This site maintains an archive of events over the past few years, for reference in case you’re seeking information about a past or recurring event. For that information, click on “Events Archive” above.
(For upcoming water-related events in Virginia, please see the post, “Quick Guide to Virginia Water-related Events,” at the Virginia Water Central News Grouper, http://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/ [moved there on May 1, 2013]. The guide is updated frequently.)
EVENTS ARCHIVE
Jan. 27, 2011, Williamsburg: Riparian Rights Technical Session. Part of the annual convention of the Virginia Association of Surveyors. More information: (804) 262-1351, or info@vasurveyors.org; Web site: http://www.vasurveyors.org/.
Aug. 17, 2011, Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Abingdon: Preparing for Emerald Ash Borer Workshop. Organized by Trees Virginia (the Virginia Urban Forestry Council). More information: Becky Woodson at (434) 220-9024 or becky.woodson@dof.virginia.gov.
Mar. 7, 2012, Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke: The Nature of Trees and Other Related Thoughts–12th annual Roanoke Tree Care Workshop. Organized by the Virginia Urban Forest Council. More information: http://www.treesvirginia.org; (434) 220-9024; becky.woodson@dof.virginia.gov.
Apr. 12, 2012, Washington Coleman Community Center, South Boston: Investing in Sustainable Forestry–Water Landowners Should Know About Water Quality and Best Management Practices. Organized by Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and several co-sponsors. More information: Jason Fisher, jasonf@vt.edu or (434) 476-2147.
Apr. 14, 2012, at many locations in northern Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia: Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. Organized by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. More information: http://potomaccleanup.org/trash_initiative/trash_cleanup.shtml; (202) 973-8203; e-mail: potomaccleanup@fergusonfoundation.org.
Apr. 17, 2012, Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Norfolk, Va., District public meeting on the Corps’ “Native Oyster Restoration Master Plan” for the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Public comment meetings were also be held on Apr. 10 at the Philip Merrill Environmental Center (Chesapeake Bay Foundation), 6 Herndon Ave. in Annapolis, Md., and Apr. 19 at Chesapeake College, 1000 College Circle in Wye Mills, Md. Access to the plan documents and instructions for public comments outside of the meetings are available online at http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/News/20120329_PublicMeetingsOysterRestoration.asp.
Apr. 18, 2012, Roanoke Civic Center: 2012 Technology Expo. Organized by the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center and several partners. The event featured innovative cars, human-powered submarines, innovations in rural community development, and more. More information is available in this news article: Technology Expo to show off inventions of the future from Virginia Tech and the Roanoke Valley, Virginia Tech News, 4/5/12.
Apr. 18, 2012, John Barton Payne Building, 2 Courthouse Square, Warrenton: Alternative Onsite Septic Systems Forum. Organized by the Piedmont Environmental Council. Three presentations covered basic information on alternative systems, the benefits and risks of such systems, current Virginia regulations, and General Assembly discussions about those regulations. Presenters from the Virginia Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the County of Fauquier. More information: Julie Bolthouse at (540) 347-2334 or jbolthouse@pecva.org; http://www.pecva.org/index.php/events/alternative-onsite-septic-forum.
Apr. 21-22, 2012, on the South River, Waynesboro: 12th Virginia Fly Fishing Festival. More information: (703) 402-8338; www.vaflyfishingfestival.org.
Apr. 25, 2012, Pipestem Resort State Park in West Virginia: Energy and the Environment: A Morrill Act sesquicentennial symposium on the role of land-grant universities in energy research and education. Organized by Virginia Tech and West Virginia University. More information: Susan E. Short at short@vt.edu; http://www.cpe.vt.edu/vtwvuenergy/index.html.
Apr. 26-28, 2012, Wintergreen: Washington’s Impact on Virginia’s Forests. 2012 Virginia Forestry Summit held by the Virginia Forestry Association. More information: http://www.vaforestry.org; (804) 278-8733.
Apr. 28, 2012, statewide (and nationwide): National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The event is designed to help people properly dispose of unused drugs in order to help prevent improper drug use and to keep chemicals out of waterways. To see if a take-back day is happening near you, call your local police or sheriff’s department, or visit the U.S. Department of Justice “National Take Back Initiative” Web site, www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html, where you can search for the take-back location nearest you.
Apr. 28, 2012, Freedom Park, Williamsburg: Virginia Native Plant Sale. Organized by the John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society. More information: visit http://www.claytonvnps.org or phone (757) 565-0769.
