Lawn & Garden - April 2024

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 • Harrisonburg, Va.

Saving The Birds

By LAURA RUBY For The Daily News-Record

Bird populations are plummeting across North America, but local experts say creating a hospitable habitat for our feathered friends can be easy — no matter the size of your property.

According to a 2022 report from BirdLife International, one in eight bird species is threatened with extinction. A 2019 study from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University noted that 2.9 billion birds are estimated to have been lost in North America since 1970.

David Carr, director of Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce and research professor in environmental sciences at the University of Virginia, is a longtime bird enthusiast and has had a front row seat to the decline. The good news, Carr said, is that there are many ways that Shenandoah Valley residents can help.

“I started birding in the 1970 so I’ve probably been a birder for like 40 of the 50 years covered in that [Cornell] study and I definitely have gotten the impression — just from being a birder — that we’ve seen those sorts of declines,” Carr said, adding that he has participated in annual Christmas bird counts for 44 years. “I’ve been doing the same area forever. The number of birds that we see is quite a bit lower now than it was back when we started.”

Carr said that habitat loss is “almost certainly” the biggest contributing factor to the drop in population among birds, adding that birds are losing breeding and wintering habitat. He added that agriculture intensification is another important factor in the decline.

“Agriculture land is so valuable that farmers need to extract as much out of that land as they possibly can and so farming has become much more efficient — farmers clear out hedgerows and edge habitat that used to be pretty important habitat for a lot of birds. So that kind of habitat is disappearing,” he said.

Climate Change

Carr noted that climate change is also having an effect, but how it is impacting overall numbers is more difficult to pin down.

“There are almost certainly going to be winners and losers with climate change,” he said.

Carr explained that as the climate becomes warmer, some Virginia bird species that are adapted to cooler climates of area mountaintops will likely move north because the local mountain plant community will change and no longer support their needs.

“As climate warms in decades to come, we’re probably going to lose that type of habitat. Species that are adapted to lower elevations will make it up to higher elevations and then species that rely on those high elevation communities will probably move farther north and out of Virginia,” he said.

Another possible climate change shift may happen in the synchrony between bird migration and the food resources that they depend upon, Carr said, noting that many migrant bird species come to the area from the tropics in the spring to

feed on insects.

“That’s the biggest driver for coming up into North America is that every spring North America greens up and the insects come out. Insects, from a bird’s perspective, represent protein and fats and that’s what they want to feed their babies and so they’re taking advantage of this huge pulse of insects that happens up here every summer,” Carr said.

But, Carr said, it’s likely that the synchrony of the greening of the U.S. and the arrival of the birds will be disrupted in the future and “people are concerned about how resources, when the birds arrive, will match up to what they have historically been.”

Carr sees some evidence of that shift happening already.

For instance, migratory tree swallows are arriving at Blandy and building nests in bluebird houses earlier in the season.

“The nesting time for bluebirds has not changed, but tree swallows have advanced their nesting date by a week,” he said, noting that they are outcompeting bluebirds for bird houses because of their earlier arrival. “It’s great news for tree swallows, but maybe not for bluebirds.”

He said that rusty blackbirds, which have historically migrated from Canada and Alaska to winter in Virginia and farther south, have declined by about 90% in the last 50-plus years, representing the biggest decline of all North American birds. There is some suggestion that climate change is playing a part, he said.

“That’s a bird that I’ve always seen at

Blandy. The numbers have been lower and lower and this winter, I have not seen one,” he said, adding that it was the first time he hadn’t seen the bird since he began working there in 1997.

On the other side of the scale, Carr said that there are some species that typically left Virginia for the winter and are now sticking around.

Rebuilding The Population

Carr said that homeowners can play a vital role in helping to rebuild bird populations. Noting that there is significantly more land in private ownership than in public ownership, especially in the eastern part of the county, Carr said that those with even small yards can have a big impact.

“Although parks and wildlife refuges are trying to do their best to provide wildlife habitat, the collective action of homeowners could have a big influence on bird habitat if people make choices for their yards that might favor our birds,” he said. “The single most significant thing that homeowners can do is to plant native species.”

