The Senate Democrats have released a draft of the Farm Bill and the Shenandoah Mountain Act and the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act are both in the base text, as well as several other land preservation bills across the country. This is great news! It is what we expected but reassuring to see in print.

Thank you, Senator Kaine and Senator Warner, for continually championing land preservation in Virginia! 
To thank Senator Kaine, contact him here.
To thank Senator Warner, contact him here

Unfortunately, the invasive Garlic mustard plant is moving into the Hone Quarry area and threatening special wildflowers, like bloodroot, hepatica, and trilliums, that generations of people have come to Hone Quarry to enjoy. This invasive plant out-competes our native plants — both by growing vigorously and by poisoning the soil.
Fortunately, pulling Garlic mustard is easy and effective, especially in the Spring, before it flowers or produces seed.

Conservation groups, including: Friends of Shenandoah Mountain, PATC's Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter and Shenandoah Mountain Trail Crew; Virginia Native Plant Society, Shenandoah Chapter; Virginia Master Naturalists - Headwaters Chapter; and the Virginia Wilderness Committee are joining to rid Hone Quarry of this destructive invasive plant and protect the native biodiversity of this special place.
 
Please come and help us out and taste some Garlic mustard pesto.  

What to bring:  Bring daypack with water, snacks, sun hat, sunscreen, raincoat, mosquito repellant, and garden gloves. 

What to expect: Our goal for this worktrip is to pull Garlic mustard in several key areas and have fun while we are doing it.​  We will start by dividing into small groups (each trained and led by a naturalist), to pull in these areas:

• Hone Quarry Picnic Area (easy access and short distance, includes area around restroom)
• Hone Quarry Campground (walk through the campground and pull)
• Forest Road 62 from the low water bridge to the Reservoir (good wildflowers here, too)
• Forest Road 62 and Slate Springs Trail from Hone Quarry Reservoir to Hone Quarry Falls (4.3 miles round trip with a wide variety of wildflowers)

After we pull, everyone will have an opportunity to sample some Garlic mustard pesto, made by Judy Bartlett, at the Hone Quarry Picnic Area.  Here's a recipe in case you want to make your own:  www.phipps.conservatory.org/blog/detail/garlic-mustard-pesto
​
​Questions? Contact Jean Stephens at [email protected] or 443-986-5649.​

We are thrilled to announce that Ellen Stuart-Haentjens, Ph.D., a research ecologist (biogeochemist) and natural ecosystems advocate, has succeeded Mark Miller in the Executive Director’s chair. Ellen has come to us from the U.S. Geological Survey and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Her research has involved ecosystem function and carbon cycling resilience following disturbance, which she has translated for me to mean the relative effectiveness of younger and mature forests in capturing and storing carbon to combat climate change, among other topics.

Ellen is comfortable navigating the legislative process having met with Virginia’s U.S. senators and members of Congress on behalf of science-focused legislative priorities and provided research instrumental in drafting the conservation pillar of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. She has presented to regional, national, and international conferences; participated in donor fundraising events for the VCU Rice Rivers Center; taught university courses; and given seminars and talks on forest and wetland ecology at VCU, the Science Museum of Virginia, and to the Virginia Outdoor Writers Association. She has engaged in policy and public engagement workshops and authored articles in science journals and public platforms alike (gaining national and international attention). We are anticipating great things as she guides VWC into this next chapter.

Mark has moved over to become Field Director for VWC so he can spend less time in the office and more time in the forests he knows and loves so well.

Want to give back to the trail? Join the Shenandoah Mountain Trail Crew at Hone Quarry on the GWNF this coming Monday.

The focus is on much needed treadwork starting about a mile in on Big Hollow Trail, if the ground isn't too frozen. Also brushing is needed, mostly up on Hone Quarry Mtn (starting about 2 miles in). It will likely be an out-and-back, rather than the full loop, to make sure everyone is back at the parking lot no later than 4 pm. 

Required: Contact the Work Trip Leader, Judy Bartlett, to let them know you are coming or to ask questions:
Judy Bartlett, [email protected] or 505-639-1717 (text or voice).

