lunch at the Ruritan, we will tour Dick Porterfield’s 377-acre Tree Farm to learn about loblolly pine management including using clonal seedlings and thinnings. We will also discuss protecting water quality and options of for managing hardwoods and visit a 10-year-old longleaf pine plantation.
- Registration is closed
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, for details.
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Stay Safe in the Woods Part 2
- August 22
- 12:15 PM
- Facebook live or YouTube
Go back into the woods with Dr. Anja Whittington to learn how to cope when wounds and breaks occur while you are out in the woods.
Virginia Tree Farm Foundation Lunch Tour
- September 4
- 11:30 - 3:00
- Raccoon Creek Pinelands, Yale
- $15/person; $30/couple
We will enjoy a boxed lunch from the Virginia Diner in a new pavilion made from longleaf pine and then take a tour to learn about restoration of this native species. This property is the 2025 Virginia Tree Farm of the Year!
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, for details.
Beyond the Basics Woodland Owner Retreat:
Managing Your Forest for Wildlife
- September 5-6
- New Kent Conference Center, Providence Forge
- Individual
- No lodging: $65
- Lodging: $130
- Couple
- No lodging: $130
- Lodging: $260
Whether you have 5 or 500 acres, there are ways to manage your woods to create habitat for many different types of wildlife. This program will focus on aspects of creating and maintaining habitat for both game and non-game species, such as white-tailed deer, black bear, bobwhite quail, turkey, songbirds, pollinators, reptiles, and amphibians.
A combination of classroom, field trip, and hands-on activities will be used to teach concepts of sustainable woodland management for wildlife management. Registration includes 3 meals on Friday, breakfast on Saturday, snacks and refreshments, materials, and field trip transportation.
This Beyond the Basics Retreat will be hosted by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and Virginia Cooperative Extension and is for landowners who have some experience with forest management.
- Draft agenda
- Register by mail
- Register online
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, 540-231-6391 for more information.
The Woods in Your Backyard Online Course
- September 8 - November 17
- Online
- $125/person
Registration for the next session of the University of Maryland Extension's "The Woods in Your Backyard" online course is now open! This self-directed, non-credit course runs 10 weeks from September 9th to November 18th. The online format lets you access the content when it’s convenient for you, without worrying about attending evening classes or weekend workshops.
The course will help landowners convert lawn to natural areas and enhance stewardship of existing natural areas. Based on the guide of the same name, the course provides strategies to landowners of small parcels of land (1-10 acres) that improve the stewardship of their property for personal enjoyment and environmental quality. It uses a hands-on learning approach to help participants develop and implement a plan for their property.
Activities include how to map habitat areas, understand basic ecological principles about woodland and wildlife, choose and implement a few habitat management projects, and how to set a timetable and record your progress. Online discussion groups will allow participants to interact with others taking the course. A certificate of completion is awarded when all assignments are completed.
Registration includes the 108-page “Woods In Your Backyard” guide, workbook, and a tree identification guide. The course is limited to 25 participants, so sign up now!
For more information, go to https://go.umd.edu/the_course. To register through Eventbrite, go to https://go.umd.edu/WIYB-Fall25.
Real Forestry for Real Estate
- September 9
- South Central Association of Realtors, Farmville
This program focuses on the importance of forests and forestry, and provides real estate professionals with tools which may help them better market their product (i.e., rural land). At the end of each program, we discuss the award-winning Welcome to the Woods publication and distribute a set number to each participant with instructions to hand them out to clients interested in purchasing forested land.
For more information, contact Karen Snape, ksnape@vt.edu, 540-231-6494.
New Christmas Tree Growers Meeting
- September 13
- 8:45 AM - 12:30 PM
- Nuckols Christmas Tree Plantation, Cumberland
- $15/person; $25/couple
Kyle Peer, Superintendent, Reynolds Homestead Forest Resources Research Center, and Richard Nuckols, grower at Nuckols Christmas Tree Plantation, will discuss getting started with Christmas tree production. The topics include seedling selection, planting techniques, farm layout, and shearing. We will also discuss applying pesticides and herbicides safely.
