Botany and forestry in West Virginia are vital to the state’s natural heritage, economy, and outdoor recreation. With lush forests covering nearly 80% of its landscape, West Virginia is home to diverse plant species, old-growth woodlands, and thriving hardwood industries. The study of botany helps preserve native flora and supports conservation efforts, while sustainable forestry practices ensure healthy forests for wildlife, timber production, and scenic beauty. Visitors and researchers alike explore West Virginia’s state forests, botanical gardens, and nature trails to experience the state’s remarkable biodiversity and learn about responsible forest management that keeps West Virginia green and vibrant for generations to come.
To the casual observer, Japanese stiltgrass appears as a harmless, leafy-green plant that blends into the majestic scenery during a weekend hike, but plant biologists like Craig Barrett know better. “I’d visited sites to study endangered orchids in West Virginia over the past few years, and I’d noticed Japanese stiltgrass creeping in and becoming a … Read more
Enhance your survival skills and knowledge during a two-day course offered in May at New River Community and Technical College’s campus in Nicholas County at Summersville, West Virginia. Students will receive instruction on how to survive in emergency situations and learn how settlers lived without modern conveniences and technology, according to Jenni R. Canterbury, the … Read more
After winter’s passed and before the trees leaf out, the West Virginia forest bursts into a profusion of colorful flowers. No one understood this Appalachian magic better than Earl Core, the naturalist for whom the 100-acre Core Arbortum at West Virginia University is named. Core literally wrote the book on West Virginia plants in 1952 … Read more
Organizers of the sixth annual spring wildflower walk set for April 6 at Saint Albans City Park are expecting more participants as word of the event grows and ancillary programs are developed. More than 150 people joined in last year’s walk, which follows the park’s nature trail through the wooded hills that skirt the city … Read more
The 2019 guide to West Virginia ramp feasts and festivals is now available online, and many venue organizers are reporting increases in attendance as a result of the publication. According to David Sibray, publisher of West Virginia Explorer, more than 35,000 visitors are visiting the guide annually and many hosts of ramp dinners are enjoying … Read more
Participants in the fifth annual wildflower walk April 7 at Saint Albans City Park in Saint Albans, West Virginia, are invited to join in a variety of programs, including seed-planting, rain-barrel making, and photography workshops and an exhibition featuring live birds of prey. Led by experienced naturalists, registration for the hike begins at 9 a.m. … Read more
Blackwater Falls State Park, near Davis, West Virginia, will welcome hundreds of wildflower enthusiasts to the area May 10-13 for a weekend of springtime outdoor adventure and nature exploration during its 57th annual West Virginia Wildflower Pilgrimage. The Wildflower Pilgrimage is one of the longest-running special events sponsored by the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. … Read more
The W.Va. Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, is proposing aerial treatment of gypsy moth infestation over approximately 5,298 acres in the central and eastern mountains in 2018. Officials are concerned that without treatment infestations in West Virginia will reach high enough levels to cause tree mortality, according to … Read more
West Virginia’s official weather-predicting groundhog, French Creek Freddie will leave his den Feb. 2 to predict the approach of spring and is inviting visitors to join him at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center at French Creek south of Buckhannon, West Virginia. “We’re excited to see everyone come out this year, including those who travel … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s 2014 ginseng harvest will open Monday, Sept. 1, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 30, according to Leslie Fitzwater Smithson, public information specialist with the W.Va. Division of Forestry. The native herb grows in all 55 counties in West Virginia and is ready to harvest when its berries turn red. State law … Read more