May-Aug. 18, 2012: Virginia Herpetological Society surveys. 2012 surveys were May 3, Dyke Marsh Survey, Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve along the Potomac River in Fairfax County; May 19-20: Annual Spring Survey at Shenandoah River State Park along the South Fork Shenandoah River in Warren County; Jun. 23-24, Annual “HerpBlitz” at the Mattaponi Wildlife Management Area along the Mattaponi River in Caroline County; and Aug, 18 at Caledon Natural Area State Park Survey along the Potomac River in King George County. ) For more information on all these surveys, visit http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/2012-events/2012-vhs-events/index.htm. People interested in participating in surveys should e-mail the contact(s) listed for each event at this Web site.
May 11-12, 2012, Konnarock Community Center (Washington County): Mt. Rogers Naturalist Rally. More information: http://www.mountrogersnaturalistrally.org/rallyinfo.html; e-mail contact@mountrogersnaturalistrally.org or write to Carrie Sparks, 301 Look Avenue, Marion, VA 24354.
May 10-12, 2012, Suffolk: Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Birding Festival. More information: 757-986-3705; Web site: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/GreatDismalSwamp.
May 13, 2011, Inger and Walter Rice Center of Virginia Commonwealth University, Charles City: Benthic Macroinvertebrate Workshop. Organized by the Virginia Association of Wetland Professionals and the Rice Center. More information: Tara Fisher, (757) 382-6206 or
tfisher@cityofchesapeake.net.
May 16-17, 2012, online: “Water Matters” Webinars. Presented by the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies’ “Shout” Program. The series will explore both water quality and water quantity. Designed for teachers to use with K-12 classes or on their own as professional development. The Shout program addresses curriculum standards for ecological, social, and economic systems; human impact on the environment; and civic responsibility. Dates and topics for whole series: Feb. 7-8: Water Questions—When We Want to Know More; Mar. 26-27: Water Quantity—When’s There’s Too Much or Too Little; and May 16-17: Water Quality: When It’s Not Clean or Healthy. Each two-day series includes several one-hour long presentations. More information: http://www.smithsonianconference.org/shout/program-2012/.
May 18, 2012, Henrico County Training Center, Henrico: Virginia Water Monitoring Council Annual Conference. This year’s theme was “Water Quality Monitoring: New and Innovative Techniques.” Co-sponsored by theClean Virginia Waterways (affiliated with Longwood University), Virginia Water Resources Research Center, County of Henrico, Virginia Tech, and Longwood University. More information is available at www.VirginiaWMC.org.
May 9-31, 2012, various locations: Public-comment meetings for Virginia’s Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) under the Chesapeake Bay Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL). Virginia’s Phase II plan was submitted to the U.S. EPA on March 30, 2012. A formal public comment period on that document ran until May 31, 2012. DCR held a series of public meetings across the state to provide an update on the WIP and the next steps in the Bay TMDL process and to give stakeholders an opportunity to comment. The meeting schedule was as follows:
*Lower James Watershed: 9-May, 6:30-8:30 pm, at Hampton Roads PDC Board Room, 723 Woodlake Drive in Chesapeake.
*Potomac Watershed: 15-May, 9:30 – 11:30 am, at Prince William Development Services Building, 5 County Complex Center in Woodbridge.
*Middle James Watershed:23-May, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Virginia Commonwealth University Trani Life Sciences Building, Room 151 (in Annex), 1000 West Cary Street in Richmond.
*Eastern Shore Watershed:23-May, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Virginia Tech, Eastern Shore AREC, 33446 Research Drive in Painter.
*Rappahannock and York Watersheds: 30-May, 1:30-3:30 pm, Union First Market Bankshares, 24010 Partnership Drive in Ruther Glen.
*Upper James Watershed: 30-May, 9:30-11:30 am, Alleghany Government Center, 9212 Winterberry Avenue in Covington.
*Shenandoah Watershed:31-May, 9:30-11:30 am, James Madison University Festival Conference Center, Highlands Room, in Harrisonburg. More information from the DCR about Virginia developments under the Bay TMDL is available online at http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/vabaytmdl/.
May 24, 2012, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Gloucester Point: Tidal Wetlands Workshop. Topics included Comprehensive Coastal Resource Management Plans and other shoreline planning and decision-making tools, legislation from the 2012 General Assembly Session, and the Living Shoreline general permit. Organized by VIMS’ Center for Coastal Resources Management. More information: http://ccrm.vims.edu/.
