Join us for a walk and talk through Claymont’s forests, led by retired WV State Forester Herb Peddicord.

PVAS Host: Herb Peddicord, Daniel Stern, Cybee Bloss

Free and open to the public. All ages are welcome, though youth must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required and limited to 30 participants.

PVMN Continuing Education Credit Eligible

From 12-1 pm, Herb will present on the Forest Stewardship Management Plan he recently created for Claymont—an educational retreat center nestled in Jefferson County—including how to conduct hands-on land surveys to gauge forest health; collecting data on timber density and soil types; and how it all comes together to shape recommendations for sustainable forest management. Then from 1-3 pm we’ll venture out into Claymont’s forests to see the plan in action; learn to identify signs of forest health as well as potential threats and challenges; and start to apply the plan’s stewardship recommendations out in the field.

• Walking Distance: 2-3 miles
• Pace/Activities: Leisurely (meandering, many breaks to stop and observe).
• Exposure: Mostly shaded
• Terrain: Uneven forested ground. Mostly flat, some gentle slopes
• Restroom: Restrooms will be available at the barn during the beginning part of the program. Restrooms will also be available at the Mansion, which we’ll stop by on the walk.
• Parking/Where to Meet: Park by the Great Barn: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bSdbdQqaV6sy3hw69 (or enter 39°15’47.2″”N 77°54’35.1″”W into your Maps app)
• What to Bring: Bring a lunch, a water bottle, comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, and a notebook and pen for taking notes! Ticks can be out in late April, so you may want to wear bug spray and wear long pants/socks – or both.

Register Here!

Registration will remain open until the start of the program.

Read our Program Policies.

About Herb: Originally from Ohio, Herb received his B.S. in Forest Resource Management from the University of Idaho. After stints in the Army and at a book binding company, it was not until 2002 that he began working for the WV Division of Forestry as a service forester in Morgan County. At the time of his retirement in 2019, he was the West Virginia Chesapeake Bay watershed forester responsible for the 8 Potomac drainage counties. Since then he has started his own Forestry consultant business. He is a former board member for the Potomac Valley Audubon chapter and a current board member with The Opequon Watershed. He resides with his wife.

About Cybee: Cybee (they/them) is a lifelong ecology student and land steward at Claymont.

About Daniel: Daniel Stern is a land steward at Claymont, where he’s involved in projects to improve the health and biodiversity of forests and waterways on the land.