Carr explained that native species host many more insects than non-native species, providing that vital food source for birds.

“Of course that probably means that they experience a little more damage — you’ll see holes in the leaves that you won’t with a lot of species that are popular in the horticulture trade, but those insects are feeding birds. All these birds that are coming up from the tropics every spring, they are after those insects. Their goal is to convert those insects into baby birds,” Carr said. “It benefits more than just migratory birds. Even our local, resident species need those insects and native plants are vastly superior to non-native plants in supplying those insects because our native insects have evolved with our native plants and so that’s their food source. These non-native species that are brought in for horticulture purposes look beautiful, but we don’t have the insects that are adapted to feed on them, in most cases.”

Carr said residents “almost can’t go wrong” with choosing a native species. He offered a few recommendations of plants that serve native specials and have a nice aesthetic, giving year-round variety to yards.

Rich Cooley / For the DN-R A

Birds FROM PAGE 2

Carr suggested serviceberry (also known as Juneberry or Shadberry) for providing an early fruit source for birds like cedar waxwings, Baltimore orioles, catbirds and mockingbirds.

Arrowwood viburnum is another shrub that birds love. It blooms a little later in the summer, but still ahead of the late summer and fall fruits in the area. Both plants are highly adaptable, growing well in both sun and shade environments. Carr also recommended sassafras and spicebush, both of which provide fruit that lasts into the winter, offering a fuel source for migratory birds passing through the area on their way south. American holly is nice for providing winter fruit as well as protection during roosting.

All of those plants, Carr said, are hardy and would do well in small or large yards.

Eric Beaune, owner of Woodstock Gardens, said the nursery has many of the varieties Carr mentioned, as well as dozens of others. For the second year, the retailer is participating in Throwing Shade VA, a pi-

lot program from the Virginia Department of Forestry aimed as encouraging homeowners to purchase native plants.

Now through May 1, at participating nurseries — locally, Woodstock Gardens and Seven Bends Nursery in Strasburg — customers can receive $25 discounts on select native trees and shrubs that are valued at $50 or more.

“Last year’s pilot of Throwing Shade VA was a resounding success,” wrote Urban and Community Forestry Partnership Coordinator Molly O’Liddy in a press release, adding that the program has been extended to a total of 13 nurseries in the state.

Beaune said that Woodstock Gardens sold about 1,300 native plants through the program last year.

Birdhouses And Feeders

Carr said that birdhouses and feeders are another way of rolling out the welcome mat for birds.

Glen Harriman, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Winchester, said he recommends sources of food and water as well as birdhouses and “places for birds to hide.”

He said bluebird houses are the most popular seller, noting that the store offers sparrow-resistant versions as well.

“More often than not, new customers come in and say I want to feed the birds, what can you suggest? We go through the different types of feeders and what kind of birds they want to attract,” he said. “And we try to educate them as much as possible on properly feeding birds so it’s safe, keeping them clean and located in the right place, keeping animals out that we don’t want there — like house cats.”

Speaking of cats, Carr said that felines are another threat to bird populations.

“The evidence is mounting that cats take a huge number of birds. Keeping your cats indoors is healthy for them and it is great for our birds. I know a lot of people do not like to hear that because their cats like to go outside,” he said. “Cats definitely like being outside, but making it safer for the birds — figuring out ways to keep your cats from killing birds — is a huge help.”

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Contact Laura Ruby at lruby@nvdaily.com

Rich Cooley / DN-R

A red-bellied woodpecker climbs along the edge of this tree at Blandy Experimental Farm in Clarke County.

Beautification Committee Throws Down Garden Gauntlet

By LAURA RUBY For The Daily News-Record

FRONT ROYAL — The Beautification of Front Royal Committee will launch its inaugural Garden Challenge and Tour this spring.

Lisa Schwartz, president of the town’s beautification committee, said that the project is a way for gardeners to share the town’s hidden gems and their passion for horticulture.

