News & Events

Events:

Outdoor Classroom Lecture Series returns. This popular family-friendly, summertime series returns for its 7th year. Join us Thursday evenings (7:30) at the Outdoor Classroom to hear about everything from secretive mice to soaring falcons to poisonous snakes. For more information on what, where, when, and how to get there see the Announcement. A complete schedule is also available. Where did the Outdoor Classroom itself come from? Relive or learn about the Outdoor Classroom Story. See you June 7th at 7:30 pm for the first lecture on falcons.

News:

Annual Wildwood Wildflower Walk (April 7, 2012): The weather was cool, but over a dozen intrepid folk turned out to see the spring wildflowers of Wildwood. This popular annual event is co-sponsored each year by the New River Valley Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society and byPathways for Radford. It was co-led this year by Wildwood Webmaster and RU Biology professor, Gary Coté, and by VNPS New River Valley Chapter president, David Darnell. Because so many things were early this year we observed many flowers we've rarely or never seen on earlier trips. Conversely, many of our favorites were already done blooming for the year.

Interactive Wildflower Key Finished (March 6, 2012): Just in time for the spring wildflowers to appear we have now have an interactive online page to help identify them. Available anywhere you can access the web, find the key and start answering the questions and it should lead you to a sure, or at least likely, identification. To find the page from the Main Wildwood Page go to Today, then Flora and Fauna, and then Choose the Wildflower Identification Key. All herbaceous wildflowers and all showy flowering trees and shrubs known to bloom in the Park should be in the key. This monumental undertaking was produced by RU Bioology major Kiersten Newtoff, with help from fellow students who have now graduated, Dwight Meikle and Jessica Sosnicki. RU biology professors Gary Coté and Christine Small provided guidance and suggestions. The project took over two years to finish; all colors except the white flowers were up last July and Kiersten finished the whites over the fall semester and Christmas break. (The webmaster still had to fix all the links at that point, so it took another couple of months.) If you find any glitches, or notice any missing flowers, email the webmaster.

Third Fungus Foray a success (4 September, 2011): Despite the dry summer we have experienced, The New River Valley Mushroom Club survey in Wildwood on September 4 was considered a success. Six species were identified and several specimens are being examined for future identification. One of the identified species was previously unknown in the Park; the white-pored sulfur shelf. The group particularly enjoyed the earthstars, which were not a new find, but very interesting nonetheless. Attendees alos found the summer wildflowers interesting, and noticed a number of animals, including nematode worms, millipedes, spiders, spider-hunter wasps, butterflies, katydids, hummingbirds, and snakes. The Mushroom Club performs surveys of Wildwood in cooperation with Pathways for Radford and the Virginia Native Plant Society, in order to better understand the biodiveristy of the Park. To see the current list of known fungal species in the Park see the Fungus page.

Last Outdoor Classroom Lecture of 2011 (18 August 2011): Jim Parkhurst of VT's Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation told an audience of around 30 people how coyotes have become one of the newest species to call Virginia home. He assured them that coyotes are here to stay. While this is great news for Virginia's biodiversity, coyotes do cause problems and present dangers. He explained how we can reduce those problems and learn to live with one of our newest neighbors, now found throughout the state. This was the last Outdoor Classroom Lecture for the summer. Join us next summer for evenings of fascinating talks.

Seventh Outdoor Classroom Lecture (4 August 2011): On a hot evening, David Horton, chair of the Radford Commission on Beautification and Municipal Forests, explained why trees are cool in so many ways. They provide us with natural products and oxygen, filter our rainwater, give beauty and shade, and, yes, cool the climate. Happily he was able to report that Radford's trees are doing pretty well, not only in Wildwood, but in other parks, on streets, and on private property. Almost two dozen people came away with a enhanced appreciation of trees.

Wildflower Identification Key Debuts (22 July 2011): See a flower in Wildwood you don't know? The wildflower list probably has it, but how can you find it on the list if you don't know what it is? Now there is help in figuring it out. Under Today go to the Flora and Fauna page and choose the Wildflower Identification Key. Then follow the steps to find your flower. This is a project still under construction, so if your flower is yellow or white, you will have to wait a bit longer, hopefully no later than the end of the year. The key is being built by Radford University Biology major Kiersten Newtoff under the direction of professors Gary Coté and Christine Small, however, she also had a lot of help from former Biology students Dwight Meikle and Jessica Sosnicki, who have graduated. Since this is still a work in progress, please let us know of any errors or glitches, and any missing flowers. E-mail the webmaster.

