Mr. Denny McCarthy of Dept. Of Forestry Addresses Virginia Master Naturalists

On the evening of Thursday, February 20, Mr. Denny McCarthy of the DoF graciously addressed the Blue Ridge, Foothills and Lakes Chapter (BRFAL) of the Virginia Master Naturalists.  Denny told us that this is the 100^th anniversary of the VA DoF.  The main functions of the DoF include Forest Management, Fire Management, working with landowners, and Water Quality Monitoring when timber is harvested.

 But on this evening, Denny imparted his knowledge of rain gardens to our group.  A rain garden is used to provide a reservoir to filter and slow flow of rain water during a heavy downpour.  Rain gardens help with erosion control as well.  They are often used to control flow from large impermeable surfaces such as parking lots or roads.  Rain garden may be very large or quite small depending on the amount of flow that needs to be moderated.

 The rain garden utilizes a pond storage area that is dug out and filled with gravel and then topped with planting soil.  It is then planted with suitable Virginia native species plants.  The DoF can recommend suitable plants and can even provide many of them.

 This information was very useful for the BRFAL team members since many of our members are on the Buffer Landscape Committee, which is sponsored by the Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA).  The Buffer Landscape Committee provides free advice to landowners on the lake or on the feeder streams and rivers that feed the lake.  If you would like a personalized visit to your property, please contact the Buffer Landscape Committee by calling 540-719-0690 or emailing TheOffice@smlassociation.org to arrange a visit.

 

                                         Denny McCarthy Addressing BRFAL Members

 

By Rich Brager