It's beardtongue season! The beardtongues (Penstemon spp.) are a genus of flowering plants with tube shaped flowers. All of its 280 species are native exclusively to North America, making it the largest genus of endemic North American plants. Here at Blandy we have several species of Penstemon blooming in our collection. Pictured here in our visitor center, from left to right: Smooth Beardtongue (P. laevigatus), Foxglove Beardtongue (P. digitalis), and Calico Beardtongue (P. calycosus). All can be found growing in or around our Native Plant Trail. (fb)

Congrats new VMNs! The 2025 class of Virginia Master Naturalists - Shenandoah Chapter officially graduated during a cozy ceremony in the library last night. After a potluck, new VMNs learned all about environmental volunteer opportunities in the area. Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers provide critical support to help Blandy accomplish its mission of environmental research and education. On any given day, you're likely to find VMNs on grounds monitoring bluebird boxes, leading kids during school field investigations, mulching the Native Plant Trail, or brainstorming ideas for new public programs. We couldn't do a lot of what we do without them! Way to go, class of 2025! (fb)