The Northern Neck Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists (NNMN) will begin the year with a virtual meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday, January 12. This Zoom meeting can be seen from the comfort of home via computer.
The presentation will concern the Winter Flora and Fauna of Hickory Hollow, one of the four local Virginia Natural Area Preserves. The preserve is located off Regina Road, just south of Lancaster.
Special emphasis will be on the skunk cabbage, found in the Cabin Swamp area of Hickory Hollow. Skunk cabbage is the earliest blooming plant in Virginia and one of the very few plants that can generate heat, allowing it to flower even when snow is on the ground. Of the over 390,000 flowering plants, just a few hundred can generate heat.
Local Virginia Master Naturalists and retired biologists Betsy Washington and Kevin Howe will lead the presentation.
Hickory Hollow is an ecological wonder, supporting a high level of botanical diversity. It contains some plants found nowhere else in Virginia. Washington and Howe recently completed a virtual “New Year’s Day Walk at Hickory Hollow” that is posted on the Northern Neck Chapter Audubon website; this presentation will go into more depth on what can be seen in the woods.
“Hickory Hollow is a treat to walk anytime of the year, but many people don’t realize how wonderful it can be in the winter,” said Washington, who is also horticulture chairman of the local chapter of Virginia Native Plant Society. “There is so much to see and learn from a visit, and this presentation should be great introduction to winter in the woods.”
“We are excited to share the beauty of our Virginia Natural Area Preserves with those that see it often, and those who didn’t know it’s there,” said NNMN president Camille Grabb. “We are planning more member and non-member natural history adventures for 2021.”
To register for this free virtual presentation, contact Camille at nnmnpresident@gmail.com.