This is a hands-on workshop with indoor and outdoor sessions, wear appropriate footwear and bring work gloves.
- Register by mail
- Please register by September 9th
Contact Kyle Peer for more information, krpeer@vt.edu, 276-694-4135.
Virginia Tree Farm Foundation Lunch Tour
- September 15
- 11:30 - 3:00
- Bastian Church of God, Bastian
- $15/person; $30/couple
We will enjoy lunch together and learn about the Virginia Tree Farm Foundation. Then we’ll explore the Demeter Tree Farm, a 540-acre property, to learn about the variety of management and research activities taking place on the land. This property was the 2024 Virginia Tree Farm of the Year.
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, for details.
Virginia Tree Farm Foundation Lunch Tour
- September 19
- 11:30 - 3:00
- Caroline Furnace Camp & Retreat Center, Fort Valley
- $15/person; $30/couple
We will enjoy lunch together and learn about the Virginia Tree Farm Foundation. Then we’ll see active forest management practices occurring on this 239-acre Tree Farm in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, for details.
Virginia-North Carolina Woods & Wildlife Conference
- September 20
- 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
- Northampton County Cultural Center, Jackson NC
- $30/person includes lunch, refreshements, and transportation to the mill tour
Join the first-ever south central Virginia/north central North Carolina landowner Woods & Wildlife Conference. Modeled after the ever-popular Woods & Wildlife Conferences in Culpeper and southwest Virginia, this one-day event will consist of concurrent sessions and a tour of the nearby Roseburg Forest Products mill.
- Agenda and register by mail
- Register online
- Registration closes September 10
For more information, contact Neil Clark, neclark@vt.edu or Jason Fisher, kefishe@vt.edu.
Virginia Tree Farm Foundation Lunch Tour
- September 26
- 11:30 - 3:00
- Meadowbrook Community Center, Shawsville
- $15/person; $30/couple
We’ll meet at the Community Center for a catered lunch and brief presentation on the Virginia Tree Farm Foundation. Then we’ll travel to the nearby 57-acre Tree Farm to learn about managing for Appalachian hardwoods, Eastern white pine, and all the wildlife that live there. We’ll also learn about research and outreach projects with Virginia Tech.
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, for details.
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Creating Vernal Pools
- September 26
- 12:15 PM
- Facebook live or YouTube
Join Virginia Cooperative Extension's Adam Downing to learn about creating vernal pools as critical wildlife habitat.
Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tours
Join landowners, natural resource professionals, and other outdoor lovers for day-long tours that explore a variety of sustainable forestry and wildlife management practices. Tours visit private, public, and industry-owned lands.
Past tours have visited seedling nurseries, timber harvesting operations, sawmills, pine plantations, cooperages, hardwood forests, arboretums, Christmas tree farms, elk habitat, fisheries, hunting plantations, and more.
- October 2 Henry County
- October 9 Wise County
- October 16 Virginia Beach
- October 17 Frederick County
- Agendas and registration available in mid-August.
Henry County Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tour
- October 2
- Tractor Supply of Martinsville, Ridgeway
- 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
- $45/person; $80/couple
Henry County has long relied on its forest resources. These resources helped the county become a major center for the furniture industry in the early 1900’s. And today, with over 190,000 forested acres, forestry remains an important part of the economy. On this tour we’ll learn how these forests are being managed sustainably and how the timber is made into wood products.
Stop 1: Practices for Improving Young Hardwood Forests. See how a private woodland owner used the new Virginia Hardwood Initiative to improve the management of a young hardwood stand.
Stop 2: Practices for Improving Mature Hardwood Forests. Learn how thinning can be used to improve wildlife habitat in a mature stand of hardwoods.
Stop 3: Fortifying Your Pines Against Attack. Bark beetle outbreaks are predicted to be on the rise! Are your trees healthy enough to withstand an attack? See a well-done pine thinning where the wood harvested was processed at a sawmill we’ll visit later in our tour.
Stop 4: Lunch. Hot catered meal with a choice of meats, vegetables, lemonade and tea and dessert from Allen’s Catering.
