by Olivia Lewis, December 4, 2019 When you visit an open woodland or roadside in the Ragged Mountains of Virginia during the summer, a variety of woodland wildflowers assail you with color. Bright golden Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) and Crownbeard (Verbesina occidentalis) flowers, yellow Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus), green Lespedeza (Lespedeza species) and plumes of Goldenrod […]
05
Dec
Dec
by Rachel Floyd, November 28, 2019 When you’re two, Prairie grasses can tickle your cheeks and your baby doll has to be held very tightly as you push your way through them. When you’re two, a 65 degree day in November might call for first taking off your coat, then your shirt and sitting down […]
12
Nov
Nov
Center for Urban Habitats begins Biological Assessment of newly acquired Charlottesville Park Land in Albemarle County, Va. By Devin Floyd, Center for Urban Habitats November 11, 2019 Center for Urban Habitats (CUH) is excited to be partnering with The City of Charlottesville to accomplish a baseline biological assessment of a tract of land very close […]
28
Oct
Oct
By Devin Floyd, Center for Urban Habitats October 17, 2019 This little patch of prairie in Charlottesville tells a story that is far deeper than the narrative of conservation landscaping and pollinators. It traces and honors an ancient path, and is a tribute to the lost culture, animals, and ecosystems of the Piedmont. Indeed, any […]
28
Oct
Oct
By Jolene Esposito, Center for Urban Habitats October 9, 2019 As Marketing Manager, I am responsible for managing and promoting CUH’s content. I also think it is valuable (and educational!) to know what each team within CUH does as part of their work. Two weeks ago I joined Ezra Staengl, Emily Luebke, and Drew Chaney […]
21
Oct
Oct
By Jessie Wingo, Center for Urban Habitats Yellow False Foxglove Aureolaria spp. Family: Orobanchaceae A couple weeks ago, while working as a trail technician for the Albemarle County Parks Department, I was tasked with checking out the trails at Walnut Creek Park [Central Virginia] to ensure they were safe and usable. I’d been walking […]
11
Oct
Oct
By Rachel Floyd, Center for Urban Habitats Ever since a grass tapis vert (green carpet) was installed in the palace gardens of Versailles in the 18th century, manicured lawn grass has been in fashion. Americans are particularly smitten, having rolled out some 40 million acres of lawn across the continental United States, making turf grass […]
07
Oct
Oct
By Drew Chaney, Center for Urban Habitats The Southern Piedmont Granitic Flatrock is a globally rare plant community restricted to the Piedmont from Alabama north to south-central Virginia, occurring on exposed bedrock outcrops of granite and related rocks, where streams have eroded the rock smooth over time, creating a unique ecological niche where lichens and […]
27
Aug
Aug
By Cinder Stanton, Center for Urban Habitats Woodland Sunflower Helianthus divaricatus Family: Asteraceae Average Height: 4 feet (range is 2-6 feet) Bloom Time: June through August Elevation Range: All elevations in the Piedmont Geologic/Soil Associations: Typically found on bedrock that is rich in cations (rocks with dark minerals, such as metabasalt, gabbro, amphibolite, biotite-plagioclase […]
19
Apr
Apr
By Drew Chaney, Center for Urban Habitats American Toad Anaxyrus americanus Family: Bufonidae One late March day, I decided to check out the new boardwalk that was recently installed at Greenbrier Park in north Cville. It was pleasant outside, the birds were active, and spring peepers were calling incessantly. The boardwalk was added as […]