Grazing, Ecology And Whitetail Deer
Stewardship is a through line of this column. The choices landowners make individually and our collective choices as a society all impact the ultimate stewardship of our natural resources. Two upcoming events will of fer thought-provoking ideas and information that will hopefully inform both landowners and our community about individual and collective decision-making that impacts the stewardship of our natural resources.
On Friday, June 26, at 5:30 p.m., Rockbridge County Homesteaders are hosting a screening on a documentary entitled “Roots So Deep” about improving grazing livestock management. In the film we will see farmers changing the way they manage animals and scientists measuring how it impacts soil health, carbon capture and local ecology. The event is free and will be held at the Meridian Farmstead, 801 Meridian Parkway, Buena Vista. Your registration helps with plans for seating and the refreshments that will be provided free of charge. Register by calling Tom Stanley at (540) 4634724 or by sending email to [email protected].
Our farms, ecology and automobiles in Rockbridge are also being shaped by wildlife. Most notably, whitetail deer and the toll they take on crops, seedling trees, and car bumpers and fenders. On Monday, June 29, at 7 p.m., Rockbridge County Farm Bureau is hosting a seminar led by Justin Folks, wildlife biologist and Whitetail Deer Project leader for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Folks will show data that reveal trends and patterns in the deer population, automobile collisions, hunters and hunting. He will also cover what is understood about chronic wasting disease, tick infestations and current deer population control policies.
The Whitetail Deer Seminar will be held in the Appomattox Mezzanine at the Virginia Horse Center, 487 Maury River Road. The seminar is a free event sponsored by the Rockbridge County Farm Bureau Federation.
Plan to attend both these events that explore opportunities and challenges for the stewardship of our local land and ecology.
