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Our goal is to better understand the distribution of fox squirrels in Virginia to reveal important habitat requirements and ecological specialization. We are currently seeking out volunteers and citizen scientists to help us collect sightings of fox squirrels across Virginia. We are specifically seeking observations from counties east of the Blue Ridge mountains, south of interstate 64, north of the North Carolina state line, and all the way east to the coast of Virginia (not including the Delmarva peninsula). Although this is our focus area, we are further trying to identify the overlap or separation of ranges between the eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger vulpinus, commonly found in the Blue Ridge), versus the southeastern fox squirrel. Therefore, any observations of fox squirrels in Virginia proves beneficial. 

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.
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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.  
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Visit the VIMS web site or contact Karen Duhring for more information and assistance finding resources related to coastal and marine science. 

Banisteria, the journal of the Virginia Natural History Society is now completely electronic and Open Access.  Articles are now posted on the VNHS website as soon as they are reviewed and formatted.  At the end of each year, they are compiled into a single PDF, also posted on the website.

The VNHS welcomes contributions of natural history research articles by Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers.  In fact, two of the articles in the current edition (Number 54, 2020) were co-authored by VMN volunteers!

John Bunch (VMN-Historic Southside Chapter) contributed a report of a fascinating study he has made of the Eastern Hercules Beetle, co-authored with entomologist Art Evans.  Two interesting observations (of many): the male beetles make an odor that smells like blueberries and the males also cause distinctive scars on ash trees that remain visible for years.

Adrienne Frank (VMN-Historic Rivers Chapter) is the lead author of an article on the annotated butterfly checklist for the greater Williamsburg area created by Virginia Master Naturalist and Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory volunteers.  Co-authors include Ken Lorenzen and Brian Taber.

Well done, John and Adrienne!  We encourage everyone to read their articles and to think about how you might share your own VMN natural history studies in Banisteria. 

Contributed by Marilyn Schroeder and Janet Quinn VMN-Fairfax Chapter

Hidden Oaks Nature Center recognized four Fairfax Master Naturalists with the 2019 Presidential Service Award for volunteer service that year.  Bob Dinse received the silver award for volunteers who contributed 250-499 hours.  Val Bertha, Hank Dahlstrom, and Marilyn Schroeder received the bronze award for volunteers who contributed 100-249 hours.

Contributed by Meagan Thomas, Historic Rivers Chapter co-advisor and VDWR Watchable Wildlife Biologist

Cheryl is part of our VMN Golden Circle.

​Historic Rivers chapter member Judy Jones had one of her photographs selected for display in the Virginia Wildlife Magazine’s 2020 Photo Showcase (July/August edition). The photo was taken on January 6th, 2020 and depicts a mature bald eagle diving for fish on the James River.  Judy managed to snap the magnificent photo just as the eagle was doing a midair about face after glimpsing a fish in the water below.

Twelve members of the Middle Peninsula Master Naturalist Chapter volunteered for eight North American Butterfly Association (NABA) butterfly counts this spring, summer, and fall. Between May and September they contributed 456 hours of counting butterflies in five different areas: Northumberland and Lancaster Counties, Essex and Northern Neck Counties, Virginia Beach (including the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge), Chippokes Plantation State Park, Williamsburg, York and Gloucester Counties). Because of their efforts counting in the Gloucester sector of the Williamsburg Area Count was included for the first time in 14 years. The members were: Bill Blair, Edie Bradbury, Michelle Brown, Chris Conley, Susan Crockett, Carol Kauffman, Jack Kauffman, Jeannie Miller, Debbie Rollins, Sherry Rollins, Jan Towne, and Jan Tyndall. Bill Blair, Susan Crockett, and Jan Towne also served as sector leaders in several of the counts.

Contributed by Charlene Uhl, Kathleen Aucoin, Bonnie Beers, Carolyn Smith, and Barry Buschow, VMN-Old Rag Chapter

When the Old Rag Master Naturalist chapter’s 2020 Basic Training class (Class X) was postponed due to COVID-19, the Basic Training Committee (BTC) kicked into high gear to keep the class engaged and involved through a variety of efforts. Monthly conference calls were held with trainees and many of their mentors, discussing topics such as journaling, naturalist books, projects that could be done alone or within social distancing guidelines, and rich conversations among trainees and mentors ; book bundles relating to future class topics were distributed; BTC, in coordination with VMN, secured approval for trainees to begin earning volunteer hours once they successfully completed the Risk Management training; several field trips were scheduled that met COVID-19 safety guidelines; and mentor involvement with trainees was
encouraged. Simultaneously BTC developed a new class format and began official Master Naturalist training via Zoom in September.

