VIMS Scientist Dan Sennett with Northern Neck Master Naturalists identifying aquatic animals collected during basic training field trip (prior to 2020). Photo by P. Dye VIMS.
By Karen Duhring, Middle Peninsula Chapter Advisor
The 4th annual Catch the King citizen science mapping event was held in October during the year’s highest astronomical tides. Virginia Master Naturalists were among nearly 160 volunteers who mapped GPS points along the high tide line of shorelines, coastal bays and creeks from Virginia Beach to the Northern Neck. Valuable information was gathered even though this year’s citizen science effort was reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic. The data collected on smartphones by volunteers are used to fine-tune an increasingly accurate tide flood forecast model developed at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Results from the 2020 Catch the King event are displayed online, with a comparison between the model’s forecast and the high tide line captured by the volunteers.
VIMS field trips and training classes for Virginia Master Naturalists continue to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic. All public events, guided tours and classes at VIMS or sponsored by VIMS off-campus remain suspended. Hopefully VIMS field trips and classes will resume soon for VMN basic training and continuing education. Meanwhile, Zoom basic training classes on Wetlands and Coastal Ecology were held for the Historic Southside and Peninsula chapters. VIMS also offers virtual continuing education opportunities, including the After Hours Lecture series with recordings of Past Lectures, plus a Multimedia Resource Center.
Visit the VIMS web site or contact Karen Duhring for more information and assistance finding resources related to coastal and marine science.