The WPOA Landscape Project: a Nice Upgrade to Wintergreen’S Entrance in Keeping with the Community’S Unique Identity

The Blue Ridge

Newsletter for The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen | Vol. 26 Issue 2 | Winter/Spring 2020

From the Director: The WPOA Landscape Project: A Nice Upgrade to Wintergreen’s Entrance In Keeping With the Community’s Unique Identity. by Doug Coleman

The Wintergreen Property Owner’s Association has been upgrading the mountain’s entrance to restore its native herbaceous plants. New plantings of native shrubs and ferns grace the roadway entrance as one approaches the gatehouse and Wintergreen Drive. A new native garden at the Community Offices Building can be enjoyed as spring approaches.

Over the past few years, the “after frost” Wintergreen Drive mowing operations have resulted in a flourishing display of wildflowers, especially during the months of July through October. Waiting until frost before mowing the upper road bank results in a massive wildflower planting when the action of the mower blades distribute the seeds. This is perhaps the most cost effective landscape beautification effort at Wintergreen as it showcases a beautiful asset while managing vegetation along the road way.

The Community Offices Building is also getting a new native plant garden for visitors to enjoy as they walk from the parking lot to the building. Local Landscape Architect and Nature Foundation volunteer, John James has created an artistic design that incorporates native shrubs, ferns and wildflowers in an “arboretum like” connector path leading to the buildings entrance. Many of the shrubs and wildflowers for these projects were propagated by the Nature Foundation from “mother plants” that grow on the mountain, incorporating local vigor from indigenous species that thrive here. Staff Doug Coleman – Executive Director Kathie Driscoll – Education Director Linda Ehinger – Staff Member Welcome to The Nature Liz Fravel – Membership and Special Events Sharon Bolmey – Bookkeeping Foundation at Wintergreen Josh Palumbo – Forest Management

Forum!

TNFW Board of Directors We invite our membership and interested members of the Doug Coleman – Executive Director public to share their suggestions for activities, improvements, Rob Pritchard – TNFW Board President John Claman – TNFW Board Vice President and things we might have overlooked. We love to improve! Christine White – TNFW Treasurer Possible ideas for suggestions include: Dr. Janet Steven – TNFW Secretary Elaine Davis • New hikes or programs you would like to see. Gerry DeWitt Greg Redfern Beverly Holloway Dima Holmes • Past programs you would like to see again or expanded John James upon. Rod Kessler Larry Luessen Also, please let us know how you would prefer to receive your Marjolaine Marianella Susan McSwain TNFW information – email, U.S. mail, social media (if social Rita McKenzie media: Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) or TNFW website? Chastity Morgan Jay Roberts Richard Velletri We really want to hear from you. All you have to do is send Dr. Dennis Whigham your suggestions to us at https://www.twnf.org/site-feedback/ We will let you know the results.

Membership Committee Dima Holmes – Chairman Larry Luessen Gunter Muller A dear Nature Foundation friend form the past, Science & Education Advisory Mandred Angermann Emily Ferguson Dr. Linda Fink joined the staff Dr. Catherine Holsof for our Living John James Dr. Ryan Klopf with Nature at Dr. Steve Miller Wintergreen Hike Dr. Chip Morgan this past fall. Dr. Carole Nash Ann Regn Dr. Janet Steven – Co-Chair Dr. Dennis Whigham – Co-Chair Dr. Woodward Bousquet Dr. Donna Ware Anne Witt

The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen Route 1, Box 770 Roseland, VA 22967 www.twnf.org TWNF on Facebook photo by Emily Ferguson

2 The Nature Foundation Winter Lecture Series Tackling Science: Is Science Always Right Or Is It Holding Us Back? by Kathie Driscoll

This year’s Nature Foundation Winter Lecture Series will challenge our beliefs in science. Is science always right or is it holding us back? How many people do you know that don’t believe anything they hear unless it’s been “scientifically proven”? How many people do you know that treat any scientific study as absolute truth? Do you believe that everything printed in a scientific journal to be true?

“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena; it will make more progress in one decade than in all previous centuries of its existence.”