“We know there are many hidden gardens throughout the Town of Front Royal,” Schwartz said, adding that the competition is intended to encourage community pride and show off what “green thumbs in our community can do by showcasing their gardens. The challenge is not just a competition, but a way to increase the beauty in our area and to show others how they can transform their own gardens.”

Schwartz said the idea was inspired by the Front Royal Light Fight, which started two years ago with homeowners entering their festive residences into a contest. A panel of judges selects winners and residents are invited to tour homes in the competition to select their favorites.

“This is something similar to that where people apply and then we have judges pick the first-, second- and third-place winners,” Schwartz said, adding that gardens will be judged solely on aesthetics. She said the competition is open to all gardens within the town limits, noting that organizers hope to expand it to Warren County in the coming years.

Applications — which are due April 12 — are available at Samuels Public Library on Criser Road and White Picket Fence on Main Street.

Schwartz said that applicants will be contacted later in April and judging by the Garden Club of Warren County

will take place in early June.

The Garden Challenge Tour is slated for July 13 and the group is seeking a $10 donation per family or $5 for individuals to tour the various gardens. Tour participants will be able to cast a vote for the People’s Choice Award, she said, adding that the group plans to announce prize winners at the town’s Christmas in July event.

“I’m hoping to get a lot of people to apply. It’s our first time, but I know we

have some interest already,” she said

In conjunction with The Studio on Main Street and Backroom Brewery on Reliance Road, the committee will hold a paint party April 19 at Backroom Brewery. Money raised will go toward plaques and, hopefully, prizes for the contest winners, Schwartz said.

The beautification committee has invested more than $270,000 in plantings throughout the town, including more 850 trees as well as numerous

shrubs, flowers, and bulbs. In addition to major projects on the town’s main corridors, the committee buys and helps plant the lush hanging baskets on Main Street and, this spring, is purchasing 20 trees to be planted near Skyline High school, Schwartz said. Information on the contest and the fundraiser can be found on the group’s Facebook page.

Contact Laura Ruby at lruby@nvdaily.com

Rich Cooley / For The DN-R

Lisa Schwartz, president of Front Royal’s Beautification Committee, looks over a patch of daffodils outside her home off Blue Mountain Road in Front Royal. The beautification committee is offering a garden challenge and tour this spring.

Shenandoah Downs Ready For Spring Season Of Harness Racing

By ASHLEY MILLER For The Daily News-Record

Shenandoah Downs will open for its second spring season of harness racing on Saturday at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds in Woodstock.

Operations manager Darrell Wood said Shenandoah Downs offers a throwback type of experience where fans can gather in the grandstand to cheer on their favorite horses while enjoying hot dogs and a cold beer.

“This is our ninth season of racing but only the second time we’ve run in spring, with last year being our first,” Wood said. “So, this is still something new to us.”

Last year, for the first time, Shenandoah Downs was able to allow bets to be placed for the Kentucky Derby, so

Courtesy Photo

Musician Living With Brain Injury Strives To Be ‘Best Version’ Of Himself

By LAURA RUBY For The Daily News-Record

Dan Runion lives in gratitude.

Keenly aware of how fortunate he is to be alive, Runion, 39, was in a devastating car accident nearly eight years ago.

According to his mother, Michelle Bly, he was on life support and in a coma at the University of Virginia Medical Center for several weeks and, at one point, was not expected to live. Doctors said that if he did survive, he wouldn’t be able to communicate or walk, Bly said.

A woman of faith, Bly rejected suggestions that her son be removed from life support.

Today, Runion bears the scars of his accident, but he says it gave him the gift of a new outlook on life.

Every nine seconds, someone in the United States sustains a brain injury, resulting in more than 3.6 million acquired brain injuries each year.

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, at least 5.3 million Americans — one out of 60 people — live with a disability related to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and research has shown that brain injuries can evolve into lifelong health conditions that impair the brain and other organ systems. They may persist or progress over a person’s lifetime.

Bly said that finding help in the aftermath of a traumatic injury is challenging, but necessary for the injury survivor and their caregivers.

