CELEBRATE VIRGINIA FOREST WATCH'S ANNIVERSARY

Virginia Forest Watch, a group dedicated to maintaining and restoring the natural ecology and biodiversity of woodlands across Virginia through education and citizen participation, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.  The event will include:
- Local favorite Blue Mule will perform in its own Blue Grass style.
- Readings by nature writers Fred First and Chris Bolgiano.
- Silent auction.


No admission fee, donations welcome  Join us November 8, 6:30 pm, at Hollins University Chapel in Roanoke.

More Details: VAFW Invite | Hollins University Campus Map

Blue Mule is a unique group of musicians working in a bluegrass context with heavy doses of jazz, rock, blues and country – playing everything from Miles Davis to Merle Haggard. Blue Mule’s own creative song writing brings a fresh perspective to modern acoustic music. Every performance is one of intensity, spontaneity and the pursuit of "playing that lick just a little bit better than the night before". Danceable, listenable and hopefully, memorable long after it's over, a set by Blue Mule is unlike any you've heard. http://www.bluemulemusic.com/index.html


Mildly amusing nature writer Chris Bolgiano has written dozens of nature and travel articles for Wilderness Magazine, American Forests, Sierra, Audubon, the New York Times, Washington Post, and many other publications. Two of her five books have won prizes. Most recently Chris edited, and ghost-wrote in, a collection of essays titled Mighty Giants, An American Chestnut Anthology. Now retired from her day job as a librarian, she stays busy finding reasons to keep writing. www.chrisbolgiano.com


At fifty four, teacher, photographer and essayist Fred First, dissatisfied with what he did for a living, set out to explore where it was that he lived; for a time, this became his work. The daily discipline of intentional immersion in small wonders close at hand ultimately grew to become the story of Slow Road Home, a memoir in celebration of one special mountain valley in Floyd County, Virginia—a home waiting all his life for him to find, to know and to share. “Our Place in the World: a Visual Essay” is photo-excursion combining sixty of Fred’s digital images with three short essays that explore some possible answers to these questions. www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com

VAFW Silent Auction Items

	A sail on the Upper Potomac or Yorktown Bay area with picnic lunch on 19 ft Lightning Sail craft for a couple and kids or two couples
	Week at beautiful 1000 Islands cabin in Canada sleeps 6, 6 boats of various types, fabulous swimming, fishing & exploration
	A Flight over Mt. Rogers with Southwings pilot Susan Lapis
	A weekend at The Garden House in Scott County, VA With hot tub and sauna on the site of the 200 acre Clinch Mountain Preserve
	CDs from Robin and Linda Williams
	Two Books Signed by Barbara Kingsolver Prodigal Summer and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
	Carriage Tour of Beautiful Historic Downtown Abingdon Abingdon Carriage Company http://www.abingdoncarriage.com/
	A Trail Ride with Doug Creggar "in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area"
	Fly Tying Kit and Manual from The Orvis Company with all the supplies and materials you'll need to tie the 6 flies detailed in the manual http://www.orvis.com/store
	Basket of Goodies including homemade jam, chocolate, forbidden rice, red rice, gourmet coffee, etc.
	Pottery by local artist
	Five Books autographed by Chris Bolgiano: The Appalachian Forest Living in the Appalachian Forest Mountain Lion The Eastern Cougar Mighty Giants, An American Chestnut Anthology
	A weekend at The Looney Cabin in Camp, Virginia http://www.kissingrockcamp.com/looney/ A great little primitive cabin that sits adjacent to the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail
	Forest Stewardship Plan by VAFW Forester
	Matted Painting by Ann Hess “undertow 2”
	2 Patagonia Rain Shadow Jackets men's large maroon and women's large brown
	Two Beginning Driving Clinics at Copper Crest Horse Farm, Wytheville, Va. http://www.coppercrestfarm.com/
	The book Remarkable Trees of Virginia by Nancy Hugo and Jeff Kirwan
	CDs from Nancy Slys "and The Pilot Mountain Bobcats"
	New Ladies Watch by Ecclissi
	Framed print by Denise Gray:
	Two pounds of locally roasted coffee from Dark Hollow Roasters
	$25 gift certificate from Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop
	Hand carved wooden bowl by local craftsman Trev Smith
	Ceramic hand painted bowl by Matthew Yanchuk of NYC
	Long sleeved airbrushed beach scene shirts by Deb and John Branning of St. Nazarre, Fla.
	Hand crafted carved owl gourd by Lucuma Designs of Peru
	Jim Minick’s book Finding a Clear Path “An eloquent invitation to slow down and pay attention”
	Mountain Hardware Enterprise Day Pack from Mountain Sports Limited, Bristol, Virginia http://www.mountainsportsltd.com http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Product.aspx?top=1430&prod=3219&cat=1456&viewAll=False
	CD from Bill and Libby Hicks
	New cutting board, made of reclaimed wood. Beautiful colors. Large size.
	Handmade Holiday Wreath made by Kari Lemay of Crooked Little House Designs, Pilot, Virginia
	Professional Editing/Writing Services Up to four hours available
	Handmade pottery bowls: 1. Burgandy and white thrown 7" diamater This bowl is named "Monster" 2. black, grey and gold speckled thrown bowl 9" diameter This bowl is named "Sufference" 3. 10x11" oval slab bowl red/blue w/ thunderbird decoration on interior, blue speckle This bowl is named "Release" - all signed by the artist Handmade gingerbred men wind chime
	A night at Lexington's House Mountain Inn: www.housemountaininn.com with wine & cheese and diner for two for the evening of Wednesday April 22. Also included for that evening are tickets to see the Broadway musical Footloose at the Lenfest Center in Lexington: www.wlu.edu/x18975.xml and on Thursday a guided hike in one of the wilderness areas in or near Rockbridge County. A one night (March 8, 2009) stay for two at Frog Hollow Bed and Breakfast: www.froghollowbnb.com including a full breakfast, tickets to attend the Russian National Ballet: Night of Favorites at the Lenfest Center www.wlu.edu/x18975.xml and a guided hike in one of the wilderness areas in or near Rockbridge County.