May 31, 2012, Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel, 3001 Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach: Presentation on National Research Council’s December 2011 report, Uranium Mining in Virginia: Scientific, Technical, Environmental, Human Health and Safety, and Regulatory Aspects of Uranium Mining and Processing in Virginia.
Jun. 2, 2012, at various locations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: 23rd Annual Clean the Bay Day. Organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. More information: visit http://www.cbf.org/clean, phone (800) SAVEBAY (800-728-3229), or e-mail ctbd@cbf.org.
Jun. 2, 2012: 20th Annual Potomac River Swim for the Environment. Swimmers dive into the Potomac at Hull Neck in Northumberland County, Virginia, and swim 7.5 miles to Point Lookout State Park in Maryland. Participants raise funds for the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the Southern Maryland Sierra Club, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Potomac River Association, the Potomac River Conservancy, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, and the St. Mary’s Watershed Association. More information: Cheryl Wagner at (202) 387-2361 or cherylw@crosslink.net; http://www.potomacriverswim.com.
Jun. 12-14, 2012, Suffolk: Ecology and Management of Atlantic White Cedar Symposium. This symposium is held once every three years to discuss the range of connections between Atlantic White Cedars and land, water, wildlife, and humans. Organized North Carolina State University and hosted by Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. More information: http://www.ncsu-feop.org/AWC/index.html; phone (919) 515-9563 or (919) 515-3184; e-mail: forestry_outreach@ncsu.ed.
Jun. 21, 2012, Gainesville: 5th Annual Building Green with Concrete Workshop. Organized by the Northern Virginia Advisory Council and Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. More information: http://www.wetlandstudies.com/ (see under “Events”); phone (703) 679.5600; e-mail: contactus@wetlandstudies.com.
Jul., 13-15, 2012, Holiday Lake 4H Education Center in Appomattox: Land Navigation Workshop. Conducted by Wilderness Discovery. More information: www.trackingsurvival.com or 877-614-5289.
Jul. 14, 2012: Shenandoah River Fest and Rodeo. Held at the Low Water Bridge Campground, 192 Panhandle Road (Route 613 off Route 340), Bentonville. Organized by Shenandoah Riverkeeper. More information: http://www.shenandoahriverkeeper.org/rodeo.
Jul. 21-23, 2012, Virginia Beach: 57th South Atlantic Well Drillers Jubilee. More information: http://www.jubileewatershow.com; (540) 754-3329; info@jubileewatershow.com.
Jul. 25, 2012, on the James River at Pony Pasture in Richmond: Flatout Catfish Workshop. Organized by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. More information: Chris Dunnavant, chris.dunnavant@dgif.virginia.gov or 804-367-6778.
Jul. 27-Aug. 12, 2012, 2012, on the New River in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia: New River Expedition. More information: http://www.ncnr.org/expedition.php; (336) 846-6267; info@ncnr.org
Aug. 14 and 21, 2012, Family Forestland Short Course: Focusing on Land Transfer to Generation “NEXT”. Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center, Staunton. $50/person or couple. For more information and for the full calendar of Virginia Forest Landowner Education Events, visit http://cnre.vt.edu/forestupdate/pages/calendar.html, or contact Jen Gagnon at jgagnon@vt.edu or (540) 231-6391.
August 23, 2012: Aquacultural Engineering Society (AES) Issues Forum. At the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Roanoke. More information: http://www.recircaqua.com; phone (540) 553-1455; e-mail: aquaconf@gmail.com.
Aug. 24-26, 2012, Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center: Ninth International Conference on Recirculating Aquaculture. More information: http://www.recircaqua.com/icra.html; or contact aquaconf@gmail.com or (540) 553-1455.
Sep. 1-Oct. 31, 2012, statewide: Waterways Cleanup Days, organized by Clean Virginia Waterways. This is a series of local beach, bay, river, stream, lake, and pond cleanups across the state. 2012 is the 18th year that the organization has coordinated the Virginia cleanup as part of the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy. For more information (434) 395-2602 or cleanva@longwood.edu; www.longwood.edu/cleanva/iccva.htm.
