2024 Webinar Schedule
December 19 2:00 pm | Invasive Plants, Restoration and the Sound of Urban Streams with Gabrielle Ripa
Gabrielle Ripa is a PhD student at Virginia Tech who is studying how to limit invasive plants on stream restoration projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Because of her background in wildlife ecology, Gabrielle is also seeking to connect the changes to the stream environment, due to invasion and restoration, to the animal community through acoustic monitoring. She hopes her work can inform the design of restoration projects that are better at recovering both plant and animal communities. In this presentation, Gabrielle will present her PhD work on acoustic monitoring of stream ecosystems and the impact invasive species have on the acoustic landscape.
Register for the Dec 19 webinar here
2025 Webinar Schedule
January 13, 11:00 am | Brassica Disease Management with Doug Higgins
Register for the January 13 webinar here
February 18, 2:00pm | Turfgrass Disease Management with Elisabeth Kitchin
Register for the February 18 webinar here
March 11, 1:00 pm | Sustainable Vegetable Production with Ashley Jernigan
Register for the March 11 webinar here
Webinar Archive
2024 Webinars
Invasion Biology Wrap-Up with Jacob Barney
Jacob Barney currently serves as the Director of the Invasive Species Collaborative (ISC). The ISC is a faculty collaborative that began in the Global Change Center at Virginia Tech with support from the Fralin Life Sciences Institute and the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. The ISWG nurtures transdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, industry, and communities to promote a deep understanding of the impacts of invasive species on ecosystems and society, and foster an inclusive environment where science and policy meet to tackle this global challenge.
Resources:
Articles:
- “Interactions between resource availability and enemy release in plant invasion.” Blumenthal 2006
- “System-level changes following invasion caused by disruption of functional relationships among plant and soil properties.” Tekiela and Barney 2015
- “Grass invasion increases top-down pressure on an amphibian via structurally mediated effects on an intraguild predator.” DeVore and Maerz
- “Nonnative plants reduce population growth of an insectivorous bird.”Narango et al
- “Economic and environmental threats of alien plant, animal, and microbe invasions.”Pimental et al
Growing Peaches at Home with Andy Rollins
In this session, Andy Rollins of South Carolina Extension covers peach growing basics for home gardeners. Peaches are a great choice for Virginia gardeners interested in fruit production–Andy will give us all tips for a successful peach crop!
About the Speaker: Andy Rollins is the Horticultural Agent for the upstate of SC. He is specialized in commercial fruit and vegetable production and assists new growers with problem diagnosis and multiple decisions including soil testing/preparation, location/size of the planting, spray choices, calibration, and variety selection. Andy is actively involved in research projects with Clemson University as well as USDA-ARS specialists, and also does some new product testing.
Resources
In this session, Paul Westervelt of Saunders Brothers Inc. will share his extensive knowledge and expertise on choosing perennials for your landscape. Paul will discuss perennials for fall planting and/or fall color.
About the Speaker: Paul Westervelt is a professional plant geek who has run the annual and perennial program for Saunders Brothers Nursery in Piney River, Virginia since 2004, where he grows over 800 varieties across 13 programs. As Director of New Plant Research and Development, he oversees production and ground trials of new varieties for the nursery. In addition to speaking at industry events around the country, Paul’s written for Fine Gardening and GrowerTalks. His photography appears in New Naturalism by Kelly Norris and Prairie Up by Benjamin Vogt.
September 24 | Tree Pruning Seminar | Jim McGlone
In your basic training you learned how to prune trees and shrubs. Although some of the ways we prune different types of plants seem contradictory, these methods are all based on manipulating the plants’ biology. This class will cover how the evolution and biology of woody plants drives the ways we prune woody plants. Knowing the why may make it easier to remember the how. The focus of the class will be on dicot trees.
