Football money vs an ancient forest at Virginia Tech

In Hokie nation, where football is big and getting bigger, Virginia Tech apparently is poised to remove a grove of trees that pre-dates George Washington — and could be around for hundreds of years more.

As many as 60 trees the 11- acre plot are up to about 300 years old, some possibly older.

It’s called Stadium Woods and its fate now rests with a committee that will decide in June whether to clearcut a good portion of those woods to make way for a football training facility.

I have very fond memories of Virginia Tech from my experience helping to bring the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference to nearby Roanoke a few years back. It’s located in a beautiful corner of the United States, and I found a university with a fine tradition and much expertise in a variety of environmental sciences, including forestry and natural resources.

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/watchdogearth/2012/04/09/football-money-vs-an-ancient-forest-at-virginia-tech/