Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment

09/02/2026

Led by instructor Dave Carroll, the weather instrumentation course hit the ground running early this semester. Students traveled to the Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia, to install a weather station supporting the Allegheny Front Migration.

Each fall, migratory birds are captured, banded, and released at the site. Weather data is an important part of understanding the impact of migration patterns and banding success at the observatory.

Part field work, part online training, students learn everything from wiring, solar power, and sensors to building a weather station from the ground up.

Through the course, students put their classroom learning into practice while exploring the connections between meteorology, wildlife, and field research.

08/24/2026

08/24/2026

Happy First Day of Class, Hokies!

08/13/2026

Ever wondered how a textbook with multiple authors is written?

A group of faculty members from across the U.S. who are researchers in hydrology assembled at Virginia Tech to start the process of creating a new, free, open-source Introduction to Hydrology textbook.

Brainstorming sessions resulted in an outline, a list of chapter topics, and topics assigned to the authors that fit their expertise. The effort is funded by the Virginia VIVA program, which is a consortium of academic libraries.

The collaborating authors and librarians are:
Christa Kelleherm, Lafayette College; Kevin McGuire, Virginia Tech; Christopher Lowry, University of Buffalo; Anna Bergstrom, Boise State; Sarah Ledford, Georgia State; Lauren Lowman, Wake Forest; JP Gannon, Virginia Tech; Drew Guswa, Smith College; Dominick Ciruzzi, William and Mary; Anita Walz, Virginia Tech (Library); Joshua Marsh, Liberty University (Library).

08/06/2026

We hope you enjoyed reading Field Notes, the College of Natural Resources and Environment's digital magazine. To celebrate the launch of the magazine, please enjoy a unique cover for each of our stories - and read them all here: https://cnre.vt.edu/magazine.html.

08/04/2026

The College of Natural Resources and Environment is protecting Virginia's water, one forest, streambank, and community at a time. Conservation of water resources is a primary goal of the college’s programs offered through Virginia Cooperative Extension.

The Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program, the Virginia SHARP Logger Program, Virginia Master Naturalists, and the urban forestry in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation are programs designed and implemented with the help of local agents in every municipality to achieve big picture, long term goals by engaging in individual, finely focused efforts.

In Field Notes, the College of Natural Resources and Environment’s 2026 digital magazine, learn and read more about how the college and Extension help protect water here: https://cnre.vt.edu/magazine/issues/spring-2026/protecting-virginia-water-one-forest-streambank-and-community-at-a-time.html

08/03/2026

For 42 years, the legendary John Seiler taught at Virginia Tech. The legendary professor taught, literally, every Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation graduate through 2026.
In Field Notes, the College of Natural Resources and Environment’s 2026 digital magazine, hear from Dr. Dendro himself as he wrapped up an incredible career: https://cnre.vt.edu/magazine/issues/spring-2026/dr-dendro-steps-away-from-forested-classroom.html

07/31/2026

As wildfire risk grows across parts of the eastern United States, Virginia Tech researchers are leading a new effort to help land managers better understand, predict, and reduce wildfire impacts in hardwood forests throughout Virginia and Appalachia.

In Field Notes, the College of Natural Resources and Environment’s 2026 digital magazine, read how our researchers are helping this effort though an 18-month project aims to strengthen prescribed fire planning and improve wildfire risk reduction strategies in landscapes where large fires have historically been less common but are becoming more frequent.

https://cnre.vt.edu/magazine/issues/spring-2026/virginia-tech-led-team-secures-3-million-dollars-to-advance-prescribed-fire-in-appalachia.html

07/29/2026

In Field Notes, the College of Natural Resources and Environment’s 2026 digital magazine, learn how researchers across Virginia Tech are developing sustainable materials, smart medical packaging, and advanced shipping systems that change how products move around the world.
Read about the life of a package here: https://cnre.vt.edu/magazine/issues/spring-2026/more-than-a-box-how-virginia-tech-researchers-are-rethinking-packaging.html