Sixth Outdoor Classroom Lecture (21 July 2011): Nancy Kent likes to be known as an ardent student of Wildwood Park. About two dozen people showed up to see her beautiful photographs and to share with her the lessons she has learned from the Park.

Fifth Outdoor Classroom Lecture (7 July 2011): From the looks of Dini Miller's first slide, her talk might have been titled Jaws. A rapt audience heard her describe the remarkable insects that can devour wood. Live colonies of carpenter ants and termites were available for examination. Join us again July 21 for Wonders of Wildwood, one person's rewarding exploration of the Park.

Special Outdoor Classroom Lectures for Bike Virginia 2011 This year Bike Virginia's annual tour was centered on the New River Valley, with many participants camping in Radford. To coincide with their visit Pathways included two special lectures in the Outdoor Classroom Series. On Sunday, June 26, Jerry Via gave his ever-popular Songs of the Night presentation, introducing the creatures that make those mysterious, haunting calls in the night. This is the third time Wildwood has been honored to host this presentation.

Then, on Monday, June 27th, Radford High School teacher Frank Taylor gave a hands-on presentation of the many invertebrates that call Connelly's Run home. Participants were able to collect creatures from the Run and to examine them under the microscope. Join us in July and August for the regular Outdoor Classroom Lectures. More information above.

Second Outdoor Classroom Lecture (23 June 2011): A full classroom attended Carl Hansen's presentation on Bluebirds. Carl is passionate about bluebirds and maintains the bluebird boxes in Wildwood and Bissett Parks. His presentation included videos, including intimate views of what goes on inside those boxes, data on 5 years of maintaining the boxes in Radford, and demonstration of actual bluebird houses and nests. Note that several upcoming Outdoor Classroom Lectures will be held in the near future, some coinciding with Bike Virginia passing through.

Second Mushroom Survey (12 June, 2011): The New River Valley Mushroom Club, in cooperation with Pathways for Radford and the Virginia Native Plant Society sponsored the second ever survey of the fungi of Wildwood. Despite the hot weather and threatening clouds, almost a dozen people joined to search for fungi and to identify what they found. As summer is not a peak time for fungi, it was not surprising that only a few new species were found for the Park; these will appear soon on the fungal species page. A third survey is planned for September.

First Outdoor Classroom Lecture Driven Indoors (9 June 2011): The first Outdoor Classroom Lecture, scheduled for June 9th, had to be moved indoors on account of the threatening thunderstorm bearing down on the Park. Reports are that the talk was fascinating anyway and that attendees had a great time. We hope that good weather will hold during the next lecture on Bluebirds. More information on these lectures and a complete schedule are available.

New page on the relationships of the plants of Wildwood. A new page is available in the Today section under the Fauna and Flora. This page lists the plants of Wildwood and describes their phylogeny, or their evolutionary relationships to each other. This page will be of particular interest to botany students, but all may find it useful to see how the plants we enjoy in Wildwood are related to each other. Check out this Plant Phylogeny Page. Still in progress is an interactive key to identifying the wildflowers of Wildwood. We hope this will be partly implemented by the end of summer, and finished by the end of the year.

Annual Wildwood Wildflower Walk (April 9, 2011): Almost a dozen people braved the drizzle on the morning of April 9 to visit the spring wildflowers of Wildwood. The trip was co-sponsored by the New River Valley Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society and Pathways for Radford, and was co-led by Wildwood Webmaster and RU Biology professor, Gary Coté, and VNPS New River Valley Chapter president, David Darnell. The Dutchman's Breeches were at their finest and many other flowers were also spotted. Some of the hardy souls on the walk paused for a group picture before heading home afterward. For Earlier News and Events Visit the News Archives Home | Yesterday | Today | Tomorrow | Contact Us Page last modified: 11 May2012