When: April 26, 2025 1:00 pm
In partnership with the Town of Blacksburg and the Biocultural & Ecological Restoration Initiative, the Invasive Species Collaborative at Virginia Tech is hosting a community day focused on invasive species and restoration. This interactive event will take place on Saturday, April 26th from 1:00-6:30 p.m. at various locations throughout Heritage Park and Rising Silo Brewery.
Afternoon activities include:
| Restoration Walk n’ Talk | 1:00-2:30 p.m. at Heritage Park | Registration required |
| Water World Workshop | 1:00-2:30 p.m. at Heritage Park | Registration required |
| Wildlife in Your Backyard – Great for kids! | 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Rising Silo Brewery | Registration required |
| Wildlife in Your Backyard – Great for kids! | 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Rising Silo Brewery | Registration required |
| Invasive Plant Management Workshop | 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Heritage Park | Registration required |
| Meet n’ greet with state agency and nonprofit partners | 3:00-6:30 p.m. at Rising Silo Brewery | No registration required |
Who to expect at the meet n’ greet:
- Virginia Department of Forestry
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
- Virginia Natural Heritage Program
- Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Virginia Tech Insect ID Lab
- Invasive Species Collaborative at Virginia Tech
- Biocultural & Ecological Restoration Initiative at Virginia Tech
- Sustainable Blacksburg
- Master Naturalists – New River Valley Chapter
- Virginia Native Plant Society – New River Chapter
- Plant SWVA Natives
Graduate students will also be on hand to share information about their exciting research projects! Topics range from red imported fire ants and invasive earthworms to managing laurel wilt with prescribed burns and native grassland ecology.
Please note: Due to limited lot space at Heritage Park & Rising Silo Brewery, event organizers CANNOT guarantee onsite parking. Please consider arriving early, carpooling, or ridesharing.
Event Website