Blandy Experimental Farm

10/16/2026

Join us this Sunday at 2:00 for the final Centennial program of 2026!

Join Assistant Curator for the Native Plant Trail Jack Monsted and Coordinator for the Virginia Grasslands Bird Initiative Justin Proctor as they reflect on managing wild spaces in the Anthropocene, and reflect on the the practices and philosophies that could inform land conservation in this era.

Visit our website for more information and to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1998778744029?aff=oddtdtcreator

10/15/2026

A new information kiosk offers a fresh welcome to riders and their horses enjoying Blandy’s 7-mile Bridle Trail thanks to Eagle Scout Miles (pictured here with his mother Amy) and Boy Scout Troop 159. The new kiosk, developed and constructed by Miles and his team, replaces an old and worn structure that stood in the horse paddock area for many years. Built just in time for the Bridle Trial’s 25 anniversary, the new kiosk features information about the Bridle Trail, liability forms, guidelines to the trail, and an upgraded trail map with an option to download a mobile app for navigating the trail. Learn more about Blandy's Bridle Trial. https://blandy.virginia.edu/bridle-trail

10/14/2026

Our PreK-12 field investigations are in full swing!
Last week, high schoolers tried swinging sweep nets in the meadow to learn about arthropod diversity. Students conducted the transect sweeps in different mowing frequencies, then sorted their organisms to order. They analyzed their data to create graphs to illustrate their findings.
If you or someone you know is interested in bringing students to Blandy, look towards spring (fall is full) and get in touch soon before dates fill up!

10/14/2026

The Ginkgo Grove undergoes a magical transformation each Fall as the leaves transition from green to gold. Here's what the Ginkgo Grove looks like on October 14, 2026. Green.

The best time to see golden ginkgoes at Blandy is usually late October - early November.

Visit our Ginkgo Grove page and Ginkgo Gold Weekend page for more information to help you plan your visit to the Grove this year. And stay tuned to our website, Facebook, and Instagram for regular updates on the state of the Grove!

https://blandy.virginia.edu/ginkgo-info
https://blandy.virginia.edu/ginkgo-gold-weekends

10/13/2026

In case you missed it, the fourth lecture in our 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒚 𝒂𝒕 100 𝑪𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 is now available to watch on YouTube. 𝑹𝒂𝒓𝒆: 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒔, 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑨𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒚 - features historian and Blandy alumna Dr. Helen Ann Curry reflecting on the “radiation age” and Blandy, contextualizing this period within larger national and international efforts to discover peaceful applications of nuclear technology for medicine, industry, and agriculture. Our fifth and final Blandy at 100 lecture for 2026, 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒅: 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 “𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍” 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 21𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒚 takes place this Sunday, October 18. Visit our website to register.

What do corn, chestnuts, and the Radiation Age have in common? Blan...

10/12/2026

A day in the life of our grounds crew involves occasionally taking down trees that may pose hazards to our guests and staff. Last week the crew took down a pair of dead snags that could have fallen across the Wilkin's Lane Loop. One young eastern rat snake was safely relocated away from the scene and debris was cleaned up in a jiffy. Thanks guys!

10/12/2026

Blandy students go on to do great things! Former Blandy intern Jordan Edlich is now working on a Master's degree in Environmental Policy at George Mason University. Building on their experience studying Blandy's grasslands, Jordan's thesis is focused on evaluating the differences between natural and planted grassland plant communities. Last week they met up with our assistant curator Jack Monsted to survey some plant communities at Manassas National Battlefield Park. Good luck on your research, Jordan!

10/09/2026

The Ginkgo Grove undergoes a magical transformation each Fall as the leaves transition from green to gold. Here's what the Ginkgo Grove looks like on October 9, 2026. Still pretty green.

The best time to see golden ginkgoes at Blandy is usually late October - early November.

Visit our Ginkgo Grove page and Ginkgo Gold Weekend page for more information to help you plan your visit to the Grove this year. And stay tuned to our website, Facebook, and Instagram for regular updates on the state of the Grove!

https://blandy.virginia.edu/ginkgo-info
https://blandy.virginia.edu/ginkgo-gold-weekends

10/07/2026

Blandy’s iconic wrought iron gates, photographed so often, were fabricated by Stokes of England, and placed in the arched entrance into the Quarters complex in 1989. But a memorable entrance has been a part of Blandy’s folklore since at least the 1940s when large wooden doors helped provide a surprising arrival for visitors, as they opened the doors to discover the expansive view.

10/05/2026

Some early morning photos taken by one of our grounds staff last week sure have us in the mood for some crisp fall mornings! When is your favorite time to explore Blandy?