Back in 2016, Runion was a musician — lead singer and guitarist for the band, New American Nightmare, which was just coming off an East Coast tour.

“He was extremely talented. He could pick up any instrument and, in a couple of minutes, play it. He didn’t read sheet music. He played by ear,” Bly said.

On his way to a family birthday party at his mother’s house, Runion was “drinking and driving, like a fool,” he said recently from his Woodstock home.

“There’s a lot that I don’t remember. I broke my brain. From what I heard from the doctors, it was the worst brain

injury they could imagine. They didn’t think there was any way for me to survive.”

Bly said that he overcorrected on North Mountain Road and crashed into a light pole, which broke in three places, with the electrical wire ending up wrapped around the car.

Runion was partially ejected from his dream car — a black 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Superior hearse — and ended up with a crushed skull when the car landed on his head.

Rich Cooley / For the DN-R

Traumatic brain injury survivor Daniel Runion stands outside his apartment with his fiancee Clair Holsinger and her son Jed McCunsey, 4. Runion coded eight times following a motor vehicle crash in 2016 and survived.

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participants could enjoy the races at Shenandoah Downs while keeping an eye on Derby action.

“Because the season goes even longer this year — we’re starting a week late — we will be able to take bets on Derby Day and the Preakness, which is the second leg of the Triple Crown,” Wood said, referring to the three-race series for thoroughbreds.

Shenandoah Downs’ spring season will run from April 6 to May 19. Racing will take place every Saturday and Sunday beginning at 1:05 p.m. with the exception of May 4 for the Kentucky Derby and on May 18 for the Preakness, when races will begin at 2:05 p.m. Races usually run until 4:30 p.m. and a race goes off every 20 minutes.

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Flown by helicopter to the hospital at U.Va., Runion flatlined several times en route. The swelling in his brain required him to stay in a medically-induced coma with ventilation support for several weeks.

Doctors removed a portion of Runion’s skull that had been “completely shattered,” Bly said. It was replaced with a polyurethane skull — a divot along Runion’s head marks the spot where it meets the bone. Stents in his brain helped drain fluid build up.

“The doctors told us that we would have to come to understand that Dan was not going to recover and, if by some slim chance he pulled through, he would be nothing more than a vegetable and he would never come back to us on a level that we would be able to communicate with him. They said it would be in our best interest to end life support,” she recalled. “I chose not to do that. I told them that they didn’t understand the God that I served and the fighter that my son was. Within six weeks after I made that statement, Dan was further along in his recovery than they said he would have been in six months.”

He received physical, occupational, and speech therapy at U.Va., where he stayed for 73 days, followed by continued therapy on an in-patient basis in Winchester and further care at a rehabilitation clinic at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital, Bly said.

“He had to learn how to walk, how to talk, how to use his hands,” she said, noting that significant nerve damage left Runion with a limp. He also has poor vision, Bly said.

Runion said his only physical pain is in his left foot, caused by nerve damage.

Visitors will be able to bet an entire card on Derby Day and the Preakness.

“Instead of just the big race itself, they get the other races at Churchill Downs on Derby Day and Pimlico on Preakness Day. There’s a lot of other big races those days besides those two — so it’s kind of a big deal for us.”

Betting starts as low as 10 cents. Wood said betting modestly is what allows fans to have a good time and have a rooting interest in every race. All onsite wagers must be paid in cash.

“It’s really for a fun day out,” he said. “You can bet as little or as much as you want.”

Also for the second year, races will be simulcast all over the country.

“It’s not just people here in Woodstock in the grandstand that are betting the races, it’s online and at track

He has difficulty with both longand short-term memory and emotional regulation. Bly explained that, in cases of memory loss, the brain does not like a void.

“For brain injury patients, their mind forgets things and so what happens in that space that is void of a memory, they will create a memory that is very real to them. They don’t do it on purpose. It will create a memory that is very, very real to them,” Bly said.

Runion says the crash and his recovery led him to make positive changes.

