Category: Preservation

There will not be a regular meeting for Friends of Live Oaks for May.  Instead, our next meeting will be on Wednesday, May 28 beginning at 3 PM and consists of a field trip to visit several iconic live oak locations in Norfolk – Bay Oaks Park in East Beach and the Monkey Bottom Area in Ocean View.  We will end the meeting by driving by the Norfolk Naval Base to catch a view of the Willoughby Oak – an iconic landmark.

We will begin our field trip by assembling at Bay Oaks Park located at 2413 East Ocean View Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23518.  This City Park has preserved a unique area of live oak trees that was threatened with development until a dedicated group of residents worked to have the area protected as a public park.

After we finish our visit there we will travel on to the Monkey Bottom Area in Ocean View.  Parking is available at the adjoining Ocean View Elementary School located at 350 West Government Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23503.

Recommended attire for the field trip: a hat, sunglasses, water bottle, insect repellent, and long pants and closed toed walking shoes and socks.   

Since our last meeting Friends of Live Oaks has hosted a successful tree adoption event, and has received a donation of over 100 live oak saplings from FOLO member Mark Warren.  Mark hand grows these saplings after perfecting a method of growing seedlings from acorns at his beautiful property located on Kings Creek, a tributary to the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River.  A special shout out to both Mark and to Drew Austin, also known affectionately as our TREEage (like triage) Director – a FOLO volunteer who has taken over main responsibility for maintaining our live oak nursery at the Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research & Extension Center located on Diamond Springs Road in Virginia Beach.

Please send us your photos including a description, location and why a live oak tree or group of trees is special to you so we can share on our website and Facebook page – you can forward these to me. If you haven’t done so already, please join us as a new member or renew your membership for 2025! Remember dues and donations are tax deductible – a receipt will be provided. Details on how to make payment are at our website: https://friendsofliveoaks.org/join-us/

 

PLEASE NOTE

On June 16th we will resume our regular meeting schedule and will meet in person at our usual location – the Virginia Beach Environmental Studies Program Academy Macon and Joan Brock Center Classroom (at the easternmost end of the Brock Environmental Center Virginia Beach, VA 23455). We also have the option to participate in the June meeting by Zoom.  Details and an agenda will be provided in advance of the meeting.