Botany and Forestry

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The U.S. Forest Service has been awarded $1.5 million to plant trees in disadvantaged communities in West Virginia. Though the state is renowned for its forests, many cities and towns lack trees, especially in disadvantaged areas where trees have been removed. Wealthy neighborhoods, with tree-lined streets, are often more shaded than their … Read more

ELKINS, W.Va. — The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area is accepting proposals for funding for programs that support tourism development, community partnerships, and the preservation and interpretation of cultural and natural resources in its 18-county territory. Grant requests can be from $1,000 up to $20,000, and applications are due July 31, 2023. The expected project … Read more

GLENVILLE, W.Va. — Friends, family, and coworkers of Glenville State University graduate and West Virginia Division of Forestry employee Cody Mullens are working to establish a scholarship fund at Glenville State University in his honor. The scholarship aims to support a student interested in pursuing a degree in Forest Technology through Glenville State’s Department of … Read more

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — Appalachian wildflower events are flourishing in attendance and programming in the New River Gorge region in southern and south-central West Virginia. Thanks in part to the establishment of America’s newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, interest in the region’s cultural and natural history is increasing, according … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the Kanawha Garden Club and the West Virginia Native Plant Society are urging gardeners and property owners across West Virginia to plant native species and have established April as Native Plant Month in West Virginia. The Native Plant Month proclamation by Governor Jim Justice was set February 20, 2023, according … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Officials at the W.Va. Division of Forestry are urging West Virginians to be cautious of burning amid dry, windy winter conditions. Assistant State Forester Jeremy Jones said high winds, warm temperatures, and a lack of rain and snow have conspired to create inflammable conditions. “Our winter hasn’t seen as much precipitation as … Read more

BEAVER, W.Va. — Say what you will about groundhogs, their ability to predict the arrival of spring is nowhere near as accurate as that of frogs: like clockwork, spring peepers will herald the return of light and warmth in central Appalachia in late February and early March. Triggered by rising temperatures, the tiny frogs (Pseudacris … Read more

SAINT ALBANS, W.Va. — One of the best things about living in West Virginia is the opportunity to experience its cycles of growth. Whether in the lush forests along the Ohio and Potomac rivers or among the balding peaks of the Alleghenies, few places on Earth are as seasonally differentiated as the Mountain State. Biologists … Read more

SUNSHINE FARM, W.Va. — Winter and spring may be the best time of year to sing the praises of Symplocarpus foetidus, a.k.a. “Eastern Skunk Cabbage,” because this is when this unusual plant performs a magic trick. Before I tell you about the magic, let’s dispel an obvious negative. First of all, this plant does not … Read more

HINTON, W.Va. — You might not think a West Virginia town of fewer than 3,000 residents would be the ideal location for a booming tropical plant store. But then, you might not have met its owners or visited the southern reaches of America’s newest national park where nothing ordinary is happening. Botany Tropicals, owned by … Read more