“I found my faith in a coma. I wasn’t a religious or spiritual person at all, but when I was in a coma I became a very spiritual person because I died. I had a holy divine encounter with the Holy Father. Ever since then, I’ve been a very faithful person. I’d say that’s my best personality trait is my faith and my love for the holy divine,” he said. “I don’t even call it an accident. I call it an incident because if it wasn’t for that, I would still be on that nightmarish path of doom and dismay that I was on — killing myself slowly with drugs and alcohol and the horrible things that I was doing. It turned me around for the better. With that, I try to be a light to other people.”

For several years, Runion lived with his mother as she cared for him during his recovery. He slowly started to build independence and a routine. He still attends Northwestern Community Services’s Sunshine House in New Market twice a week. The facility offers peer support and professional care to increase independence, and build life and personal skills. He lived for a while at Shenandoah

betting centers around the county,” Wood said.

Every racing weekend is full of fun at Shenandoah Downs. On Saturday, for opening weekend, the first 500 fans, ages 18 and up, will receive a commemorative Shenandoah Downs T-shirt, while the first 200 fans will receive a Standing Stallions baseball cap.

“Our focus is still on getting a live audience here to enjoy racing,” said Wood. “To engage current fans and to attract future fans as well. You don’t have to come first thing. It’s not like a baseball or football game. You come for three or four races and stay for an hour. You don’t have to carve out an entire day.”

On April 13, three people will get a chance to own a horse for a day and win the amount of purse money their horse earns in a $5,250 race. Corgis will once

County SEARCH, a group home for individuals dealing with intellectual challenges, before moving to Woodstock in October to live with his fiancee, Clair Holsinger.

Runion said he is grateful for the support of Brain Injury Connections of the Shenandoah Valley, a nonprofit that offers brain injury case management to help clients with employment, education, daily living, personal care, housing, finances and healthcare.

Anne Taetzsch Fitzgerald, executive director of Brain Injury Connections, said that the organization serves clients of all ages, noting that clients have a wide range of needs. She estimated that 13,800 individuals in the Shenandoah Valley are living with a disability due to a brain injury. “We are able to carry a caseload that supports about 1% of those folks,” she said.

Fitzgerald said that falls are the leading cause of brain injuries while car accidents are the second leading cause.

“Brain injuries are often an invisible disability and a lot of people will interpret the actions of someone with a brain injury as being under the influence or having intellectual disabilities or they present as someone who is neurodivergent,” she said, adding that difficulty with communication can lead to isolation among brain injury survivors.

Runion said connecting through the organization with others who are dealing with brain injuries has been helpful in his recovery.

“It helped a lot because I saw that I wasn’t alone. When it’s something that traumatic, you’re like nobody is going to know what this feels like. No-

again race between harness racing on April 14 and College Day will be celebrated the weekend of April 20.

Wear those outrageous hats on Derby Day at the Downs on May 4 and celebrate mom with a flower giveaway on May 12, which is Mother’s Day.

“The sport really has a future here in Woodstock,” said Wood. “Our goal is to fill the grandstand, engage fans, and run on the weekends. Our fans enable us to do that.”

Shenandoah Downs offers free admission and parking and is family-friendly. Shenandoah Downs is located at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds at Interstate 81, Exit 283 in Woodstock, halfway between Harrisonburg and Winchester.

For a full list of events, visit https:// shenandoahdowns.com/

body’s going to know how bad this is. No one will relate. But there is a team of people who do relate and that is so comforting to me. You go from being a normal person to someone with a brain injury,” Runion said, laughingly adding that for a time he thought he “only had half a brain. Fortunately, I have a whole brain. I just broke it. I like to be uplifting and talk to people about it. Like, there could be worse things. I could have stayed dead.”

Bly said it was important to connect Runion to the Department of Social Services so that he could begin receiving benefits and access to resources. Because of a previous situation with another family member, Bly had an understanding of how to navigate the social services system.

