Stadium woods

A walk in the (Stadium) Woods

Text and photos by Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Beth Umberger of the Virginia Master Naturalists New River Valley Chapter led a spring wildflower walk through Stadium Woods on the Virginia Tech campus on a recent afternoon. Stadium Woods is twelve acre stand of old growth trees next to Lane Stadium that is used as an outdoor classroom and training area by the Tech Corps of Cadets.

In 2012, Virginia Master Naturalists of the NRV and student volunteers began clearing the woods of invasive nonnative plants by hand without the use of pesticides. With many choking invasive plants removed, native plants are flourishing.

Umberger encourages people to remove plants from their yards and homes such as English ivy, Asiatic bittersweet, and wintercreeper from their trees along with Callery pear, burning bush, privet, multiflora rose and bush honeysuckle, as these plants do not support insects needed for birds and other creatures.

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