Virginia Ward
By Emma Castleberry
When asked if she has a favorite plant, Virginia Ward is aghast. “That is like a mother picking a favorite child,” says the 15-year-old. For the past three years, Virginia has volunteered for three consecutive weeks every summer to help plant ecologist Dr. Chris Ulrey complete rare plant studies on the Blue Ridge Parkway. She has been nationally recognized for her service with the 2019 Youth Award, a part of the George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service in the National Park Service.
Virginia Ward and Dr. Chris Ulrey
Chris initially nominated Virginia for recognition at a local level, but the nomination was quickly elevated to all parks in the southeast region and then for consideration for all parks in the country. “The study of plants is not a high-profile or glamorous endeavor, so to have a young person show such enthusiasm and passion strikes me as rare,” he says.
Virginia is deeply influenced by her family’s Appalachian roots. “My family has lived here since before the Revolutionary War,” she says. “My mom was taught to love our mountains by her father and mother, and she in turn passed it on to me.” Virginia remembers taking walks with her parents around Fairview as a toddler. “My mom would pick leaves off of the ground and tell me the trees that they belonged to,” she says. “It didn’t take long for me to be able to do the same. I cannot thank my parents enough for taking me to the woods and showing me what I loved.”
Her childhood fascination with plants reached a milestone when she met Chris three years ago. After learning he was a plant ecologist, a precocious young Virginia immediately approached him and introduced herself. “And out of the goodness in his heart, Chris talked to an unknown 12-year-old girl who loved plants for about an hour and a half,” she remembers. Chris also remembers their meeting. “I was immediately impressed with her maturity and enthusiasm,” he says. “We set up a time for her to come to my office to learn a bit more about what I do on the Blue Ridge Parkway.”
Virginia Ward
Rare plant monitoring is involved and rugged work. The drive to reach the trailhead can be more than an hour on winding, bumpy back roads, followed by long hikes across difficult terrain while carrying heavy packs. Upon arriving to the worksite, the team set up anchors and ropes, don harnesses and helmets and begin their study. “We record detailed information about these plants which helps to understand the long-term viability of the population as a whole,” says Chris. “The work days are often long and involve extreme weather because the work occurs at the highest elevations in the region and on exposed rock outcrops.”
Virginia enjoys the work, and she also recognizes its importance. “If we do not study and monitor these plants, a great opportunity will be wasted,” she says. “These plants, and everything they can teach us, may be lost forever.” She uses the example of geum, a very climate-sensitive plant that requires high elevations, low temperatures and high humidity. It can only be found in North Carolina and Tennessee. “With small changes in temperature, we could see dramatic decreases in the health and population of this plant,” Virginia says. “It is estimated that by 2050, around half of geum’s current habitat will be unsuitable for growth. This work is important. If we do not spend the time and money to maintain the world around us, then it will disappear before our eyes.”
For more information about the 2019 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service, visit NPS.gov. To volunteer on the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit NPS.gov/blri/getinvolved/volunteer.htm.