Stop 5: Hopkins Lumber Mill Tour. Watch a sawmill transform pine trees into what moves the world – pallets!
Stop 6: Livestock...in the Woods? Silvopasture is the process of intentionally managing trees and livestock together. See a newly established project on private property.
Generation NEXT Legacy Planning Workshop
- October 4
- Charley's Waterfront Cafe, Farmville
- 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- $80 for 2 family members; $20 each additional family member - includes lunch
Join family communication, conservation, legal, and financial experts to learn how to plan for passing your land on to the next generation while keeping it intact, in forest, and in family ownership. Visit: https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/generationnext/home/workshops for details.
Contact Karen Snape, ksnape@vt.edu, 540-231-6494 for more information
Wise County Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tour
- October 9
- Lowes, Wise
- 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- $25/person; $40/couple
Wise County is full of forests - 170,000 acres in fact. From the beauty of the Guest River Gorge, to the Trail of the Lonesome Pine, these forests are an important part of the history and development of this remote Virginia county. On this tour we’ll see the unique income opportunities developed in Wise as well as active hardwood forest management. Oh, and the views!
Stop 1: South Fork Farms Sugar House. This privately-owned facility evolved from 10 taps and a propane cooker to a full-scale sugar house in less than 10 years. We’ll take a guided tour of this delicious operation.
Stop 2: Mullican Flooring. On this tour of a solid hardwood flooring manufacturing facility we will see the lumber handling, drying yard, pre-driers, dry kilns, ripping, and flooring manufacturing production lines using white oak, red oak, and specialty species.
Stop 3: High Knob Destination Center. Catered lunch.
Stop 4: High Knob Lookout Tower. Get a bird’s eye view of the surrounding land uses in the region. While at the top we’ll also visit a high-elevation hardwood forest to look at regeneration and young forest habitat. We’ll discuss storm damage and salvage operations.
Stop 5: Flag Rock Recreation Center. We’ll finish the tour exploring green salamander habitat and perhaps even find some of these little critters.
Virginia Beach Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tour
- October 16
- Walmart Supercenter #3644, Chesapeake
- 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
- $45/person; $80/couple
A forestry tour in a city? Yes indeed! In fact, Virginia Beach has been a Tree City USA since 1980. The benefits of this urban forest increase every year as trees continue to grow and thrive. Virginia Beach’s urban forest is a vital component of the city’s infrastructure, as important as efficient transportation and clean water.
Stop 1: Cavalier Tract. On this privately owned tract we will discuss thinning as a way to protect pine plantations from southern pine beetle attacks and options for transitioning pine plantations to natural hardwood forests. We’ll also identify ways to attract desirable wildlife to these areas while minimizing negative human-wildlife conflicts.
Stop 2: Your wood from your property. Nothing tells a family story like making something beautiful from a tree that you grew up with and know its story. Witness ways folks have repurposed trees around their property into long-lived and beautiful discussion pieces.
Stop 3: Pork in the Woods. Intentionally managing both livestock and trees on the same acreage is called silvopasture. We’ll hear about the process from a local farmer.
Stop 4: Managing the Rural-Urban Interface. In an urban area like Virginia Beach, there is often development pressure on the surrounding rural areas. At this stop we’ll have a discussion about the unique challenges in this rural-urban interface area.
Stop 5: Utility Tree Arboretum. In keeping with the urban forestry theme of the day, we’ll wrap up the tour looking at which tree species are best for urban settings and how to tend to them so they don’t eventually become expensive problems.
Frederick County Fall Forestry & Wildlife Field Tour
- October 17
- Alson H. Smith AREC, Winchester
- 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
- $45/person; $80/couple
Frederick County not only boasts the northern most point in the Commonwealth but also a diversity of farms and forests equal to anywhere with a powerful history from Native American influence to Civil War scars. Past and present land uses have shaped and continue to influence the region. This story will weave through the sites we will visit from mountain forestry to the threatened wood turtle habitat.
