The Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club

Spotted Lanternfly Egg Mass Scouting – DIY!

If you are in search of a fun winter activity, look no further! The spotted lanternfly (or SLF, for short), an invasive insect that was discovered in Virginia in 2018, continues to spread, and we need your help finding egg masses. Spotted lanternfly egg masses are laid in the fall, survive through the winter, and then hatch in the spring. Each egg mass contains 30-50 eggs, so finding and destroying these egg masses can make a difference. Learn how to identify them and what to do when you find them.

How to identify SLF egg masses:
Spotted lanternfly females lay eggs in rows and then cover the eggs with a protective substance. The covering is white and glossy at first, turns grey/brown when dried, and cracks and fades over time. Sometimes the covering wears off completely, exposing the individual eggs. If nymphs have already emerged, there will be a perfect oval at the top of each egg. The entire egg mass is about 1.5 inches long, and looks similar to a smudge of clay.  

Taken from Virginia Department of Forestry, By Lori Chamberlin, VDOF Forest Health Manager
See original article at  https://dof.virginia.gov/spotted-lanternfly-egg-mass-scouting-diy

FALL LINE TRAIL UPDATE

The Fall Line trail is a 43 mile biking and walking trail between Ashland and Petersburg.

The big news on the trail is that the bid request for building the first section is going out in December 2022.  The first section is a 4.8 mile section starting in Ashland, crossing the Chickahominy river on a bridge to be built for the trail and ending at Woodman Road in Henrico County.  Construction should start in mid 2023 and finish a year after the starting date.  The total trail is estimated to take 5 years to build.   Jim Hunt
Overall information on the Fall Line Trail is available at https://www.falllineva.org/

Leonard Adkins Receives Award for His Latest Book

ODATC member Leonard Adkins's book All About the Appalachian Trail was recently named a Silver Award Winner in the 33rd annual Independent Book Publishers
Association Benjamin Franklin Award category of Young Reader Nonfiction.

Please click here if you would like to read the full article.

 Wild & Free in Tennessee

The Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association and Visit Johnson City   will host the in-person Appalachian Trail Vista 2023 program in the beautiful Johnson City, Tennessee area, with hikes, excursions, workshops and entertainment at the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) campus.  The event is four days, Friday through Monday for a gathering with hundreds of hiking and outdoor enthusiasts!

The A.T. Vista is the rebranded ATC Biennial program, somewhat streamlined but keeping most of the exciting activities.  It's been since the summer of 2017 that we’ve been able to gather, spend time on the trail, learn, and socialize. This inaugural A.T. Vista program is being planned to carry on the great camaraderie of kindred spirits that cherish the Appalachian Trail and being outdoors.      

Come to Tennessee!

Mark your calendars for

August 4-7, 2023

Affordable on-campus rooms and delicious and healthy buffet meals will be available onsite. The local Johnson City area offers lots of wonderful dining opportunities including a variety of vegetarian and ethnic options, as well as excellent local breweries.  If you opt to reside on campus in the dormitory system, you can arrive as early as Thursday evening and stay through Tuesday morning, as program activities begin on Friday, August 4 and extend through Monday, August 7.

Nearby vacation homes, hotels, campgrounds, and RV and camping will also be available.

Programming includes over 40 hikes, of which many will be on the Appalachian Trail, and the remainder using many of the hiking areas that are within an hour’s drive from the Johnson City area. There are nearly 35 workshops expected, and over ten exciting excursions. Evening entertainment includes concerts and opportunities to meet other attendees. An opening session and reception are scheduled for Friday night, August 4.

 Early Registration for the inaugural A.T. Vista program will open in January and regular registration will open in May.  Visit www.atvista2023.org for the details.

Access to certain activities will have limited spaces, so register early to join the fun!

Elected Board Members for 2023

President:  Pat Doyle

Vice-President: Theresa Duffey 

Secretary: Mary Slaughter

Treasurer:  Bill Beck

Programs: Doug Morgan and Carol Adams

Land Management:  Karl Huber  

    
Membership:  John Spindler     

Trail Maintenance:  Dave Wilcox and Craig Hardy will be co - Trail Maintenance supervisors

Outreach:  Open    

                   
Webmaster:  Bob Ramos 

         
Activities:  Art Ritter

Photo of 2023 Board link