“If it’s your first rodeo, you have to figure out all of that to begin with,” she said, noting that U.Va. initiated contact with Social Services. “That really is your biggest help, even superior to the help of the Brain Injury Clinic because Social Services does the majority of the contacts for you. You have to work with them to get those contacts. You have to be in communication with them and, in these incidents, you really have to be patient. You have to be the person who reaches out. You have to be the one seeking the help. You can’t just assume that the help will come to you because it will not.”

These days, Runion enjoys playing and writing music and spending time with Holsinger and her son, Jed.

“I’m trying to be the best version of myself that I can be,” he said. “It’s uplifting to see how far I’ve actually come.” Contact

By MOLLY WILLIAMS For The Daily News-Record

Students from Frederick County’s James Wood and Millbrook high schools went up against peers from Warren and Shenandoah County Tuesday at the local Envirothon competition.

Seven teams from the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District’s service area competed, with Massanutten Regional Governor’s School’s Team B in Shenandoah County winning the local title and earning a spot in the regional Envirothon Competition.

And with its lush rolling hills, historical significance and prominent view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Clermont Farm in Berryville served as the perfect backdrop for an event aimed at fostering critical thinking about the natural world.

Of course, beautiful spring weather helped set the scene as well.

“This competition is designed to be an extension of what they’re already learning in the classroom,” said Allyson Ponn, education and program support specialist for the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District. “And so I definitely think it’s very valuable to then take those concepts, take them further and then also apply them in your area, your local community. And so that’s really what we’re asking students to do here is to apply knowledge that they’ve learned in the classroom, but in real time in the field.”

Envirothon is a natural resources competition for high school students around the world. The goal, according to the contest’s website, is to give students the knowledge and skills to educate others, ignite action in their communities and foster stewardship for the environment in a younger generation.

The students on Tuesday worked through different field stations to put their knowledge of soil, forestry, wildlife and aquatics to the test. They answered questions like “What is the greatest threat to biodiversity?” and “How might coyotes have a positive impact on ground nesting birds?”

More immersive test questions required them to recognize animal pelts and identify forest pests.

“So at the soil stations, they’re getting in a soil pit. At forestry they’re identifying tag trees. Wildlife, they’re identifying skulls, furs, different things,” Ponn said.

Teams also had to give an oral presentation on the competition’s special topic: how can cities incorporate renewable energy sources?

“It’s really interesting to hear how some or our local high school students

Envirothon Tests Students’ Knowledge

are addressing statewide, national, global problems,” Ponn said.

Mandy Curry, an agriculture teacher at Millbrook High School, brought a group of her students to Tuesday’s competition. But she also competed in the Envirothon when she was in high school, and said that she hoped her students would learn lifelong lessons through the experience just like she did.

“[The environment] will impact them greatly in their lives now and then also in the future,” Curry said. “And so we need students that can think critically and can problem solve because these are a lot of issues that they’re going to encounter in their lives, maybe in some of their future careers.”

For James Wood High School freshman Reese Justice, joining her school’s Envirothon team was a way for her to get experience competing, which she thought would help her when participating in national FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) competitions.

She recounted lots of practice and review sessions for herself and her teammates leading up to Tuesday’s contest, and said that as she moves through her high school years, she hopes to continue her involvement with agriculture.

“I love it,” she said. “And this is, it’s just amazing to do.”

Ponn said that for students who want to pursue futures in conservation or related fields, Envirothon is a great resource, and not just because of the hands-on experiences. All of the stations students had to work through were overseen by industry professionals who could provide insights into the field.

And for Clermont, hosting Envirothon for the first time served as a valuable opportunity to expand community partnerships and educational experiences for students outside of their own county.

“Farm life and agricultural production, and all the businesses that support agriculture out here in the valley, particularly in the northern valley, is a big part of both our economic base and our cultural base,” said Bob Stieg, CEO of the Clermont Foundation. “And so unlike, you know, city school systems, we still have agricultural programs in the public schools, which are really valuable in getting kids out of classrooms and onto farm sites, and onto sites that are working to preserve the land, preserve wildlife, to use modern agricultural methods that really respect the land. Having kids come to those kinds of sites is important.”

Contact Molly Williams at mwilliams@ winchesterstar.com