By VDGIF   VDGIF invites all Virginians to join in the mission to ensure that wildlife has healthy places to live and thrive by becoming a Restore the Wild Member. Your membership will help support projects across the state designed to restore and create wildlife habitat vital for their survival. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) is Virginia’s lead agency … [Read more...]

In 2016 and 2017, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF), along with several key partners, completed two restoration projects on Moores Creek in Charlottesville, Virginia to benefit aquatic wildlife and water quality. Moores Creek, which flows through the City of Charlottesville, is a tributary to the Rivanna River, which flows to the James River. For decades, urbanization and … [Read more...]

  Poor old bats. Just because they suck blood and look like a Mini-Me Bela Lugosi, people don’t like them. In fact, many are highly fearful of bats, while in fact, bats are among the neatest creatures on the planet. This being Halloween season and all, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries reminds us that this is Bat Week and CvilleBuzz is all over it. Here are some interesting … [Read more...]

  A few weeks back, there was a fox drinking from the birdbath in my front yard at mid-day, and he was covered with mange. We haven’t seen that particular animal since, but just this week, we have seen two more foxes, this time in our back yard, and again, at or near mid-day. One was a grown fox with a full coat, while the other appeared to be a younger animal with a touch of mange. In … [Read more...]

  (Juvenile Northern Black Racer, photo by John White)     Here’s a comforting thought. It’s baby snake season. The little slithery guys are out there in large numbers, waiting for an opportunity to scare the bejeezus out of approximately half the human population. I don’t mind snakes, as long as I can see them. It’s the ones I don’t see that cause concern. D. … [Read more...]

  Travelling along our roads and highways, I have recently taken a serious interest in the many lovely wild plants we routinely see. Some are overwhelming in beauty, and none were planted. They are as wild as the wind. And the wind is responsible for planting many of them, most notably the thistles. Thistles include a wide range of plants known for their sharp spines and prickles. These … [Read more...]

“There is a fox drinking water out of the bird bath,” Nancy said. “Is Elvis with him,” I asked. But there was a fox drinking water in our front yard in the middle of the day. And he had very little hair on most of his skinny body. This would be the second fox I’ve seen recently in broad daylight in need of some serious Rogaine. The other mangy animal was at the first hole at Meadowcreek … [Read more...]

Where has all the milkweed gone? Poisoned by farmers, everyone. Not only farmers, but homeowners, highway departments, park superintendents, school yard landscapers – all are in the milkweed eradication business. It’s a weed, you see, and it must go. But take away the milkweed and you take away one of the most beautiful creatures that has ever graced this planet. Monarch butterflies. Without … [Read more...]

  Many of those beautiful golden plants we see now along our roads are in the goldenrod (Soilidago) family. That means coughing and sneezing, right? No, that’s incorrect. There is a misconception that goldenrod is a prime cause for hay fever, but it’s not goldenrod. It’s ragweed which is the real culprit. Goldenrod and ragweed bloom at about the same time. But ragweed pollen is blown … [Read more...]

Since I spotted a vivid orange Butterfly Weed growing by the roadside a few weeks back, I have become captivated by the many beautiful flowers and weeds seemingly growing wild along our highways and byways. Not only are they beautiful, but most have medicinal uses and interesting backgrounds. Last week I noticed another beauty. As best I can tell, it’s a Joe Pye Weed, a lovely soft-purple plant … [Read more...]