Reynolds Homestead Creates Self-Guided Forest Tour
October 25, 2010
CRITZ, VA (October 25, 2010)—The Reynolds Homestead Continuing Education and Forest Resources Research centers have partnered together to create a new experience for visitors to the property: a LEAF Trail self-guided interpretive forest tour.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Martin, Senior Program Manager
Reynolds Homestead
(276) 694-7181, ext. 22
martinlm@vt.edu
EXPERIENCE THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
AT THE REYNOLDS HOMESTEAD
CRITZ, VA (October 25, 2010)—The Reynolds Homestead Continuing Education and Forest Resources Research centers have partnered together to create a new experience for visitors to the property: a LEAF Trail self-guided interpretive forest tour.
LEAF (Links to Education About Forests) is a partnership with the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Department of Forestry's Conservation Education Program that engages private and public entities to develop strategies that attract new audiences. Part of this effort is establishing heritage based outdoor classrooms.
The Reynolds Homestead has created a 1.0 mile interpretive forest tour trail that combines learning about natural resource use and heritage tourism. The trail is open throughout the year from dawn until dusk and offers seasonal observers an opportunity to experience the changing habitat of native flora and fauna. There is no fee to experience the trail.
An informational kiosk is located at the top right of the upper parking lot at the Continuing Education Center, where visitors can find brochures, bird sighting records, and a map to the trail which begins just to the right of the kiosk.
The Reynolds Homestead joins the Powell River Project Research and Education Center, the Cyrus McCormick Farm, James Madison's Montpelier and Arlington County in establishing these educational classrooms that provide learning about coalfield reclamation, sustainable forestry, green infrastructure and many other subjects.
Funding for this LEAF project was provided by the Ecology Wildlife Foundation of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Foundation was established by William Neil Reynolds, II, grandson of R.J. Reynolds and great grandson of Hardin Reynolds, who built the Rock Spring Plantation.
