July 2023

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New Milestone Achievements by VMN Volunteers, Summer 2023

silver Virginia Master Naturalist pin with attachment that says 250 Hours

​The VMN State Program office recognizes volunteers who complete 250, 500, 1,000, 2,500, and 5,000 hours of service.  These are cumulative volunteer hours starting when a volunteer joins the program.  Many of our chapters recognize additional interim milestones and achievements.  

Below, we have listed the volunteers (alphabetically, by chapter) who have achieved these milestones between January and June 2023.  The list is based on information in our Better Impact volunteer management system.   

These volunteers have done extraordinary levels of service and made important impacts that extend well beyond just the number of hours. Read our recent Laurels post to get a sense for some of the impacts our volunteers have.

We also want to especially congratulate Lisa, Jeffrey, and Richard, our newest members of the VMN Golden Circle.

Thank you to Tiffany Brown, VMN Program Assistant, for compiling these lists!


​250 Hour Milestone
Becky Halbe, Arlington Regional
Liz Macklin, Arlington Regional
Matt Van Hook, Arlington Regional
Norah Argodale, Banshee Reeks
Jody Brady, Banshee Reeks
Nana Chroninger, Banshee Reeks
Cathy Lemmon, Banshee Reeks
Nancy Reaves, Banshee Reeks
Julia Siegel, Banshee Reeks
Allison Weitzel, Banshee Reeks
Posie Magurn, Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes
Shearer Rumsey, Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes
Libby Carmines, Central Blue Ridge
Linda Hughes, Central Blue Ridge 
Wendy Kendrick, Central Blue Ridge
Susanne Breckenridge-Helsel, Central Rappahannock
Rebecca Shoemaker, Central Rappahannock
Jason Sosebee, Central Rappahannock
Tracy Stone, Central Rappahannock
Lili Tabada, Central Rappahannock
Peter Fisher, Eastern Shore
Brenda Poist, Eastern Shore
Claudia Underwood, Eastern Shore
Sylvia Bocskor, Fairfax
Wendy Cohen, Fairfax
Isabelle D’Achille, Fairfax
Susan Martel, Fairfax
Deborah Meinholdt, Fairfax
Glenys Mulholland, Fairfax
Deidre Pistochini, Fairfax
Kristina Watts, Fairfax
Art Fovargue, Headwaters
Sharon Landis, Headwaters
Carolyn Morgan, Historic Rivers
Cheryl Roettger, Historic Rivers
Pamela Schnabel, Historic Rivers
Frank Smith, Historic Rivers
Sharon Spain, Historic Rivers
Claire White, Historic Rivers
Ronda Gibbs, Historic Southside
Heather Bunch, Holston Rivers
Ross Braun, James River
Maudie Miller, James River
Rosalind Reilly, James River
Bonnie Schulkers, James River
Nell Benton, Merrimac Farm
Patricia Anderson, Middle Peninsula
Deb Bartok-Newton, Middle Peninsula
Kathy Gierlak, Middle Peninsula
Robin Mathews, Middle Peninsula
Dan Schlangen, Middle Peninsula
Colleen Sweet, Middle Peninsula
Jimmy Viars, Middle Peninsula
Kathleen Williamson, Middle Peninsula
Laurie Hudgins, New River Valley
Karen Young, New River Valley
Heather Bedford, Northern Neck
Anne Parker, Northern Neck
Karen Williams, Northern Neck
Sue Weis, Old Rag
Amber Miller, Peninsula
Cindy Moore, Peninsula
Christiana Wilson, Peninsula
Pamela Kimball, Pocahontas
Chris Asquith, Rivanna
Cathy Good, Rivanna
Tish O’Conor, Rivanna
Ruth Stornetta, Rivanna
Dave Volin, Rivanna
Peyton Williams, Rivanna
Lynn Faugot, Riverine
Julie Kelly, Riverine
Judith Munson, Riverine
Pattie O’Neill, Riverine
Mary Dolan, Roanoke Valley
Jeff Hoeppner, Roanoke Valley
Kathy Sink, Roanoke Valley
Janet Alger, Shenandoah
Tim Koppenhaver, Shenandoah
Regina Flora, Southwestern Piedmont
Joseph May, Southwestern Piedmont
Nancy Gorry, Tidewater
Janet Kerns, Tidewater
Brooke Schaab, Tidewater

500 Hour Milestone
Susan Berry, Arlington Regional
Kate Carey, Arlington Regional
David Evans, Arlington Regional
Ginger Hays, Arlington Regional
Barbara Raizen, Arlington Regional
Jonathan Kauffman, Banshee Reeks
Bob Rasmussen, Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes
Karen Rasmussen, Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes
Bruce Slater, Central Blue Ridge
Shannon Brennan, Central Virginia
Paula Valentine, Eastern Shore
Diane Bowen, Fairfax
Don Coram, Fairfax
David Gorsline, Fairfax
Kim Munshower, Fairfax
David Forrer, Headwaters
Lincoln Gray, Headwaters
Jane Curtis, Historic Rivers
James Easton, Historic Rivers
Scott Hemler, Historic Rivers
Deborah Humphries, Historic Rivers
Mary O’Bryan, Historic Rivers
George Sallwasser, Historic Rivers
Stanley Barlow, Historic Southside
Nettie Hebert, James River
Tim Chenault, Merrimac Farm
Tim Ligon, Merrimac Farm
Terry Skinner, Middle Peninsula
Stephen Cole, New River Valley
Jean Elliott, New River Valley
Suzanne Glasson, New River Valley
Rebecca Kidwell, New River Valley
Stu Ashton, Northern Neck
Porter Washington, Northern Neck
Cindy Colson, Old Rag
Linda Boone, Peninsula
Frederick Kohlman, Peninsula
Betsy McAllister, Peninsula
Mark Sopko, Peninsula
Dorothy Rilee, Pocahontas
Roz Stein, Pocahontas
Pam Wheatley, Pocahontas
Mark Foley, Rivanna
Janet Walker, Rivanna
Terry Atkinson, Riverine
Catherine Farmer, Riverine
Annie McEntee, Riverine
Sissy McEntee, Riverine
Randy Smith, Riverine
Karen Solana, Riverine
Nancy Armstrong, Roanoke Valley
Tammi Cascone, Roanoke Valley
Sandy Lane, Roanoke Valley
Joanne Ridings, Shenandoah
Randy Bagby, Southern Piedmont
Carol Laibstain, Tidewater
Sharon Nieto, Tidewater

1,000 Hour Milestone
Rosemary Jann, Arlington Regional
Eileen Miller, Arlington Regional
Carol Mullen, Arlington Regional
Bryan Henson, Banshee Reeks
Bonnie Zinck, Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes
Valerie Bertha, Fairfax
Sarah Mayhew, Fairfax
Stacey Remick-Simkins, Fairfax
Gerald Hopkins, Headwaters
Myrel Short, High Knob
Protia Belden, Historic Rivers
Henry McBurney, Historic Southside
Monica Hoel, Holston Rivers
Kerry Harlan, Middle Peninsula
Sandy Weber, New River Valley
Anne Atkins, Northern Neck
Linda Lowery, Old Rag
Sandy Graham, Peninsula
Yukari Hughes, Peninsula
Loye Spencer, Peninsula
Janet Tucker, Peninsula
Pat Klima, Rivanna
Diane Moxley, Riverine
Carol Rowlett, Roanoke Valley
Rebecca Harriett, Shenandoah

2,500 Hour Milestone
Bill Browning, Arlington Regional
Elizabeth Train, Fairfax
Ginny Broome, Historic Rivers
Rick Brown, Historic Rivers
Beth Aberth, Historic Southside
Carol Kauffman, Middle Peninsula
Jack Kauffman, Middle Peninsula
Katharina Bergdoll, Northern Neck
Kevin Howe, Northern Neck
Betsy Washington, Northern Neck

5,000 Hour Milestone (New Golden Circle Members)
Lisa Matthews, Merrimac Farm
Jeffrey Wright, Northern Neck
Richard Stromberg, Shenandoah

New Milestone Achievements by VMN Volunteers, Summer 2023 Read Post »

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The Claudius Project – Poisonous Mushrooms in Virginia

white mushroom growing on the groundSeveral mushroom species in the genus Amanita are known to be poisonous, including this Eastern North American Destroying Angel (Amanita bisporigera; id by iNaturalist.org.) Photo by Jeff Clark (CC BY 2.0). https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/97307364

–By Alfred Goossens, Virginia Master Naturalist volunteer, Rivanna Chapter

The Virginia Master Naturalist community may remember that VMN volunteers partnered with U.Va. Health to publish The Socrates Project – Poisonous Plants in Virginia in December 2020. Numerous presentations were given by the Socrates team in person and via Zoom, and the publication was very well received by the public.
Download the Socrates Project publication
 
Subsequently another team of VMN volunteers started working on The Cleopatra Project – Poisonous and Venomous Animals in Virginia, again in partnership with U.Va. Health. This publication was released by U.Va. in January this year.
A continuing education webinar about The Cleopatra Project was given for Virginia Master Naturalists on May 8, 2023.   
Download the Cleopatra Project publication, and please contact Cleopatra.Socrates@gmail.com for any information on this project or for requests to give a presentation.
 
It is with great pleasure that we can now introduce The Claudius Project – Poisonous Mushrooms in Virginia,  
a new partnership between Virginia Master Naturalists and U.Va. Health. Claudius, the 4th Roman Emperor, was killed by eating a poisonous mushroom.
 
The Claudius team is now looking for VMN volunteers who have knowledge of mushrooms and who are willing to do some research and write a paper of about 500 words on one or more poisonous mushroom species.  
 
In addition, the Claudius team is eager to locate other individuals in Virginia, who may not be enrolled VMN volunteers, but who have a sound knowledge of and high level of expertise relating to mushrooms. These individuals may be additional project contributors or peer reviewers.

The Claudius team will decide which mushroom species will be covered in this new publication. After that point, the team will be looking for photographers who have images of these species.
 
We are looking forward working on The Claudius Project – Poisonous Mushrooms in Virginia.
 
For any suggestions and questions about The Claudius Project please contact claudiusmushroom@gmail.com


The Claudius Project – Poisonous Mushrooms in Virginia Read Post »

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