From the Director: Native Landscaping is Coming of Age by Doug Coleman

The Foundation has consistently encouraged the use of native plants in the landscaping plans, both at

Wintergreen and the surrounding region. This has been a 40 year endeavor, but we have recently attained

a new level of success in our

e�orts. Carefully gathering

seeds and shrub cuttings from

areas within a 20 mile radius

of our region, we have spent

years researching propagation

methods. We now have an

inventory of over 2,000 shrubs

and wildflowers available. Shrubs

include ninebark, azalea, several

species of dogwood, viburnum and many other mountain and

valley woodland species. Wildflowers include both Canada and

turk’s cap lilies, penstemons, columbine and many other colorful

perennial wildflower species.

Exciting new techniques have brought our first apparent success

with fern propagation from spores. This work will result in an

acceleration of what has been a slow process. A process that

took almost five years can now be done in two. A huge thanks to

TNFW volunteer Jean Bertelsen who successfully led this e�ort.

Joining us at Trillium House is Landscape Architect John James

who has opened a mission related o�ce in the west end of our

Newsletter for The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen | Vol. 26 Issue 2 | Summer 2019

The Blue RidgeThe Blue RidgeThe Blue Ridge

Newsletter for The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen | Vol. 26 Issue 2 | Summer 2019

The Blue RidgeThe Blue Ridge

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building. John brings interest in

design with native plants and his

well -documented landscape

design e�orts at Montpelier, the

home of James Madison. The

concept of landscaping with native

plants continues to be of greater

interest as we see insect numbers

decline globally. Over 80% of our

food is pollinated by insects and

it is essential they have access to

the plants they recognize for egg

laying and food sources for the

hatchlings. One plant of a native

vine called Dutchman’s pipe can

feed hundreds of beautiful pipevine

swallowtail larvae.

Other communities and

commercial facilities are waking

up to the advantages of using

native plants in the landscape.

Neighboring Albemarle County

now requires a high percentage of

native plants in landscape plants

where public funds are used.

Devil’s Backbone Brewery has one of the best local examples of

native landscaping that attracts numerous, colorful butterflies and

beetles during the growing season. If you are a Foundation member

or friend who uses

native plants in

your landscape

plan we commend

you. You can be

assured that “if you

build it, beautiful

butterflies and

beetles will come.”

Sta�Doug Coleman – Executive DirectorKathie Driscoll – Education DirectorLinda Ehinger – Sta� MemberLiz Fravel – Membership and Special EventsSharon Bolmey – BookkeepingJosh Palumbo – Forest Management

TNFW Board of DirectorsJohn Claman – Vice PresidentDoug ColemanElaine DavisGerry DeWittBeverly HollowayDima HolmesJohn JamesRod KesslerLarry LuessenRita McKenzieSusan McSwainChasity MorganRob Pritchard – PresidentJay RobertsJanet Steven – SecretaryRichard VelletriDennis WhighamChristine White – Treasurer

Membership CommitteeDima Holmes – ChairmanLarry LuessenGunter Muller

Science & Education AdvisoryEmily Ferguson Dr. Linda FinkDr. Catherine HolsofJohn JamesDr. Ryan KlopfDr. Steve MillerDr. Chip MorganDr. Carole NashAnn RegnDr. Janet Steven – Co-ChairDr. Dennis Whigham – Co-ChairDr. Woodward BousquetDr. Donna WareAnne Witt

 

The Nature Foundation at WintergreenRoute 1, Box 770Roseland, VA 22967www.twnf.orgTWNF on Facebook

building. John brings interest in

design with native plants and his

well -documented landscape

building. John brings interest in

Greg Redfern

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Bloodrootby John James

One of my secret pleasures in early Spring is witnessing the first flowering of ephemeral plants like Virginia bluebells, hepaticas, trout lilies, trilliums and bloodroot. These are all plants that require sunlight to bloom before trees fully leaf out, and most of them only last a few days before relinquishing their spot to more persistent plants. My favorite of these ephemerals is bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis.

As a landscape architect I often recommend planting bloodroot in naturalized garden beds where it mixes well with larger and longer-lasting perennials and ferns. It spreads easily in deep shade, around the roots of large trees, and even after the flowers have gone, the attractive foliage persists late into the Summer. In Virginia’s Piedmont bloodroot usually makes an appearance around the first week in April. The plants begin to flower before the leaves unfold, and the leaves continue to unfurl after the bloom is gone. On a recent

hike at Wintergreen, I saw the last flowers begin to fade, and I had to thank one of our hike members for pointing out that the green sheath rising from the foliage was the seed pod, not a new flower bud.

The flower has 8- 12 delicate white petals and bright yellow stamens which makes it very visible on the forest floor. The leaves are bluish-green and deeply lobed and stay low to the ground (6”- 9”). The flowers are pollinated by small bees and flies, and the seeds are e�ectively spread by ants attracted to the edible portions of the seed.

