The Germanna Foundation was founded in 1956 to recognize and bring together descendants of the earliest organized settlement of Germans in colonial Virginia. Over several decades the foundation purchased a total of 270 acres with the intent of restoring part of the Germanna home to its modern-day stewards. In 1969 the foundation donated a substantial amount of acreage to the Commonwealth of Virginia for Germanna Community College. The remaining 179 acres which compose Siegen Forest is open to the public and offers insights into the lives of those earlier settlers based on ongoing archeological work being done on the property.
The great majority of the land is wooded and the Foundation has created a series of trails through the woods that are open to the public. The forest is used by many people and different groups from the surrounding areas, including Boy Scouts, home-school groups, bird-watchers, dog owners, and numerous others.
The Old Rag Master Naturalists have formed a partnership with the Foundation to help restore the forest to its natural state. Not only is this consistent with the Germanna Foundation’s efforts to recreate the land as it was during Colonial Times. Removal of invasive plants is also important to the health of the forest’s habitat and the native plants and animals that live here.
The major task involved in this restoration involves removing the numerous invasive plants that have “taken root” in the forest. This will be the purpose of the “Let’s Volunteer Day” activities. We have scheduled Tuesday, April 25 starting at 9:30 am for this activity. No prior experience is needed. There will be ORMN members there to identify the invasive plants to be removed, demonstrate the best removal process for each plant, and provide support and encouragement to all the volunteers. We will also supply tools that may be needed such a loppers, towels, shovels, etc.
We will provide directions to Siegen Forest and where to park to volunteers.
We will take before-and-after pictures and post them on the Germanna website so everyone can appreciate their volunteer efforts. We will also work with local media to secure coverage of this community effort.
We would like this opportunity to be included in the April Let's Volunteer initiative.