During this online workshop, you will learn how to best manage invasive plants during the specific season. Slide deck (Canva)
- Best seasonal practices for specific invasive plants
- The right tools
- Using manual & mechanical control methods
- Methods for controlling invasive plants with careful use of herbicides
- Planning a work schedule with best timings for multiple plants
Additional resources:
Are you responsible for your local unit Facebook page? Want to learn to help with social media content. Hayley Conrad, Social Media Manager for CALS and VCE joins us to provide basic information on social media for EMGs.
April 22 | Overview of Invasive Forest Insect Pests in VA – Liv Andrews
PhD candidate Liv Andrews shares her exciting work on biological control of the hemlock woolly adelgid and more news on forest pests in Virginia.
Piedmont EMGs have successfully worked with their local Habitat for Humanity to ensure that new homeowners have the skills and materials they need to succeed with their new landscapes. Learn about their program and partnership.
Additional resources:
Loudoun Extension Master Gardeners maintain a gravel bed planting project where they raise trees that will be planted at Tree Steward sites. Gravel beds are irrigated bed or pile of gravel where woody plants are planted for several months to increase fibrous root systems.
Additional resources:
All you need to know about community gravel beds Busiahn, Jacob; Peterson, Sean (2013)
“Better root systems with gravel beds” Eric Kuehler, USDA Forest Service
2023 Webinars
October 18 – Virginia Native Trees – Adam Downing
Adam Downing, joins us to celebrate Virginia Native Trees!
September 15 – Fall into your lawn with Dr. Mike Goatley
What are the most important steps in rejuvenating cool season lawns and preparing warm season lawns for the winter?
August 18 at 10:00 am – Forest Health Update, Lori Chamberlin VDOF
Learn about the most common pests and diseases in Virginia’s forests. This presentation will teach participants how to identify forest health disturbance agents, and how to prevent damage. Our speaker, Lori Chamberlin, is the Forest Health Manager for the Virginia Department of Forestry.
July 20 | Hydroponics: Industry to Home Use
This talk will introduce hydroponics, discuss the pros and cons, describe various systems used and crops grown, highlight the industry, and describe how you can grow hydroponically at home.
May 12 | Invasive Plant Management
Dr. Laurie Fox and Ed Olsen will give a presentation on invasive plant management and answer questions on the topic. This presentation will be available as a MG resource after the webinar.
April 20 | Compost Basics and Beyond, Panorama Paydirt
Join Margaret and Noah Bloom of Panorama Paydirt for a deep dive into compost!
March 24 | The Value of Trees, Dr. Laurie Fox
Dr. Laurie Fox gives tips and an overview of a presentation template that EMGs can customize and use for talks to civic leagues, homeowner associations, garden clubs, etc.
2021 Webinars
August 19 | Virginia’s Natural Heritage Program
Join Tyler Urgo, the Shenandoah Valley Regional Steward for the Virginia Natural Heritage Program shares how this program is conserving Virginia’s biodiversity through inventory, protection, and stewardship.
April 15| EMG Online Training with Canvas
oin Fairfax EMGs as they discuss their switch to online training for new EMGs, what lessons they’ve learned, and share recommendations for other units taking on virtual training. This session will focus on the use of Canvas.
March 18, 2021 | Vegetable Grafting for the Home Gardener
Why & How to Graft Your Own Transplants with Josh Kardos of VT SPES. Dr. Kardos has also provided this demo video of vegetable grafting, click here.
February 18, 2021 | Building Strong EMG Mentor Programs
This webinar focuses on the importance of mentoring programs and how you can build one for your unit.
IDs and Diagnoses Series (view YouTube playlist):
February 16, 2021 | Plant ID Clinic: IDs and Diagnoses series
This webinar provides guidance on submitting a good digital sample to the Plant Disease Clinic. It also details some useful resources on the Plant Disease Clinic website that can help Master Gardeners gain familiarity with common diseases and abiotic problems diagnosed in the Plant Disease Clinic.