Sep. 12, 2012, University of Virginia’s College at Wise (Chapel of All Faiths): Powell River Project Symposium. Presentations about Virginia Tech research on reclamation and restoration of coal-mining lands and the responses of soils, forest lands, and streams to reclamation projects. More information: http://www.prp.cses.vt.edu/; Carl Zipper, Director, (540) 231-9782, or czip@vt.edu.
Sep. 12, 2012, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Richmond: Virginia Biodiesel Workshop. Organized by Virginia Clean Cities (http://www.vacleancities.org/). For more information, click here: Virginia Biodiesel Workshop- September 14th or contact Ryan Cornett at (540) 568-5586 or rcornett@vacleancities.org.
Sep. 14-16, 2012, Wyndham Virginia Crossings Conference Center, Glen Allen: “Then and Now Along the James: Changing Landscapes, Changing Plants.” Annual meeting of the Virginia Native Plant Society. More information: http://vnps.org/wp/vnps-2012-annual-meeting-september-14-16/; (540) 837-1600; vnpsofc@shentel.net.
Sep. 15, 2012, Montross (Westmoreland County): Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Outdoor Day. A chance for the public to meet and interact with law enforcement officers, agency employees from the Bureau of Widlife Resources, and DGIF Board members. More information: Colonel Dabney Watts, (804) 367-9149; dee.watts@dgif.virginia.gov.
Sep. 21, 2012, Waynesboro: Trees: Fifty Shades of Green. 17th annual Plant Health Care for Urban Trees Workshop by the Waynesboro Parks and Recreation Department. More information: http://treesvirginia.org/joomla/; Dwayne Jones at (540) 942-6735 or parksandrec@ci.waynesboro.va.us.
Sep. 27-30, 2012, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, W. Va.: Chesapeake Watershed Forum. Organized by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. More information: https://allianceforthebay.org/initiatives/connecting-people/chesapeake-watershed-forum/; Lou Etgen, (443) 949-0575 or letgen@allianceforthebay.org.
Sep. 27, 2012, Waterman’s Hall, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point: Blue and Green Infrastructure in Coastal Virginia: Tools and Implementation. This workshop presented local options for protecting land and water resources and will feature findings of eight regional projects led by Virginia’s Coastal Planning District Commissions. Hosted by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia. More information: Sandra Erdle, syerdle@vims.edu, or phone (804) 684-7144.
Sep. 29, 2012, statewide: National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The event is designed to help people properly dispose of unused drugs in order to help prevent improper drug use and to keep chemicals out of waterways. To see if a take-back day is happening near you, call your local police or sheriff’s department, or visit the U.S. Department of Justice “National Take Back Initiative” Web site, http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html, where you can search for the take-back location nearest you.
Oct. 1-4, 2012, Charlottesville: Eastern Native Grass Symposium. Organized by Virginia Tech. More information: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/engs/index.html; Ben Tracy, (540) 231-8259, bftracy@vt.edu.
Oct. 2-4, 2012, Greater Richmond Convention Center: Virginia Governor’s Conference on Energy. Hosted by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Alternative and Renewable Energy Association. For more information, click here: 2012 Governor’s Conference on Energy.
Oct. 5-7, 2012, Cape Charles: Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife Festival. Organized by ESVA Festivals. More information: http://www.esvafestivals.org/; phone (757) 581-1081.
Oct. 7-14, 2012: Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Schooners will race from Baltimore, Md., to Portsmouth, Va. The race seeks to increase public awareness of the Bay’s maritime heritage and support for protection and restoration of the Bay’s natural resources, with proceeds donated to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. More information: http://www.schoonerrace.org; phone (757) 393-2220; e-mail: race@schoonerrace.org.
Oct. 8, 2012, in Highland County, Oct. 12 in Wise County, Oct. 19 in Prince Edward County, and Oct. 24 in Charles City County: Annual Fall Forestry and Wildlife Field Tours. Organized by the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program and Virginia Cooperative Extension. More information: Jennifer Gagnon, (540) 231-6391 or jgagnon@vt.edu; Web site: http://forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/landownerprograms/field-tours/index.html.
Oct. 9-12, 2012, Norfolk: Keeping Natural Areas Relevant and Resilient-39th Annual Natural Areas Conference. Organized by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. More information: http://www.naturalarea.org/12conference/; Julie Buchanan, Public Relations Specialist, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 203 Governor St., Room 214-B, Richmond, VA 23219; 804-786-2292; Julie.Buchanan@dcr.virginia.gov.