Stop 1: Mountain Forestry at Devils Backbone State Forest. This relatively new 700 acre state forest that is just over the county line in Shenandoah is steep, beautiful, and under active management for timber and wildlife. Both natural and artificial regeneration are on display since a timber harvest in 2018 and an improvement thinning for better hardwood growth & habitat. The view alone is worth the effort.
Lunch: Farm fresh with a story @ West Oaks Farm Market
Stop 2: Landfall Lodge. Many conservation practices at this popular wedding venue likely go unnoticed by most lovebirds. But feathered friends, turtles “of greatest conservation need”, and many other wildlife species, game and non-game, really LOVE this place! The pollinator meadow is more than a photo-spot, it’s a valuable habitat along Hogue creek. This farm and several nearby lands support the greatest concentration of threated wood turtles in the world. These animals can live up to 80 years in the wild.
Stop 3: Franklin Tract & Timber. This relatively small tract of woodland has received lots of attention for timber and wildlife management. With any luck, we’ll get to not only talk about hardwood management for timber and wildlife, but see a timber harvest in action that is in accordance with the landowner’s management plan. Oh, and we might learn what bats have to do with it all.
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: Tree Growth
- October 24
- 12:15 PM
- Facebook live or YouTube
Join Virginia Cooperative Extension's Neil Clark to learn how trees grow.
Generation NEXT Legacy Planning Workshop
- November 8
- Norfolk or Hampton Roads
Join family communication, conservation, legal, and financial experts to learn how to plan for passing your land on to the next generation while keeping it intact, in forest, and in family ownership. Visit: https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/generationnext/home/workshops for details.
- Contact Karen Snape, ksnape@vt.edu, 540-231-6494 for more information.
- Registration opens in mid-September.
Real Forestry for Real Estate
- November 6
- Eastern Shore Association of Realtors, Onley
This program focuses on the importance of forests and forestry, and provides real estate professionals with tools which may help them better market their product (i.e., rural land). At the end of each program, we discuss the award-winning Welcome to the Woods publication and distribute a set number to each participant with instructions to hand them out to clients interested in purchasing forested land.
For more information, contact Karen Snape, ksnape@vt.edu, 540-231-6494.
Timber Cruising for Woodland Owners
- November 7
- 10:30 - 4:00
- Reynolds Homestead, Critz
Hiring a professional forester is the best way to ensure an accurate accounting of your timber volume and value. And it’s important for you to understand where these numbers come from. This hands-on class will teach you how a timber cruise is conducted.
More details coming summer 2025.
Real Forestry for Real Estate
- November 13
- Rockbridge Highlands Realtors, Lexington
This program focuses on the importance of forests and forestry, and provides real estate professionals with tools which may help them better market their product (i.e., rural land). At the end of each program, we discuss the award-winning Welcome to the Woods publication and distribute a set number to each participant with instructions to hand them out to clients interested in purchasing forested land.
For more information, contact Karen Snape, ksnape@vt.edu, 540-231-6494.
2025 Southwest Virginia Tree Syrup School
- November 22
- St. Paul
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: After the Storm Disaster Response
- November 28
- 12:15 PM
- Facebook live or YouTube
Join Virginia Tech's Karen Snape as she discusses what to do if a disaster strikes your woods.
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest: The Twelve Shorts of Christmas
- December 26 - January 6
- 12:15 PM
- Facebook live or YouTube
The Fifteen Minutes in the Forest Team has 12 sweet shorts to celebrate the holiday! It's the twelve days of Christmas...with a natural resources twist!
2026
Southwest Virginia Woods & Wildlife Conference
- February 21
- Squires Student Center, Blacksburg
Details and registration coming in December!
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, 540-231-6391 for more information.
Northern Virginia Woods & Wildlife Conference
- February 28
- Daniel Technology Center, Germanna Community College, Culpeper
Details and registration coming in December!
Contact Adam Downing, adowning@vt.edu, 540-948-6881 for more information.
Beyond the Basics Woodland Owner Retreat
- March 13-14
- Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, Appomattox
Details and registration coming in January!
Contact Jennifer Gagnon, jgagnon@vt.edu, 540-231-6391, for more information.