An important side-note is that deer and rabbits rarely feast on the bloodroot because of its toxic leaves and roots. It’s had a long history of use in medical

quackery and its present use in herbal medicine remains controversial. Native Americans continue to use it as a source of red dye in basket-making. It’s value to me, though, is as a beautiful woodland flower announcing the coming of Spring.

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2019 Spring Wildflower Symposium This year’s Spring Wildflower Symposium brought great delight to nature photographers, wildflower worshippers, geology and anthropology enthusiasts, and all around nature lovers with a lineup of professional, well-spoken and thoughtful presenters.

Highlights included:

• Dr. Charles Bailey of William & Mary University eloquently shared his extensive knowledge of the Blue Ridge’s fragile beginning.

• Dr. Carole Nash of James Madison University, acclaimed for her research on Virginia’s Native Americans informed her audience of new and exciting information about these ancient people of the Blue Ridge.

• Dr. Je� Halverson, former NASA meteorologist and member of the Capital Weather Gang gave an interesting and informative presentation on extreme weather and climate change.

• Famed local photographer and author, Robert Llewellyn presented photographs from his book, The Living Forest. Attendees were led on a fascinating tour of a forest from “close-up”. Many of the trees shown were from Wintergreen.

In addition, through a series of educational lectures, walks, exploratories and workshops, Spring Wildflower Symposium participants were taught flora and fauna identification, and learned the complex concepts behind weather events and soil structures that physically alter communities.

Each year The Nature Foundation strives to bring the latest cutting edge, up-to-date information and research on the natural history of the unique Blue Ridge area. This years Symposium proved to be a successful and engaging event. We hope to see you next year!

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Being Mission Minded by Josh Palumbo

Our mission statement states “The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen has fostered understanding and respect for the Blue Ridge Mountains through conservation through research and education”. The activities of 2019 represent a true, tangible commitment to this mission. TNFW is currently partnering with three new researchers using Wintergreen’s ecosystem to better educate us on how to conserve our resources better.

The biggest long term project we will be participating in is led by Virginia Commonwealth University assistant professor Catherine Hulshof. Her study will focus on climate change responses of plants and Lepidoptera across mountain gradients. The proposed study will establish long-term vegetation monitoring plots to determine the factors (dispersal, survivorship, growth, and fitness) that lead to plant species migrations across mountain gradients. Second, this study will establish long-term monitoring of insect populations to record their present-day distributions across elevation and distributional shifts relative to the distribution of their host plants. This study will have a broad 10 year timeline for work at Wintergreen.

Emily Ellison, Ph.D student from Wright State University, will be conducting a fascinating study on our beloved white fringetree. The motive for this research project on wild white fringetree populations is to determine if there is variation between populations in regards to emerald ash borer attack. White fringetree is a novel host for emerald ash borer and is becoming infested in dense beetle areas during the invasion wave. Some ornamental white fringetrees are being attacked while others are not; therefore, there is variation within these species, but no studies to date have researched wild populations. There is a gap in our knowledge about the genetic variation in ornamental and wild populations, so research needs to be done to determine which populations are more or less susceptible to attack.

Mary Jane Epps, assistant professor from Mary Baldwin, will study another of our adored flowering woody plants, pinxter azalea. She is leading a team of students studying the diverse aspects of the reproductive biology of azaleas in western and southwestern Virginia. Plant-pollinator interactions form a critical underpinning of terrestrial biodiversity, with the vast majority of plant species dependent on animal pollinators for their reproductive success. Such interactions are becoming increasingly imperiled, as many key groups of pollinators are experiencing widespread and often catastrophic declines. In order to understand how these losses in pollinators will a�ect plant communities, a key challenge of pollination biology is to determine which of the many animal species visiting a plant’s flowers actually contribute to its reproductive success.

Three research projects with three unique objects of focus that fit nicely into one big picture. The ecosystem all around us is in constant change. In order to make the best decisions, we must acquire the best information. These three projects represent an earnest e�ort by TNFW to know more about our ecosystem in order to better manage the precious resources at Wintergreen.

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Environmental Education Update: Working Togetherby Kathie Driscoll

Several members of the TNFW’s Education Committee (Linda Fink, Lynn Fontana and myself), have joined Nelson County Public Schools’ (NCPS) Science Advisory Council. The purpose of this council is to help the district improve the teaching of science throughout the county schools. TNFW’s first contribution to the council’s goals was to work with the district to prepare a proposal to Bama Works to fund the first phase of a professional development activity for county teachers. In addition to leveraging the relationship with the district, the project enables TNFW to leverage its relationship with a diverse group of scientists including biologists, geologists, chemists, and physical scientists, to further support research oriented project-based science education.

At the NCPS Science Advisory Council meeting, there was significant interest in the project from Nelson County teachers and administrators and it became clear that this e�ort would contribute to other activities in the district as well. Lynn Fontana and Linda Fink agreed to focus on finding other funding sources for professional development project and other related projects.