----Nikola Tesla

On Friday January 10th we will host special guest speaker Dr. James Zimring, Tillack Professor of Experimental Pathology at the University of Virginia. Dr. Zimring pursues basic and translational research in the field of transfusion medicine and blood biology. He has an M.D. and also a Ph.D. in Immunology, has published over 120 research articles in his field of study. Professor Zimring has a superb national and international reputation in the fields of transfusion science and red blood cell research.

Dr. Zimring will begin our lecture series by exploring the basis of scientific practice, methodology, and knowledge – based upon his recent book on the topic What Science is and How it Really Works.

In speaking with Dr Zimring I gleaned from him some of his philosophical ideas about the many different belief systems in our world, of which science is only one. Science has the appearance of a very special system which has led to dazzling technological progress, decade after decade, century after century. Thus, it seems like science has some special ability to understand, predict, and control the natural world. However, science also gets things wrong, and at times, disastrously so. Moreover, the history of science is littered with failed theories, theories once held to be true. Ironically, it is these failed theories that were used to make the stunning technological progress of the past. How do we reconcile this dichotomy and how much confidence should we place in current scientific knowledge claims? What does it mean when scientists claim to “know” something?

3 Continued on next page Our second winter lecture series will be presented by Dr. David Perault, of University of Lynchburg on Friday, January 24th. His presentation From Wooly Worms to Real-time Radar: How Far Have We Come will investigate the differing aspects of weather and climate prediction from early predictions, to folklore to space-age innovations. Special consideration will be given to forecasting weather here in Central Virginia with special attention to how our climate is being impacted by human activities. Both weather newbies and seasoned observers will benefit from the topics and insights presented.

The final presentation of our last winter lecture series on Friday, February 7th will be on The Science of Skywatching. Dr. Karin Warren, Herzog Family Chair of Environmental Studies & Science Sustainability Council Co-Chair at Randolph College will delve into the history of weather forecasting up to present-day forecast products. Dr. Karin will discuss the science behind the formation processes of clouds and how cloud types relate to present and approaching mid-latitude weather systems. Folks at this session will learn to identify cloud types and ice crystal and droplet phenomena, and understand how they relate to atmospheric conditions and weather systems.

Sky watchers know the view above their heads are often filled with extraordinary phenomena like rainbows and double rainbows, ice crystal haloes, aurorae, and clouds. Meteorology has an astounding variety of features and there are complex physical processes that create these atmospheric phenomena. Dr. Warren will teach us to learn when, where, and how to keep our eyes to the skies to observe these beautiful features shown in the heavens above.

4 A Day in the Woods at Wintergreen by Josh Palumbo

The woods are an active place at Wintergreen, whether the Wintergreen visitor sees it or not. This is the case of the elusive bobcat, the slow moving red eft or the staff and volunteers of The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen. Since so few actually get a glimpse of our daily labors, come with us on a day in the woods at Wintergreen.

As the sun rises this crisp mountain morning, TNFW staff meets up with a Virginia Tech skunk specialist at 7 am to check traps laid overnight to catch an elusive spotted skunk. Success! One feisty male spotted skunk trapped and ready for data collection. Measurements and samples are taken and the skunk released. Partnerships like this have allowed us to know all we can about the range and habits of this reclusive mammal.

At 9 am, cars begin gathering in the parking lot for another “elephant” day on the trails. After breakfast together, this eager group of volunteers attack their list of objectives for the day. Water bars, diversion ditches and stream bank improvements are the name of the game today. After three hours, the eroded section of trail is improved and ready for the multitude of hikers that will use it each year. The dirty crew ascends the trail towards the road in pursuit of a bit of rest and relaxation.

Noon has arrived and a babbling brook calls out to a TNFW staffer. The time has arrived for the quarterly water monitoring at this Stoney Creek location. Macro invertebrates are collected, sorted and counted. Chemical tests are done on the water and the site is deemed healthy for Wintergreen’s protection and enjoyment. Next step is to head down stream to the next monitoring location to do the same tests.

5 Continued on next page The afternoon has brought a warming sun, perfect for a walk with a VCU professor to put in long term vegetation plots aimed at monitoring climate change effects on the forest. At 2:30pm, the TNFW staffer and VCU researcher meet at the gate to Crawford’s Knob to ascend the jeep road towards the peak. After measuring out the area, each tree is identified, tagged and measured. We descend the mountain and mark out plots at multiple elevations until we hit the valley floor. If

climate change does affect our forest, we will be the first to see and identify the changes.