February 9, 2021 | Weed Clinic: IDs and Diagnoses series
Wykle Greene and Michael Flessner of the Virginia Weed Identification Clinic share their process for IDing samples and tips for submitting good samples.
February 2, 2021 | Basic Entomology and the Insect ID Lab: IDs and Diagnoses series
Eric Day of the Insect ID Lab provides basic information on Entomology and an overview of their lab.
January 26, 2021 | Soil Testing Lab: IDs and Diagnoses series
Steve Heckendorn from Virginia Tech’s soil testing lab shares information on their lab processes and how you can more effectively use the resources they offer.
2019/2020 Webinars
November 19, 2020 | State Office Updates and Q&A
State Office staff describes upcoming program changes, including the transition away from the VMS and a new task force.
October 22, 2020 | Leadership Development: Creating Engaging Presentations
Extension agents Kirsten Conrad, Ashley Apling, and Ed Olsen share their tips for creating and presenting PowerPoint presentations.
October 15, 2020 | Urban Agriculture | Dr. Leonard Githinji
September 17, 2020 | Joel Koci | Tree Risk Assessment
Learn the basics of tree risk assessment with Joel Koci of VSU.
August 20, 2020 | Josh Kardos| How to Get the Most out of You Hydrangeas
Josh Kardos, Virginia Tech, discusses hydrangea science and troubleshooting.
Get Gardening! Facebook Live Series
Includes the following sessions:
- Dr. Leonard Githinji, VSU – How to create and maintain a productive raised bed garden in your backyard
- Alex Hessler, VT SPES – Successful seeding and transplanting in the home garden”
- Ed Olsen – Container Gardening
- Dr. Marcus comer, Gardening Beyond the Backyard
- Michelle Prysby, Gardening For Wildlife
- Joel Koci, Intro to woody plants
- Chris Epes, Watering
- Evan O’Niell, Tomatoes
- Laura Maxey Nay, garden insects
- Susan Cheek, cut flowers
- Adria Bordas – Disease
- Amy – Garden safety
- Jayesh Samtani -Small fruits
- Josh Kardos – Hydrangeas
- Gaylynn Johnson – Fall garden
- Dawn Barnes – Processing: canning, water bath
- Sandy Stoneman – Processing: canning, pressure
- Susan Prillaman – Processing: freezing
- Dave Close – Firewise landscaping
- Mark Reiter – Cover Crops
- Chris Mullins – Season extenders
- Kathleen Reed – Succulents and propagation
July 30 | Jamie King | Urban Forestry is a Public Service
Virginia Tech arborist Jamie King discusses the community benefits of urban forestry.
May 21, 2020| Mark Sutphin| Spotted Lanternfly Update
Mark Sutphin of Frederick VCE provides an update on the invasive spotted lanternfly in Virginia.
April 16, 2020 | Scott Baker | Understanding and Interpreting Soil Test Results
Join us for a practical how-to for reading and interpreting soil test results. Learn how to use those lab results to give recommendations to homeowners – and be able to amend your own lawn or garden too!
March 19, 2020 | Pam Bennett | What’s App With That?
Pam Bennett of Ohio State University describes different gardening smartphone apps and tips for using them.
February 20, 2020 | Andrea Davis on School Garden Projects
Andrea Davis, Extension agent Virginia Beach, joins the state office to discuss school garden projects.
October 10, 2019 | Dr. Holly Scoggins
Dave Close and new EMG Coordinator Kathleen Reed in conversation with Dr. Holly Scoggins as she prepares to retire in 2020.
2018 Webinars
November 8, 2018 | EMG College 2019 Updates
Dave Close and John Freeborn provide updates on EMG College 2019 which will be held in Norfolk VA, including keynote speakers confirmed, location information, and venue information
October 11, 2018 | Conflict Resolution
The Leadership, Volunteerism, and Civic Engagement Program Team invites you to this 50 minute webinar with Dave Close as he discusses working through the unavoidable conflict that we all encounter in our work.