Oct. 19-20, 2012, Virginia Tech Research Center, Arlington: Virginia Environmental Assembly. Organized by the Virginia Conservation Network. “Building for the 21st Century” was the theme. More information: http://vcnva.org/anx/index.cfm/0,417,html; phone (804) 644-0283; e-mail: vcn@vcnva.org.
Oct. 25-26, 2012, Hungry Mother State Park, Marion: 2012 Virginia Environmental Education Conference: “Enriching Environmental Education through Heritage and Biodiversity.” Organized by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. More information: http://www.deq.state.va.us/ConnectWithDEQ/EnvironmentalInformation/VirginiaNaturally/2012EnvironmentalEducationConference.aspx; e-mail: Sheila Barnett at sheila.barnett@deq.virginia.gov or David Ruble at david.ruble@deq.virginia.gov.
Oct. 27, 2012, Copley Science Center at Randolph-Macon College, Ashland: Virginia Citizens for Water Quality Summit. Organized by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and York River/Small Coastal Basins Roundtable. More information: https://allianceforthebay.org/2012/08/virginia-citizens-for-water-quality-summit/; Anna Mathis, amathis@allianceforthebay.org.
Nov. 2-3, 2012, Roanoke Civic Center: Green Living and Energy Expo. Organized by the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals. More information: (540) 745-2838 or aecp@swva.net; http://www.aecpes.org/expo/expo.shtml.
Nov. 2 and Nov. 29, 2012: Evaluating and Conserving Natural Assets: Maximizing Conservation Potential in the Developing Landscape. Conducted by the Green Infrastructure Center (located in Charlottesville). The workshops are intended to teach practical methods for using the best data to determine when, where, and how to develop or redevelop while conserving the natural environment. More information: http://www.gicinc.org/events.htm; phone (434) 249-2492; e-mail: gicinfo@gicinc.org. Dates and locations:
Nov. 2, John Barton Payne Building, Warrenton (co-sponsored by Fauquier County).
Nov. 29, University of Richmond, Richmond.
Nov. 7, 2012: 7th Annual Potomac Watershed Trash Summit. Organized by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. More information: http://www.fergusonfoundation.org/; or http://www.potomacriverkeeper.org/event/7th-annual-trash-summit.
Nov. 12, 2013, Jepson Alumni Center, University of Richmond: Pesticides and Our Health: Best Management Practices and Alternatives. Organized by the Virginia Conservation Network. More information: http://vcnva.org/anx/index.cfm/1,93,2947,0,html/Nov-12-Pesticides-and-Our-Health-Best-Management-Practices-and-Alternatives-Richmond; phone (804) 644-0283; e-mail: vcn@vcnva.org.
Nov. 12-13, 2012, Airfield 4H Conference Center, Wakefield: Hydric Soil Indicators: Their History, Use, and Applications. Organized by the Virginia Association of Professional Soil Scientists. More information: http://www.vapss.org/MeetingsEvents.html; Sue Brown, phone (540) 231-5741; e-mail: suebrown@vt.edu or vapss@vapss.org.
Nov. 29, 2012, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Community Center, Middleburg: Virginia Invasive Plant Symposium. Organized by Piedmont Environmental Council. More information: http://www.pecva.org/index.php/events/virginia-invasive-plant-symposium; James Barnes, phone (540) 347-2334; e-mail: jbarnes@pecva.org.
Dec. 5-7, 2012, Vienna: Commonwealth of Virginia Governor’s Transportation Conference. More information: http://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vatransportationconference/index.asp.
Dec. 7, 2012, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., Charlottesville: Rivanna Watershed Snapshot Open House. Organized by the Rivanna River Basin Commission. More information: phone the Commission at (434) 971-7722 or visit www.rivannariverbasin.org.
Dec. 7-9, 2012, Wallops Island (Accomack County): Winter Birding Colloquium. Organized by the Marine Science Consortium. More information: http://www.msconsortium.org; phone (757) 824-5636.
Jan. 9, 2013, James Wood High School, Winchester: Fishing Seminar by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). Free workshop by John Odenkirk, VDGIF fisheries biologist, on Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass biology and management, trout fishing, river and stream access, and Northern Snakehead. For more information, contact Jake’s Bait and Tackle, phone (540) 723-4621 or e-mail: info@jakesbaitandtackle.com.
January 9-February 23, 2013: Virginia General Assembly at the State Capitol in Richmond. This will be 45-day “short session,” ending February 23 (unless extended). For more information on the General Assembly, visit http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/index.php or contact your local member of the House of Delegates or State Senate. Here are some key dates in the 2013 session:
January 9 – General Assembly convenes.
January 18 – All bills and joint resolutions must be filed with clerk.
January 31 – Committees responsible for revenue bills to complete work.
February 3 – Committees responsible for revenue bills to complete work by midnight.
February 5 – Each house to complete work on its own legislation except for its own Budget Bills.
February 7 – Each house to complete work on its own Budget Bill.
February 12 – Committees considering revenue bills of other house to complete work.
February 13 – Each house to complete work on the other house’s Budget Bill and revenue bills and appoint budget conferees.
February 16 – First conference on revenue bills to complete work.
February 19 – First conference on Budget Bill to complete work.
February 21 – Budget Bill conference report due by noon; last day to put bills in conference.
February 22 – Only conference reports and certain joint resolutions can be considered.
February 23 – Adjournment sine die.
April 3 – Reconvened (“veto”) session.
Jan. 30-31, 2013, Richmond: Virginia Energy and Sustainability Conference. Organized by Virginia Commonwealth University. More information: http://www.vsbn.org/vcu-esc2013/index.html.
Feb. 2, 2013, in Virginia Beach, Feb. 16 in Lynchburg, and Mar. 2 in Radford and Dumfries (Prince William County): Polar Plunges for Special Olympics. Participants raise funds to support Special Olympics and then join in a cold plunge into a local waterway. More information: http://www.polarplunge.com/, or phone Virginia Special Olympics at (877) 874-7462.
Feb. 4-5, 2013, Inn at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg: 21st Annual Conference of the Virginia Association of Forest Health Professionals. More information: http://vafhp.org/conference/; Rachel Habig, phone (703) 792-4066.
Feb. 13-14, 2013, Williamsburg Lodge: A Collaborative Summit–Protecting Water Quality through Actions on Urban-Suburban Properties. Organized by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the University of Virginia’s Institute for Environmental Negotiation, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Center for Coastal Resources Management, and Wetlands Watch. More information: http://www.wetlandswatch.org/CitizenAction/WatershedStewardship/WatershedSummit.aspx; Shereen Hughes, phone (757) 880-6802; e-mail: shereen.hughes@wetlandswatch.org.
Feb. 23, 2013, Daniel Technology Center, Germanna Community College, Culpeper: 10th Annual Woods and Wildlife Conference. Organized by Virginia Cooperative Extension. Designed both for landowners large or small, new or experienced. More information: http://www.forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/landownerprograms/workshops/woods-and-wildlife/index.html; Adam Downing, phone (540) 948-6881 or adowning@vt.edu.
Feb. 27-28, 2013, Virginia Aquarium, Virginia Beach: Virginia Marine Debris Summit. Organized by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, the Virginia Aquarium, Clean Virginia Waterways, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and Virginia Commonwealth University. The meeting discussed sources of marine debris; potential solutions education, incentives, and technology; and the formulation of a Virginia Marine Debris Management Plan. More information: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/CoastalZoneManagement/VirginiaMarineDebrisSummit.aspx; or contact Virginia Witmer, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, phone (804) 698-4320.
Mar. 3-5, 2013, Richmond: Virginia Water Conference 2013. Organized by the Virginia Lakes and Watersheds Association. More information: http://www.vlwa.org.
Mar. 12, 2013, 9:45 a.m., statewide: Tornado Drill. Coordinated by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service. Learn more about tornado safety and how to hold a drill at http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia/stayinformed/tornadoes.
Mar. 16, 2013, University of Richmond: Virginia Native Plant Society Winter Workshop. The focus is on plants of the Virginia Piedmont. More information: http://vnps.org/wp/events-2/vnps-2013-winter-workshop/; phone (540) 837-1600.
Mar., 16-17, 2013, Volunteer Fire Department, White Stone (Lancaster County): 34nd Annual Rappahannock River Waterfowl Art Show. The show includes paintings, prints, sculpture, carvings, photography, jewelry, and taxidermy, and a decoy-carving contest is one of the featured events. More information: http://www.rrws.org/home.html; phone (804) 435-6355; e-mail: info@rrws.org.
