Eyes to the sky: Young birders build their skills

Dusk. A cold fitful breeze. Quiet except for our footfalls on dry leaves. Far above, a hawk glides, dark against the twilight sky. “Cooper’s,” says Theo after a swift glance. Theo is leading our group along the Rivanna Trail in search of woodcocks. It’s sunset in spring—courting time. Theo picks a spot on the border […]

In their own backyards

“Phenology” might not be a word you use in everyday conversation, but it’s one of the keys to tracking climate change. The term refers to the study of timing in the natural world—the dates when plants flower, leaves emerge, seeds drop, and animals migrate. The USA National Phenology Network is building a stable of citizen […]

PICK: You Don’t Say! Happy Hour

Can’t beat it: Learning is a side effect during Wintergreen Music’s (drinking) game show, You Don’t Say! Happy Hour: Musician Trivia & Humor. In weekly virtual gatherings, Artistic Director Erin Freeman welcomes a variety of musicians to a panel that challenges the audience while regaling them with “zany tales of broken instruments, enchanted harps, and […]

Getting creative: Charlottesville’s dining scene continues to expand and evolve

Brewing up something new Champion Hospitality Group, an arm of Champion Brewing, recently announced a new concept for the Downtown Mall’s Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar space. CHG will lead the project as majority owners, while still working with the restaurant’s original owners on a Baja-Mediterranean concept. The menu comes from chef Phil Gerringer, and the […]

PICK: Basic Knife Skills

Knives out: Things getting dull in quarantine? Sharpen your kitchen game by joining Happy Cook owner Monique Moshier for a free virtual class on Basic Knife Skills. Follow along as she teaches you how to properly handle a knife, as well as basic cutting techniques and knife care. You’ll practice chopping onions and bell peppers, […]

Kudzu defies no-trespassing warning

What do you do when “the vine that ate the South” takes up residence in your neighborhood—and your neighbor doesn’t get rid of it? One concerned Crozet resident pulled up some vines in a nascent kudzu infestation last year on property owned by the Rockbridge homeowners association—and was reprimanded by the HOA president for her […]

Behind the masks: Jason McLeod Jewelry updates its inventory for 2020

Jason McLeod’s artisan jewelry career path was informed by car crashes. Back in the early aughts, McLeod was living in Oakland, California, and running an advertising and graphic design business when a pair of back-to-back fender benders laid him up long-term in the hospital. He needed something to fill the hours, and “I just started […]