Tree Talks to Explore Our Central Appalachian Forests

Date: January 20, 2026

Contact: Nanci Bross-Fregonara, Elkins Tree Board, fregonarafamily@cebridge.net

ELKINS-The Elkins Tree Board and Kump Education Center are sponsoring a new Tree Talks Lecture Series, that begins on Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. This series will gather experts and community members to explore various aspects of our Appalachian woodlands, from their biological uniqueness to multi-generational ways to celebrate their beauty. The first of three lectures, “Under Pressure: A Tale of Two Salamanders,” will feature Lacy Rucker, Biological Scientist, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station.

Rucker’s talk will discuss why the Appalachian Mountains are considered a biodiversity hotspot and are frequently referred to as the salamander capital of the world. Unfortunately, logging and subsequent unnaturally extreme wildfires that occurred between the 1880s and 1910s across West Virginia are believed to have shaped the distributions of some salamanders, including the Cheat Mountain salamander. Her presentation will cover how these historical impacts, habitat fragmentation, destruction, and climate change continue to threaten salamanders.

Other lectures in the series include: “Exploring Woods with Wonder: Multi-Generational Ways to Share the Outdoors” with Valerie Hart and Kate Reed, co-owners of the non-profit Wonder & Grow and coordinators of the Randolph County Outdoors program, on Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. and “Forest Invaders: How Invasives Wreak Woodland Havoc” with Michelle Fonda, Private Lands and Invasive Species Biologist with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Wednesday, May 6, at 7 p.m.

All lectures in the series are free and open to the public and take place in the historic Kump House located at 401 Randolph Ave., Elkins (across from Kroger). Parking is available in the back and accessible by Seneca Road.

For more information about the event, visit kumpeducationcenter.org. For information about the Elkins Tree Board, visit cityofelkinswv.com/city-government/boards-commissions/tree-board/.

CUTLINE:

The Tree Talks Lecture Series at the Kump Education Center will feature three monthly lectures beginning Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. at the historic Kump House, Elkins. Speakers include, from left to right: Lacy Rucker, Biological Scientist, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station; Kate Reed and Valerie Hart, co-owners of Wonder and Grow; and Michelle Fonda, Private Lands and Invasive Species Biologist, WVDNR.