September 27, 2018 | LVCE Webinar: Cultivating Volunteer Leaders
Join Michelle Prysby for a presention on how volunteer programs often can be strengthened by having volunteers serve in leadership roles. How do you move volunteers from simply showing up for a volunteer activity to taking on greater responsibilities? What leadership skills are important to cultivate in volunteers? What are common challenges with volunteer leadership and how can they be overcome? We will discuss these ideas and more, and we welcome your own stories of volunteer leadership triumphs and disasters.
Additional Resources:
- Presentation PDF
- Fuller, J. M. and Friedel, C. R. 2017. Developing volunteer leaders: Let their intentions guide the way. Journal of Leadership Education 16(3): 45-66. DOI: 10.12806/V16/I3/R2
- http://www.journalofleadershiped.org/attachments/article/509/0621_Friedel.pdf
- Lockett, L. L. and Boyd, B. 2012. Enhancing leadership skills in volunteers. Journal of Leadership Education 11(1): 233-244. DOI: 10.12806/V11/I1/AB2
- http://journalofleadershiped.org/attachments/article/97/Lockett%20and%20Boyd.pdf
- The Lockett paper is also available as an Extension publication from Texas AgriLife Extension, but it’s pretty much the same as the peer-reviewed journal article.
- https://agrilifecdn.tamu.edu/od/files/2010/09/Developing-Leadership-Skills-in-Volunteers.pdf
Scott’s presentation covers “Interstate Interventions”, exploring possible improvements that could be implemented within the planted shoulders and medians along the Interstates in Illinois. His work includes a review of The Ray, an 18-mile section of Interstate 85 in southwest Georgia that serves as a testing ground for new ideas and technologies to transform transportation infrastructure.
- Additional Resources:
- Presentation PDF
June 14, 2018 | Volunteer Retention and Engagement
Michelle Prysby, Director of the Master Naturalist Program, discusses techniques for retaining and engaging volunteers.
March 8, 2018 | Boxwood Blight Frequently Asked Questions
Special guest Mary Ann Hansen, Extension Plant Pathologist with the Virginia Tech Plant Disease Clinic, provides an update on Boxwood Blight in Virginia. Mary Ann discusses what is currently known about the disease and its spread in Virginia, and shares resources on best management practices for preventing or managing Boxwood Blight in home landscapes.
More information on Boxwood Blight, including VCE factsheets: Boxwood Blight Task Force
January 11, 2018 | Flowers, Flowers and More Flowers
Special guest Dr. Holly Scoggins provides information and recommendations for garden flowers, including recommendations for early-flowering varieties and unusual flowers you may not know about!
2016 – 2017 Webinars
December 14, 2017 | Office Updates
EMG State Office Staff provide program updates including highlights from the communication survey, an update on the webinar series, and an update on the coordinator handbook.
Fall 2016 | Agriculture and Environment
Ag. and Environmental Series Seminars – an interdisciplinary seminar series co-sponsored by the departments of Horiculture, Entomology, CSES, and PPWS. Thanks to Mark Summer and Megan O’Rourke for their efforts in the recordings.
May 26, 2016 | Woody Landscape Plants
Dr. Alex Niemiera presents a 50 minute lecture on his chapter on woody plants in the EMG handbook. This talk expands on some of the topics covered in the chapter, including plant size, hardiness, plant sex, and right plants for the right places.
February 2, 2016 | Habitat Gardening for Wildlife
This session is based on the new chapter in the EMG handbook and provides an overview of vegetative and structural components of habitat gardening, including plant choices, plant layering to mimic natural systems, and examples of popular wildlife gardens.
Special Series: Turf Management
August 24, 2018 | Fall Into Your Lawn
As fall approaches, now is the time to be thinking about new lawn establishment, recovery and renovation options (aeration / overseeding) from summer damage, fall fertility options, and “what are my best weed control options?”