The Science Advisory Council will meet again in late July or early August to review progress on activities and projects.

Classroom programs and field trips continued to do well this past 2018-2019 school year with Nelson County students. TNFW concentrated on science- based lessons that align with the changing Virginia

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Science Standards of Learning. As the new curricula shifts focus on scientific and engineering practices, and incorporation of STEM in the state standards, TNFW also incorporated the new scientific inquiry in programs. TNFW also participated in several Parent Teacher Organization sponsored family events including a pilot program at Tye River Elementary called “Family Literacy and Math Nature Night.” TNFW’s role to capture students’ interest in nature through reading and mathematics played an integral part of the school’s attempt to raise their failing test scores.

Overall requested programs in 2018 exceeded the prior year’s numbers by 10 programs as TNFW expanded to regional audiences, such as neighboring county schools, retirement communities, garden clubs, libraries and homeschool groups. Approximately 3,500 children and adults attended these programs in a 12-month period. Presentations included History of Wintergreen, Aquatic & Forest Biodiversity, Forest Ecology, Animals in Winter, Discovering Virginia’s Native People and Virginia’s Geological History were among the popular requests.

Stay tuned for additional updates as we continue to strengthen our partnerships with local educators to advance our mission.

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The Daniel Sturt Preserve: Nelson County’s First Nature Preserve by Doug Coleman

In 2014 The Nature Foundation was approached by a member of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors to perform a study on a 340 acre tract of land that had been donated to the county by Daniel Sturt, a lover of nature and all its creatures. Accompanying his deed of gift Mr. Sturt expressed his desire that the land be preserved and used to encourage the appreciation of nature.

Forester Josh Palumbo and I, with the help of Sweetbriar College biology intern, Jessica Heiser, spent over two years exploring the site from both a cultural and natural history perspective and in 2015 submitted a study of the lands’ merits as a nature park/preserve. We had some nice surprises enroute.

1. The Sturt Preserve is a peninsula of the Virginia Piedmont that slices into the Blue Ridge Physiographic province. We were confronted by flora and fauna that are typically found east of Charlottesville. These lists include over 200 species of plants like trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), and curleyheads (Clematis ochroleuca). We were serenaded from February till June by more than half the frog species in Virginia. Late in the day in early April, we heard and saw mating rituals of the woodcock and after dark in mid April, the calls of the whip-poor-wills were a symphony in a quiet, dark corridor beneath a crescent moon. On almost half the property we found seasonal wetlands, called vernal pools, that provide breeding and egg laying destinations for a host of amphibians including wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and an apparent western range extension of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculata).

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2. The Sturt Preserve lies at the intersection of at least five colonial cross roads, including the route that Je�erson and his family took in their flight from Banastre Tarlton as he approached Monticello. It was the site of old Key’s Church and a settlement of Keysville on the edge of what was called “The Purgatory Swamp” during colonial times. The first meeting of the Amherst County Militia (of which Nelson was part of) occurred there with Sam Cabell as its leader. The heart of Cabell land lay 3 miles east along the James River. This road passes by The Preserve and one must still ford several streams along its ancient gravel surface. The same Sam Cabell is said to have slept on the floor of the House of Representatives so he would not miss the tie vote between Je�erson and Aaron Burr in the election of 1800.

It took several years of creative thinking and much help from a committee of volunteers and master naturalists led by Susan McSwain and Landscape Architect, John James to keep the inspiration alive as we speculated and planned strategies for success. We have also been fortunate to have Daniel Sturts’ caretaker Pete Rose a long side us as a volunteer. Pete had roamed the property as a child and knew every contour

of the land. Perhaps most importantly we had the ear and advocacy of Daniel Sturt’s daughter Heather Haaga who shares her father’s passion for nature.

The following photographs show recent progress at the preserve as county

maintenance supervisor Paul Trustlow helps unload a giant pipe. Now fully installed, the pipe can accommodate a restrictor at its entrance which may be used to maintain the water level in the main part of the wetlands for amphibians during drought years. Virginia Department of Forestry’s Martha Warring continues to serve as a faithful advisor along with Forest Specialist, Bill Perry (our bulldozer operator). They have also made great strides towards the developments of trails and new wetland swales. County recreation sta�, Emily Harper and more recently Claire Richardson have also been supportive as have Nelson County Administrator Steve Carter and the Board of Supervisors.

The Sturt Preserve should be seen as one of Nelson County’s treasures, but there is much more work to do before completion. Watch for updates and future field trips to see progress.

also been supportive as have Nelson County Administrator Steve Carter and the Board of Supervisors.

The Sturt Preserve should be seen as one of Nelson County’s treasures, but there is much more work to do The Sturt Preserve should be seen as one of Nelson County’s treasures, but there is much more work to do before completion. Watch for updates and future field trips to see progress.