The setting sun offers one more chance to study the forest at Wintergreen. At dusk, the woodland creatures begin to stir and for TNFW that means deer survey time. We begin the route along the Wintergreen roadways with our spotlights and rangefinders. Each deer is recorded for its location, age and sex. We also have a fun habit of recording every bunny, bear or bobcat that passes our way. After multiples censuses, a population total is established for our community.

Night has now set in as heavy darkness envelopes the mountain. The time to rest has finally arrived. Tomorrow morning brings new adventures and new concerns. Be assured that as the morning sun arrives, The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen is endeavoring to care for the woods of Wintergreen.

6 Natural Landscaping on the Mountain by John James

Long before my wife and I moved into our new Wintergreen home, it was our dream to have a natural landscape, one that had no grass to mow and that was full of native plants and ferns. In planning this “garden”, I was very careful not to immediately buy all of my favorite plants before I’d decided where to plant them or whether I could use them at all. I tried to develop a landscape plan that allows for a more measured approach and will give me enough time to select site- appropriate plants.

This year’s planting will probably have to wait, though. It’s getting late in the year and plant availability is limited. Also, it has been extremely dry throughout Virginia this summer and fall. This gives me some time to prepare the yard for spring. Winter is the best time to get gardens ready for planting, anyway. Here are some things I’ve learned about preparing other landscapes that can be applied to gardening on the mountain and in Stoney Creek.

I tell my clients that, before they do any landscaping, they should live with their new property for at least a year. This gives them time to learn what plants will thrive in their garden. A critical factor in planning a new landscape is getting to know the site - the soils, the steepness of the land, drainage patterns, orientation, wind and weather, patterns of sun and shade, how animals and insects use the site, and what plants are growing there. It’s also a good idea to notice the landscapes of your neighbors and to observe how much maintenance they require.

If you decide to plant natives - and I hope you will - then use nature as a model. It has taken me five years to begin to understand the diverse and unique plant communities that grow at Wintergreen. The diversity and the plant uniqueness really makes this community special and has helped me determine the plant selections for my own garden. We know that gardens patterned after nature are better for the environment. Choosing the right plant for the right location means less maintenance. Native plants are better suited to local conditions. They are less likely to need irrigation and are less effected by pests and disease. They can be quite attractive and are beneficial to insects, birds and other animals. I also think that they are more visually interesting than non-native plants.

Those of us who support the notion of natural landscaping often forget that not all gardening practices are bad for nature. We can actually improve the ecological health of a natural place. Just because our landscapes are full of native plants doesn’t mean that it will be without some maintenance. In order to achieve a healthy diversity of plants, we still need to be diligent by insuring the growing conditions are ideal, and that means that there will be some level of weeding, mulching, watering, feeding and pruning.

We instinctively want to have landscapes that are free of fallen leaves, weeds and dead plants, but as winter approaches, let the fallen leaves remain in planting beds. The season’s freezing and thawing loosens the soil and decomposes the fallen leaves to release organic matter back into the soil before planting time in the spring.

John James is a professional Landscape Architect with 35 years of experience. He currently has clients on the mountain and in Stoney Creek.

7 Continued on next page When you prepare for planting, consider using a commercial mulch or make your own mulch by grinding twigs, bark and leaves to create a more natural compost/mulch. Mulch reduces evaporation, erosion by wind and water, and compaction by foot traffic. It also moderates soil temperature, hinders weed growth, releases nutrients back into the soil, and provides a habitat for beneficial insects and animals. Once a landscape is established and there are plenty of oak and hickory leaves to spread around, I personally have found additional mulching unnecessary.

I’ve noticed that most soils on the mountain need little alteration for native plants plantings. The soils are well-drained and at the same time, they retain some moisture, therefore there’s little need to amend the soil unless you want to add more soil for easier planting. To prepare more soil for your garden, use a good, clean topsoil with added leaf mulch or rotted sawdust to imitate the natural soil’s structure and organic content. Winter can be dry, so pay attention to soil moisture; you may have to water your garden (if it’s warm enough not to freeze). With most natural gardens, watering past the first planting season may be unnecessary, unless it is droughty, as it was this year. If you feel the need to irrigate, use drip irrigation; an effective and efficient method to get the water to the plants’ roots.

