Note: Enjoy a social hour with wine and cheese tasting to meet fellow participants and program leaders. A brief orientation will introduce the week's itinerary and sessions in detail.

Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: You may check-in at the hotel library from 4:00-5:00pm. WINE & CHEESE SOCIAL: Begin getting to know your fellow participants during an informal get-together with wine and cheese on the hotel veranda from 5:00-6:00 pm.

Dinner: Dinner begins at 6:15 pm in the Dining Room.

Evening: ORIENTATION: After introductions of participants and program staff, we will have an informative overview of the program. reviewing the updated schedule, responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answering any questions you may have.

Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

In this special new program, you will have opportunities to learn about threats to forests in the Appalachian region with a specific focus on the non-native Wooly adelgid aphid and the treatment and research program at Mountain Lake for the affected Eastern hemlock tree. You will also be able to assist in the Hemlock Treatment Program at the Mountain Lake Conservancy and Kentland Farm Research Facility at Virginia Tech. In addition, we will explore a unique ecosystem atop Salt Pond Mountain and learn to identify the trees and vegetation of high-elevation forests with hands-on lessons and experience. Plus, feel the history of historic Mountain Lake Hotel as you learn, lodge, dine, and relax.

Lodging: Mountain Lake Lodge

Meals Included: Dinner

Introduction to the Eastern Hemlock and Wooly Adelgid, Hemlock Treatment Field Trip, Evening presentation: Songs of the Night

Breakfast: Breakfast is available in the Mountain Lake Dining Room from 7:30am to 9:30 am.

Morning: PRESENTATION: Tom McAvoy, noted Virginia Tech entomologist, will provide an introduction to the Wooly Adelgid and Eastern Hemlock. Learn about the origins and discovery of Wooly Adelgid infestation of Hemlock trees in the eastern U.S. and large-scale efforts to manage the complete spectrum of biological control activities including foreign exploration, quarantine evaluation, mass production, release, and evaluation of approved insect natural enemies.

Lunch: Lunch begins at 12:00 Noon in the Dining Room.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: From approximately 1:30-4:00pm, we will take an expert-led field trip to learn about and participate in field treatment of Hemlock trees. The field trip involves hiking along forested trails for up to two (2) miles with frequent stops. HWA has spread to cover 50% of the Eastern Hemlock’s geographic range. In the past 20 years, this invasive pest has left most of the trees it has enountered either dead or in a highly weakened state. Since 1997, the major emphasis for addressing the problem has been investment into biological control.

Dinner: Dinner begins at 5:30pm in the Dining Room.

Evening: EVENING PROGRAM: Enjoy "Songs of the Night" with biologist and ornithologist Jerry Via, an entertaining multi-media presentation on the chirps, croaks, and hoots of nighttime bird sounds. Don’t be surprised if an owl answers the call!

Lodging: Mountain Lake Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Kentland Farm Research Facility Field Trip, Hemlock Treatment Field Work, Biological Control Agent Tactics, Free Evening

Breakfast: Breakfast is available in the Mountain Lake Dining Room from 7:30am to 9:30 am.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Kentland Farm. The historic Kentland Farm is part of the Virginia Tech College Farm Operation that comprises 3,000 acres in the Blacksburg area. The operation provides resources and assistance to research, teaching, and extension programs related to environmental concerns, sustainable agriculture, natural resources, alternative crops, and improved agricultural efficiencies.

After exploring parts of the farm to see examples of its work, we will engage in some field work treating hemlocks on site.

Lunch: Lunch begins at 12:00 Noon in the Dining Room.

Afternoon: PRESENTATION: Learn about biological control agents in forestry including predator species and systemic insecticides, and tactics being used in the hemlock treatment program.

Dinner: Dinner begins at 5:30pm in the Dining Room.

Evening: FREE EVENING: Enjoy time to use the hotel’s facilities or just relax after some busy days.

Lodging: Mountain Lake Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

War Spur Trail Naturalist Hike, Pearisburg Historical Society Museum Complex, Evening Program on Native and Non-native Plant-Tree Identification

Breakfast: Breakfast is available in the Mountain Lake Dining Room from 7:30am to 9:30 am.

Morning: NATURALIST HIKE: Explore a section of old growth forest with local naturalist guides as we hike along the War Spur Loop Trail in the Mountain Lake Wilderness. The hike is approximately two (2) miles and considered moderately difficult with some rocky terrain and elevation gain. Unique attributes of this area include the numerous stands of virgin hemlock, red spruce, and pines. Other site habitats to be explored include stream-side rhododendron thickets, moss-covered rock outcrops, eastern hardwood forests, moist woodland understory blanketed with delicate ferns, and awe-inspiring overlook views of surrounding mountains and valleys.

Lunch: Lunch begins at 12:00 Noon in the Dining Room.

Afternoon: EXCURSION: Giles County Historical Society Museum Complex in Pearisburg, VA. This small museum complex traces the history of Giles County dating back to Native Americans, its most significant families from the settlement era onward, and preserves typical small town character. During the Civil War, one of the properties was used as Union headquarters briefly in 1862 by Col. Rutherford B. Hayes and Sgt. William McKinley, both later presidents of the United States.

Dinner: Dinner begins at 5:30pm in the Dining Room.

Evening: EVENING PRESENTATION: Learn how to identify common plant and tree species atop Salt Pond Mountain and the Appalachian region.

Lodging: Mountain Lake Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Non-native & Invasive Species, Survey & Removal of Invasive Vegetation, Bluegrass Music

Breakfast: Breakfast is available in the Mountain Lake Dining Room from 7:30am to 9:30 am.

Morning: PRESENTATION: Learn about non-native and invasive plant species affecting the Appalachian region.

Lunch: Lunch begins at 12:00 Noon in the Dining Room.

Afternoon: FIELD WORK: Under expert supervision, survey and remove invasive vegetation within the Mountain Lake Conservancy.

Dinner: Dinner begins at 5:30pm in the Dining Room.

Evening: ENTERTAINMENT: Enjoy an outdoor performance on the Mountain Lake Hotel Veranda with local musicians the Nelson's and Liam Kelly. Listen to and learn about traditional Appalachian mountain music and instruments in this relaxed, informal setting.

Lodging: Mountain Lake Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Threatened Species in the Appalachian Region and Citizen Conservation Efforts, Program Concludes

Breakfast: Breakfast is available in the Mountain Lake Dining Room from 7:30am to 9:30 am.

Morning: CLOSING PRESENTATION WITH Q&A: Learn more about threatened species in the Appalachian region and what you and other citizens can do to help in conservation efforts.

HOTEL CHECK-OUT: Please be sure you have checked out no later than 11:30am.

Lunch: We will have our final lunch together in the Mountain Lake Restaurant.

This concludes our program. We hope you have enjoyed learning with us and will return for other rewarding Road Scholar educational adventures in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Lodging: Mountain Lake Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch