Outreach & Events
Current & Past Events
Educational Pop-Ups
We like to pop up at different locations, including stores, parks, and trailheads. If you see us, stop by our interactive learning table to learn how to identify a tick, safely remove a tick if/when bitten, and proper prevention behaviors.
Employee Education & Trainings
Dr. Hall, Founder of Ticks in Virginia, provides tick safety and tick-borne disease prevention trainings for employees. Her most recent training was for Lynchburg Parks & Recreation & Lynchburg Public Works Departments. Check out resources for employers and contact ticksinvirginia@gmail.com if interested in offering a training for your employees.
Virginia Public Health Association Conference
9/21/23
9/21/23
On September 21st, Dr. Hall presented a MPH student mentee project on "Knowledge and Prevention Behaviors of Tick-borne Diseases Among Caregivers in Buckingham County, Virginia." The project included a survey to area caregivers and tick dragging at 13 different sites that included schools, parks and other recreational areas.
Hokie Bugfest
10/7/23
10/7/23
Over 500 people stopped by Ticks in Virginia on October 7th at Virginia Tech's Hokie BugFest. Visitors learned about the different tick species and tick-borne diseases in Virginia through interactive activities including a tick removal simulation, spin the wheel trivia, and tick identification and prevention games. Learn more at www.hokiebugfest.org
Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance Conference
11/3/24-11/4/24
11/3/24-11/4/24
In November, Drs. Hall and Bowman presented and piloted tick-borne disease prevention curriculum to health and physical educators in Virginia. One session will focus on curricular activities for health teachers and the other on physical education teachers. Learn more about this work here.
STEAM Day
On October 20th, 2023, Dr. Hall and colleagues from Radford University Carilion's Department of Public Health & Healthcare Leadership will be facilitating tick-borne disease education activities with over 100 middle school and high school students during the 2023 STEAM Day. New curricular activities will be piloted during the event and will be made available on our website soon.
May was Lyme Disease Awareness Month!
Ticks in Virginia partnered with the Central Virginia Health Department (CVHD) to raise awareness this month for National Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Social media posts are being shared in local social media groups and pages and an informational column was included in the health department's bimonthly newsletter. Sign up for the CVHD bimonthy newsletter here. Stay safe by being informed and practicing proper prevention tick safety and tick-borne disease prevention behaviors!
Lyme Disease Patient Experience Panel
May 1, 2023
Claytor Nature Center
Bedford, VA
Tick Identification, Surveillance & Prevention Workshops
May 1, 2023
Claytor Nature Center
Bedford, VA
Alpha-gal Syndrome Presentation & Patient Experience Panel
May 2, 2023
Claytor Nature Center
Bedford, VA
Bedford County Employee Health Fair
April 19, 2023
We will be at the Bedford County Gym, where over 300 Bedford County employees are expected to attend. Stop by and talk with us about your experiences and/or to learn more about tick safety and tick-borne diseases. We will have a variety of interactive activities for you to learn how to identify and remove a tick.
Lynchburg Community Market
April 22, 2023
Kick off the Week of the Green at Lynchburg's Saturday Community Market. Stop by between 8:00 am-12:00 pm to learn more about tick safety and tick-borne diseases. We will have a variety of interactive activities for you to learn how to prevent tick-bites, identify ticks, and remove a tick.
International Presentations
Highlights from 2022 included the 16th International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis and other Tick-borne Diseases Conference in Amsterdam, the 23rd International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society Conference in Orlando, and the 3rd International Symposium to Advance Total Worker Health at the National Institutes of Health.
Tick Identification, Surveillance & Prevention Workshops
Workshops on tick identification, surveillance, and prevention were implemented and were received positively by different audiences. Highlights included workshops with Master Naturalists and Governor's School high school students. Participants learned how to identify various types of ticks at various stages of life, how to conduct tick surveillance through tick dragging, and/or prevention behaviors, including tick spraying, tick checking, and tick removal. Participants left more confident in their ability to prevent a tick bite and what to do if they get bitten. To schedule a workshop, contact ticksinvirginia@gmail.com
Local Presentations
Local presentations were presented to both university and community members. Specific results and testimonials from studies are integrated. A highlight is sharing the voices of local persons impacted, including Central Virginian participants.