I prune only when I need to remove dead or dying branches or to shape or limb-up plants to give room for lower plants. Sometimes plants will need to be pruned back to a central leader (trunk or stem), or to reduce the number of main stems. This is particularly true with shrubs. I never recommend topping or shearing a tree or shrub. It exposes too much cut plant tissues to disease and insect pests and may kill the plant. I usually wait until after the first flush of growth in the spring to correctively prune.

Winter is also a good time to start seeds indoors. As the weather warms, seedlings can be moved outdoors during the daytime to harden off. Place them in a shaded spot and out of the wind. After one week, plants can be moved to a sunnier spot. As a “lazy gardener”, I prefer to purchase plants that are ready to go right into the soil. I do try to find local sources for native plants, though.

I know that deer damage is a big issue with gardeners in this area. We’re experimenting with some mechanical and chemical repellents, which does not require a lot of maintenance. I’m hoping to find the miracle cure! Still, it is best, anyway, to select plants that are less attractive to deer (and rabbits, chipmunks, moles, etc.). Native plants tend to be resilient and most will survive damage by browsing animals.

We are looking forward to preparing our garden beds this winter, then planting our mountain natives this spring, so that in the future there will be less maintenance and more time to sit and enjoy our new landscape. I hope that our garden and these tips may inspire other homeowners to try their hands at natural landscaping. The staff at the Nature Foundation have been very helpful in providing information on our native plants and they have opened our eyes to the natural gardens found here at Wintergreen.

8 A History of the Wintergreen Community by Doug Coleman

Excerpts from For the Love of the Land, the first in a Wintergreen series celebrating the beauty and history of Wintergreen

The Beauty That Time Built

Those of us who have come to treasure the solid, rounded mountains that are the Blue Ridge, feel, when we are in them, the tranquility of their age. Yes, they call us to explore their trails, hunt, fish there streams, and swim in the occasional deep pools of those streams. But they also call us to lie in a hammock, peering up through the canopy of oaks as through a leafy kaleidoscope before dropping off to sleep. Most of the time they’re quiet mountains.

They are also approachable. If, magically, you were set down on the top of one of them, you could make your way off and down to the valley, scratched up and mosquito-bitten through the rocks, trees, and brush, but in one piece. The Blue Ridge Mountains are comfortable and comforting, and above all usable mountains. That’s not to say that they don’t pose their own dangers—venomous snakes and freak storms, such as the backlash from Hurricane Camille, about which you’ll hear later in this story.

Wintergreen is privileged to occupy several of the most beautiful slopes, ridges, and valleys to be found in the Blue Ridge. Its highest peak, Devils Knob, is nearly 4,000 feet high, and views from it are spectacular. According to 2015 figures, there are 2,777 individual properties on two of its mountains that resemble something like a city-state; while in the fields and woods of the Rockfish Valley community of Stoney Creek there are 1,097 properties.

Whether you are up above or down below you are unaware of this density. Both areas were planned and executed with an environmental sensitivity that is expressed in every aspect of the community, which in the 1970s was a radical new concept.

It is a community that might never be built today, as there would be too many lengthy time delays from all the bureaucratic red tape. As it happened there were several times when the difficulties of the terrain, the scope of the project and economic and financial upheavals almost brought it to a halt. The tale of Wintergreen’s coming to be is a very human story, and we will embark on it, but not before looking at what came before it—way before it.

______

Learn more about Wintergreen’s rich history. For Love of the Land is available for purchase in The Nature Foundation’s Shoppe or online at https://www.twnf.org/nature-products/for-love-of-the-land-a-history-of-the-wintergreen-community/

Excerpted from For the Love of the Land: A History of the Wintergreen Community by Mary Buford Hitz.

9 How’s the Weather?

by Josh Palumbo

2019 was yet another year of extremes on the weather front. I sure am glad we have a weather station on top of The Trillium House. Thanks as always to Blue Ridge Life Magazine for supporting our weather addiction!

