Are you old school & call the campus HRAREC?
Have your wedding or other memorable event there?
You’ve volunteered there or your parents or grand parents have?
Maybe you’ve been part of a research project?
Ever drop off a plant or bug to have it identified or diagnosed?
You walk the campus to clear your head because you work nearby?
You live nearby & enjoy it’s open space, gardens & trees?
You’re a Master Gardener?
A Master Gardener has helped you?
Share your story about AREC below.
Please include a link to your photos, videos or website about your stories.
SAVE Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center 
I have loved this place for years. I spent many days perusing the grounds with my young toddlers and puppy. There are not a ton of places in the area that provide a calm place to explore nature without an expectation to spend money. Thank you for all of the nurturing hours connecting with nature.
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I worked here as a research assistant for a little, and is one of the places I hold dear to my heart for helping foster my love of plants and the environment. I spent lots of lunches walking the grounds, learning about different plants and mushrooms, observing foxes and frogs. I would hate to see the ecosystem and history of this location destroyed by moving it. Not to mention the amount of money it would take to do so. Leave the AREC where it is!
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I’ve volunteered at AREC so long I call it “the station.” As a Virginia Beach Master Gardener, I have worked in many of the demonstration gardens. In addition, I’ve helped teach pruning classes and given tours to civic leagues and garden club. I’m a part of the AREC community. To move it 20 miles away and out of the public eye will negate much of the work that’s been done to build community awareness and involvement. Any parcel of land large enough for AREC is currently farm land…full of chemicals and unsuitable for research for years ahead.
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Not everybody that lives in Hampton Roads can get to Pungo. I’m not suggesting public transportation be expanded to Pungo but recommending that the research center be kept in its present location for all to enjoy and use. I would like the Research center to remain the “green” center of Virginia Beach much like New York City’s Central Park. It would provide a green environment for walking and enjoying amongst a very developed, congested area of Virginia Beach with the advantage of the center staff and Master Gardeners to provide answers to the questions that would keep our climate green. On several occasions I have sought out a Master Gardner or a staff member to help me with questions on invasive plants and pests, most recently fire ants. It is easier if I can bring the plant in question to the center for a visual. This would be more difficult for many if the location were so far from the majority of Virginia Beach.
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This garden is such a gem! I love bringing my daughters there to learn about plants of the area, and it’s helped me figure out some native species to plant in my own garden. There are so many mature trees it would be such a shame to see it moved. Not every piece of land in the city should be developed with buildings. This little oasis is loved and visited by many!
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My daughter, grandchildren and I visited AREC last year to walk the grounds and enjoy the gardens. We loved the themed water features and flowerbeds. We were surprised at the large number of mature trees in the arboretum and when a master gardener volunteer asked if we had questions, my daughter discussed with her some different types of tree that she could plant in her yard.
I visited the master gardeners plant sale last fall to buy some perennials for my garden. The volunteers at the sale were friendly and helpful with choosing some low priced native plants.
This is a rare and beautiful resource for our community. It is in the perfect location to serve the citizens of Hampton Roads. The urban setting in a city vulnerable to flooding means that this is an important area to protect from development. With the mature trees and acres of plants it is a filter for storm water to our precious bay and rivers and flood mitigation for the homes and businesses adjacent to it. The storm water research and other science conducted there benefits our local area as well as the entire region.
This lovely garden spot that is home to community volunteers, educators and scientists is exactly the kind of resource we should fund, promote and expand. We should not destroy irreplaceable mature trees and gardens that have been here for 100 years. AREC is one of the beautiful and unique features of Virginia Beach. Let’s celebrate it, let’s save it.
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My husband and I are from the Virginia Beach area, and he introduced the AREC to me when we were dating. He would take me to various environmental centers, and we’d spoken about visiting the AREC. With changes surrounding the AREC circulating, and the pandemic teetering off, I think a visit is long overdue. We purchased a home nearby and would love to see our child grow up in places like the AREC. We leave a legacy of intentionality and a hopeful future for the Hampton Roads area, not only with monetary investment but with a healthier physical environment for all. Please keep doing what you all are doing, and we will keep supporting this platform. We need to protect the beauty and all that Virginia Beach has to offer.
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This electronic discussion is first I remember hearing of this facility…sounds like someone missed a marketing opportunity.
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Let’s get you a tour today!
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