Many ORMN members beyond the BTC assisted in these efforts. As a result of everyone’s involvement and support, Class X trainees have logged almost 400 volunteer hours (as of October 19) and graduation of our 19 trainees is expected in spring 2021.

To read the full story, go to https://www.oldragmasternaturalists.org.

Contributed by Kyle Baker, Volunteer Service Projects Chair in the VMN-Banshee Reeks Chapter

The Banshee Reeks Chapter has spent some of the down time this summer not only anticipating getting back “out there” and working on volunteer service projects, but also used the time to plan several new flora and fauna surveys for the Chapter. The surveys will provide a better understanding of biodiversity, species occurrences, uncommon species, and non-native species in the natural areas and habitats. The information from these surveys will also inform education and outreach activities in the Chapter and foster an overall appreciation of the natural heritage in area parks and natural areas.  Although many of these surveys are planned to begin in 2021, this new survey effort launched this October with two inventory and big tree surveys at the Chapter’s home base of the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve (BRNP) in Loudoun County. BRNP was first established in 1999 and these are the first systematic tree surveys to occur there.  

Stay tuned to project updates on the project blog on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/plants-and-animals-of-banshee-reeks-nature-preserve.

Ida Swenson (VMN-Rivanna Chapter) was featured in the Fluvanna Review.  Ida is part of our VMN Golden Circle, and she is a very active volunteer in Fluvanna and neighboring counties, especially with environmental education programming.

Bill was a constant presence at chapter membership meetings, events, and basic training classes.  He drove over 796 miles to volunteer, completed over 237 advanced training hours, and volunteered over 1,057 hours (and there’s no doubt these numbers are underreported)!  Bill started with the VMN program in 2006, though he actually was part of the Central Virginia Chapter before that, as it pre-dated the statewide program.  Bill was awarded the Acorn Award, an award bestowed to those who start as a trainee and through extraordinary work, usually over a period of time, grows into a Master Naturalist who makes significant contributions to the chapter and/or community, in 2008.  He was an inspiration as a Master Naturalist and will be sorely missed.  

His obituary in the Lynchburg newspaper states, “Bill loved all things outdoors, including gardening, hiking, and fishing.  He was a devoted member of the Central Virginia Master Naturalists for 20 years.”

Each current VMN volunteer or chapter advisor may submit one photo that illustrates your connection with nature in this unique year.  It can be a selfie of you doing a naturalist activity, a photo documenting an exciting wildlife encounter you’ve had, a photo of a special natural place that has brought you joy during the pandemic, or anything else that you feel fits the theme of how you’ve connected with nature this year.

We will share the photos in a slideshow on the VMN website.  Depending on the number of photos we receive, we also will share all or a subset during an end-of-year online event in mid-December.  This is not a competition!  As long as the photos are in the correct format, we will include them. 

• The photo must be taken by you, the currently enrolled VMN volunteer or chapter advisor.
• The photo must be taken in Virginia.
• The photo needs to be in .jpg format.
• The photo file name should be YourLastNameYourFirstName_PhotoName.jpg.  Fill in your name and the photo name in that format. (for example, MouseMinnie_JamesRiverAtSunset.jpg).  
• Only one photo per volunteer is allowed.
• Please do not have any views of children’s faces or other information from which they could be personally identified.
• To make sure that your photo displays well, please make sure that it is at least 2200 pixels on its longest side at 72ppi resolution.  We will still try to include your photo if it is smaller, but it might not look wonderful.  Ideally, work from the original image from your camera or mobile device, not an image that has been sent through email or downloaded from Facebook.
• Submit your photo using the survey link you received in your email.  It will prompt you to upload the photo.
• On the survey, we will also ask you to choose categories for the photo, just to help us put similar photos together.  We also will ask you for your name, email address, VMN chapter name, a name or title for the photo, and a brief statement of how the photo illustrates your connection with nature this year.  
• Submit your photo no later than November 30.

Help us create a fabulous slide show that captures how our volunteers have connected with nature in this very unusual year!