Warmest Day of the Year: 86.6 F (July 21) Highest Wind Gust: 46 mph (Feb 25)

Coldest Day of the Year: -3.0 F (Jan 21) Average Wind Speed: 3.1 mph

Warmest Month: July – 65.5 F Rainfall Total: 53.16 inches

Coldest Month: January – 27.6 F Rainiest Month: June – 11.6 inches

Average Daily Temperature: 50.5 F Average Daily Humidity – 76.9%

 Our weather website: https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KVAWINTE1

10 Nature Foundation at Wintergreen Classroom Programs Make a Difference for Fourth Grade History Studies

On October 3rd, we welcomed Kathie Driscoll from The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen into our Virginia Studies classrooms. She spoke with the fourth grade students at Tye River Elementary School about the Eastern Woodland Indians that lived throughout the state of Virginia. The students followed the paths of the Native Americans as they used their map skills to trace their journey. They also had an opportunity to hear important facts and see visuals about that time period. Mrs. Driscoll shared artifacts discovered in the Blue Ridge Mountains so the students could get an up close real time learning experience of Virginia’s ancient culture. The information she presented was very beneficial because it assisted in reviewing vocabulary terms and content that supported the Standards of Learning (VS.2) covered in class. We really appreciated Mrs. Driscoll’s visit to our school and look forward to her on-going visits with activities to enhance the students’ knowledge about history in Virginia.

Mrs. Nora M. Hagar Tye River Elementary School Arrington, Virginia 22922

11 News from The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen’s 2019 Summer Intern

Valerie Wessel, Major in Wildlife Conservation with Minors in Biological Sciences and Forestry- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

I knew I wanted to work with animals and the environment since I was a little girl. It wasn’t until I gained some volunteer experience and started my continued education at Virginia Tech as a wildlife conservation major that I realized my passion for environmental education. Finding this internship with The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen’s Education Director, Kathie Driscoll, was definitely the perfect fit for me.

During my summer in Wintergreen, I took advantage of many different opportunities and experiences. My main responsibility was to assist the Education Director in creating and conducting educational programs, usually for younger children. I contributed to the production of various activities, lesson plans, and even brand-new events for The Foundation.

I also presented my own program about my volunteer research experience at Virginia Tech’s Wildlife Habitat and Population Dynamics Lab and the use of trail cameras to analyze bear and deer populations in southwest Virginia.

Along with programming, I became a master at display making. I generated several original visual displays for The Foundation, including one on the use of natural resources called “From Crystals to Products”, in which Kathie and I wanted to show the beauty of the different minerals found in Virginia and their importance as products.

I also worked in TNFW’s Shoppe, assisting visitors with information about our trail system. I particularly enjoyed my candid informational booth sessions, called “Ask the Naturalist.” I also assisted the forester, Josh Palumbo, with deer surveys, and received weekly training on everything from mushrooms to geology to medicinal plants.

This internship really opened my eyes to the hard work and dedication that goes into educating the public on the natural world through fun and creative ways. I am so thankful to Kathie, the rest of the TNFW staff, and all the members and guests I was able to interact with this summer for such an incredible 10 weeks. I will definitely find my way back up the mountain to visit soon!

12 Volunteer Appreciation Poem

Volunteers are at the core of The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen’s community. Volunteers help us ignite passion, curiosity and respect for the natural world. Volunteers help us stay on task, keep us sane and bring amazing skills to our organization.

We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our volunteers all year round, so here’s a poem to say thank you!

Thank you to Our fabulous volunteers For all your hard work Throughout the years Whether on the trail, Sowing seeds or greeting visitors We know you always give your best So we’ll raise our glass and give a big Cheer To wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

13 Beginning January 22, the Central Blue Ridge chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist program will offer training for anyone wishing to become a Master Naturalist. Volunteers in this program engage in local, state, regional, and national projects that promote conservation, education, and wise management of natural resources. We have several members who live in Wintergreen, and we encourage all of our members to volunteer with The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen, which is one of our local partners.

Training classes and field trips will be held on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons at the Nelson Center in Lovingston, with additional field trips to locations in Nelson County. You will learn about ecology, insects, birds, trees, geology of VA, land use, and many other topics. People completing the training will be provided a wide variety of opportunities to put their knowledge and skills to work, and become eligible for on-going education, most of which is free.

Registration is required by January 10. Cost of the training is $75/person. To obtain an application form and schedule of classes, contact the Virginia Extension Office in Lovingston, phone 434-263-4035 or email [email protected]