Mar. 22, every year, everywhere: World Water Day. The annual worldwide event designated by the United Nations since 1993. More information on the history of the event and the observances and activities for this year is available at the World Water Day Web site: http://www.worldwaterday.org/. March 22 also starts the annual World Water Monitoring Day period, running through the officially observed day of September 18 and ending December 31. More information on World Water Monitoring Day is available at http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/About.aspx.
Apr. 6, 2013, at many locations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: Project Clean Stream. Organized by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. More information: http://allianceforthebay.org/pcs/home/; Dan Brellis at 443-949-0575 or dbrellis@allianceforthebay.org.
Apr. 6, 2013, from Wise County to Prince William County: Trout Heritage Day. On the first Saturday of April, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries stocks trout in certain waters to create an opening-day kind of event. The list of waters is available at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/trout/trout-heritage-day/.
Apr. 9-11, 2013, Lexington: 24th Annual Environment Virginia Symposium. Organized by Virginia Military Institute (VMI). More information: VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics, http://www.vmi.edu/Conferences/Environment_Virginia/Environment_Virginia/; phone (540) 464-7361; e-mail: cle@vmi.edu.
Apr. 11-13, 2013, The Homestead, Hot Springs: Virginia Forestry Summit. Organized by the Association of Consulting Foresters, the Virginia Division of the Society of American Foresters, and the Virginia Forestry Association. More information: http://www.vaforestry.org/; Glenda Parrish, at (804) 278-8733 or gparrish@vaforestry.org.
Apr. 21-27, 2013: in Virginia’s limestone-bedrock (or karst) areas: Virginia Cave Week. Organized by the Virginia Cave Board. More information: http://www.vacaveweek.com.
Apr. 22-24, 2013, Hotel Roanoke: Annual conference of the Virginia Rural Water Association. More information: http://www.vrwa.org/cms.php?PageID=15; Virginia Rural Water Association, 2138 Sycamore Avenue, Buena Vista, VA 24416; (540) 261-7178; vrwa@vrwa.org.
Apr. 25, 2013, Watermen’s Hall, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Gloucester Point: 2013 Spring Tidal Wetlands Workshop–Building Capacity for Local Governments. More information: http://ccrm.vims.edu/; Carl Hershner, Director , VIMS Center for Coastal Resources Management, phone (804) 684-7380, e-mail: carl@vims.edu.
Apr. 25-27, 2013, Chesapeake and Suffolk: Great Dismal Swamp Birding Festival. More information: www.visitchesapeake.com/gds-birding-festival; phone (757) 986-3705.
Apr. 26-28, 2013, Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, Appomattox: 5th Annual Landowner Weekend Retreat–Spring. Organized by the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program (Virginia Cooperative Extension). More information: http://www.forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/landownerprograms/retreats/index.html; Jennifer Gagnon at (540) 231-6391 or jgagnon@vt.edu. A fall retreat will be held Sep. 6 (see below).
Apr. 26-28, 2013, Holiday Inn at Carradoc Hall, Leesburg: Annual meeting of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. More information: http://www.virginiabirds.net/VSO-2013-Annual-Meeting.html; Joe Coleman at 540-554-2542 or jcoleman_AT_loudounwildlife.org.
May 3, 2013, Roanoke: “Water is Life” Conference and Luncheon. Organized by the Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SE-RCAP). More information: http://www.cvent.com/events/water-is-life-conference-luncheon/event-summary-19bcefaa3cc8489ea33260dd37fb6b02.aspx; or contact Lauren Mason, phone (540) 345-1184, ext. 125; e-mail: lmason@sercap.org.
May 10, 2013, Wakefield: Virginia Association of Wetland Professionals (VAWP) Spring Meeting. To learn more about VAWP and their work, visit http://www.vawp.org/. For more information about the spring meeting, contact Tara Fisher at tfisher@CityOfChesapeake.Net.
May 11 , 2013, Morven Park Equestrian Center, Leesburg: Walking for Water. This is the 10th annual walk to raise funds for water wells, medicine, and education in the African country of Burkina Faso. More information: http://www.wisdomspringinc.org/walkingforwater.html.
May 22, 2013, Verizon Auditorium, George Mason University-Prince William Campus, Manassas: Financial Benefits of Conservation Easements–An Advanced Seminar on Conservation Easements, Tax Planning, and Financial Strategies for Landowners and Their Advisors. Organized by the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. More information: http://workshop.nvct.org.
