The Potomac Valley Audubon Society has arranged for a special guided tour of the State Arboretum of Virginia in Clarke County, Virginia on Thursday, April 16. Anyone with an interest is welcome to participate but space will be limited and pre-registration will be required. There will also be a fee of $5 per person.

Easy registration is available on the PVAS website at www.potomacaudubon.org.

The Arboretum is part of the University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm, a 700-acre research and educational facility. It contains more than 8,000 trees and woody shrubs. The collections include a third of the world’s pine species, a Virginia Native Plant Trail, a Boxwood Memorial Garden, a spectacular grove of more than 300 ginkgo trees, an herb garden featuring culinary, medicinal and ornamental herbs, and more.

Participants should plan to meet at 10 a.m. in the library of the Arboretum’s main entrance building. The tour will last about one-and-a-half hours and be led by Steven Carroll, the facility’s Director of Public Programs. It will involve easy walking over mostly level ground.

Afterwards, participants will be free to stay as long as they like to explore the Arboretum’s many plant collections on their own.

The tour will take place as scheduled if there is light rain but will be rescheduled in the event of heavy rain. Participants should dress for the weather, wear appropriate footwear, and bring binoculars if they have them.

There is no cafeteria on the property but people can bring their own picnic lunch. Restrooms are available.

The Arboretum is located on Route 50 about ten miles east of Winchester. This is a half-hour drive from the Charles Town area. Full directions are available on the PVAS website.

Those who would like to carpool from Berkeley County should plan to meet Debbie Maiorano at the Inwood Food Lion parking lot no later than 9:15 a.m.

For more information about the trip, contact Krista Hawley at adultprograms@potomacaudubon.org or 703-303-1026.

For more information about the Arboretum, go to blandy.virginia.edu.