Newsletter of the Foundation of the State Arboretum                              Fall 2020
A cabbage white butterfly feeds on asters, a colorful fall flower.

Six months in, Blandy adapts to the pandemic
By Dave Carr
Director, Blandy Experimental Farm
We are now six months into our altered reality, but Blandy and the Arboretum have been open to the public since June 6 after a five-week shut down. Since June, visitors have been able to enjoy an experience that should be similar to a pre-Covid-19 visit, but we still have a few restrictions and constraints on activities in place. We do not know when we will be able to relax these restrictions, but I think it would be safe to assume that we are in it for the long haul. Read more
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Nature Nurtures Goes Virtual October 24
Sharing practical tips - and a bit of philosophy - about nature
Celebrate the goodness of nature with us! Join our virtual Nature Nurtures to hear three compelling presentations on how nature plays such an important role in our lives, from dining to gardening to wellness. A live Q&A session follows each session, so you can ask your burning questions about these nature topics! Read more 
Research in the time of Covid-19
In a year like no other, students find ways to cope
By David Carr
Director, Blandy Experimental Farm
The pandemic had a huge impact on research at Blandy this summer. We were forced to cancel our Research Experience for Undergraduates program (funded by the National Science Foundation), losing the opportunity to bring 10 talented students from all over the country to Blandy. For the most part, our regular visiting faculty, most of whom come to Blandy each summer to participate in that program, stayed at their home institutions. Our graduate students, however, tried to carry on as best as they could. Read more
And the winner is...
Education Director wins conservation award
Blandy Director of Education Candace Lutzow-Felling received a surprise phone call recently: That's how she learned she had won a Conservation Educator Award from the Garden Club of Virginia. "I didn't even know I'd been nominated," she said. Read more
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Yes, we're having Holiday Workshops
Offsite sessions will keep everyone safe
It is time to get ready for Holiday Workshops! The good news is we will be hosting this popular event this year. Of course, due to COVID-19, we'll be doing things a bit differently. Read more
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The butterflies will thank you 
How gardening with native plants builds the food web
By Jack Monsted
Assistant Curator, Native Plant Trail
By now, chances are good that most of us have heard something about the environmental benefits of gardening with native plants. Conservation groups like the National Audubon Society, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and hundreds of local native plant societies across the country have worked tirelessly to spread the word about their myriad benefits to pollinators and wildlife, and at some point in the last decade or so, this knowledge has begun to enter the mainstream consciousness. Read more
Blandy Embraces Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Social unrest leads UVA community to examine its past
By Kyle Haynes
Associate Director, Blandy Experimental Farm
The recent string of well-publicized killings of Black people by police has sparked many institutions around the country to wrangle with these important issues with greater urgency and transparency. The Blandy leadership team, composed of its faculty, and the Directors of the Foundation of the State Arboretum and Scientific Engagement, has posted on the Blandy website a statement affirming our commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Read more
Volunteers victorious over Community Garden 
By Ariel Firebaugh
Director of Scientific Engagement
Volunteers from the Top of Virginia Community Leadership Program gave the Blandy Community Garden  a much-needed facelift on Saturday, Oct. 3, by spreading mulch along the main garden path. The Community Garden got off to a rough start this year after the garden was closed for much of the growing season due to Covid-19 precautions. By August, weeds towered overhead, forming a formidable thicket of thistle and pokeweed. The garden has transformed from "seriously scary" to "slightly scruffy" this fall, thanks to the efforts of gardeners and volunteers. We look forward to the day when the Blandy Community Garden is restored to its full former glory!
This 50-plus-year-old John Deere tractor is still a Blandy workhorse.

Vintage tractor rebuilt, takes on new life
In early April of this year, Grounds Coordinator Chris Youngs completed an in-frame engine rebuild on Blandy's oldest tractor, a 1969 John Deere 2020 diesel. 

The tractor developed a coolant leak internally around one of the wet sleeves and needed to be repaired. The engine was disassembled and tolerances checked. The cylinder head was sent out to be machined, assembled, and tested in Winchester. 

A rebuild kit was installed along with new hoses, fuel injectors, filters and cooling system components. The tractor was started for the first time on April 7, and since then the 2020 has been broken in and is being used to mow roadsides and fields, controlling invasive species  at Blandy.
Winchester Star Photojournalist Jeff Taylor won a third-place award from the Virginia Press Association for this photo of Leslie Ziemer of Front Royal atop her horse Jedi in the Ginkgo Grove last year. Watch our website and Facebook page for ginkgo updates.
In this season of gratitude (and, yes, uncertainty), we thank you for continuing to be loyal supporters of Blandy Experimental Farm and the State Arboretum, protecting nature through your volunteerism, program participation, and generous gifts. 
Happy Autumn!