She’ll send an email Sunday evening to those who signed up with the final plans.

Thanks for helping to improve North River District trails for the enjoyment of all trail users!

Date: Monday, Jan 15, 2024

Time/Place:
To carpool: 9:00 am, Dayton Market (in the overflow parking up the hill behind the market). Map
At trailhead: 9:30 am, Big Hollow Trailhead at Hone Quarry Day Use area, just across low-water bridge on right or on trail access spur road on left with high clearance vehicle. Parking is limited. Map

Maximum number of volunteers needed: 12. RSVP to Judy is required.

What to bring: Lunch, water, and, if you have, PPE (hard hat, gloves, & safety glasses), loppers, and hand clippers. They will provide additional tools and PPE.

What to expect: As mentioned above, they’ll focus on treadwork if the ground isn’t too frozen; otherwise, brushing. (If you’d prefer not to do treadwork, there’s alway a need for brushing!)
​
There will likely *not* be time to hike the full Hone Quarry loop (5.4 mi, 1200’ elevation gain). Trailwork will occur on the way out and then leaderes will choose a turn-around time that allows for a comfortable hike back to the parking area, arriving no later than 4 pm.

Want to give back to the trail? Join the Shenandoah Mountain Trail Crew at Hone Quarry next month. They will focus on brushing Big Hollow and Hone Quarry Ridge Trails, where prescribed burns have opened the canopy and caused the understory vegetation to become overgrown. Trail Maintainer Christa Neher has been working hard on cutting it back but could use a little extra help.
​
Contact the Work Trip Leader, Judy Bartlett, to let them know you are coming or to ask questions:

Judy Bartlett, [email protected] or 505-639-1717 (text or voice).

She will send more details a couple of days in advance to all who RSVP.

Thanks for helping to improve North River District trails for enjoyment by all trail users!

Date: Monday, Jan 15, 2024

Time/Place
To carpool: 9:00 am, Dayton Market (in the overflow parking up the hill behind the market). Map

At trailhead: 9:30 am, Big Hollow Trailhead at Hone Quarry Day Use area, just across low-water bridge on right or on trail access spur road on left with high clearance vehicle. Parking is limited. Map

Maximum number of volunteers needed: 12. RSVP to Judy is required

What to bring: Lunch, water, and, if you have, PPE (hard hat, gloves, & safety glasses), loppers, and hand clippers. They will provide additional tools and PPE.

What to expect: Hike Hone Loop (5.4 mi, 1200’ elevation gain) and clip back vegetation for 1-2 hours on Hone Quarry Ridge (435) and Big Hollow (430), mainly cutting back laurel and Fetterbush. Plan to be back at the parking lot by 3:30 - 4:00 pm at the latest. ​

Make-A-Wish® Greater Virginia is looking for some hike leaders on Saturday, April 13 for an 18-mile hike in Shenandoah National Park. They are expecting 35-40 hikers. So far, they have two hike leaders, but would like to have at least two more. We are reaching out to our members to help them find hike leaders.
It will start at  the Big Meadows Parking Lot, heading out around 6:50a and finish at Skyland Resort.
At 6 pm there will be dinner and celebrations at Skyland Resort. Lunch and dinner are complimentary for hike leaders.
For more information, contact:
Tania Doles
Development Officer
Make-A-Wish® Greater Virginia
Richmond:
2810 N. Parham Road, Suite 302
Richmond, VA  23294
[email protected]

​OR click on the file below.

For the protection of public health and safety, the following acts are prohibited on all lands administered by George Washington & Jefferson National Forest. 
1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire outside of developed recreation sites. 
2. Possessing, discharging, or using any kind of firework or other pyrotechnic device. 
Campfires in a Forest Service provided metal fire pit, ring or grill at a developed recreation site are allowed. 

TEMPORARY EMERGENCY CLOSURES due to wildfire.
The following are closed until further notice:

1. Appalachian Trail (FT #1) from James River Foot Bridge to Petite’s Gap Road (FR #35)
2. James River Footbridge Parking Lot
3. Matts Creek Trail (Old A.T.)

From the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map