The University of Virginia's Blandy Experimental Farm (BEF) is a 700 acre field station located in the northeastern Shenandoah Valley near Winchester, VA. Within the one square mile area are the Orland E. White Arboretum (The State Arboretum of Virginia), and representative habitats of the region that combine to create a microcosm of biological diversity unsurpassed in the mid-Atlantic region. The theme for the research program is the ecology of agroecosystems (defined here as the patchwork mosaic of natural remnant habitats that exist within a larger agricultural context). Research that focuses on the biology and ecology of species, habitats, communities, and even whole ecosystems within this matrix is supported. The Arboretum features over 1,000 different plant varieties and species representing 100 genera and 50 families. There are a wide variety of programs and activities that fall within BEF's mission, including many public events (please see the calendar on our webpage). The Arboretum is open to the public every day from dawn to dusk. There is no charge for admission.

For further information, please contact Manuel Lerdau at:

Blandy Experimental Farm
ATTN: Manuel Lerdau
University of Virginia
Route 2, Box 210
Boyce, VA 22620

Tel: 434-924-3325
Email: mlerdau@virginia.edu