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2019 Virginia Master Naturalist Impact Statement:  Virginia Master Naturalists contribute to natural resource education, citizen science, and stewardship across the Commonwealth in 2019

Relevance
Americans’ interest in nature is growing. There is a large constituency of people, both urban and rural, engaged in non-consumptive uses of natural resources such as birdwatching, and studies show this population is growing.  Research also shows, however, that Americans still face a significant gap between their interest in nature and their ability and opportunities to pursue that interest.  Individuals need opportunities to be actively involved in exploring, caring for, and observing nature in their local communities.  Furthermore, because the most impactful experiences in nature are deeply social, opportunities to connect people with nature through social groups are needed.

At the same time, the Commonwealth of Virginia is facing difficult natural resource challenges, such as loss of forestland, sea level rise, and invasive species impacts. State and local natural resource agencies need help to accomplish their missions, address these natural resource challenges, and reach more sectors of our population. Public engagement is critical to successful conservation and management of Virginia’s woods, wildlife, and waters.

Response
The Virginia Master Naturalist (VMN) program addresses these needs by supporting a statewide corps of volunteers providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities. With 30 chapters across Virginia, the program aims to extend the capacities of both state and local natural resource agencies and organizations to be able achieve their missions in new ways, engage new audiences, and work towards creating a citizenry more informed about and involved in natural resource conservation and management.  The program, because of its chapter-based structure, also promotes learning about, exploring, and stewarding natural areas through social groups.  

Every year, more than 400 Virginians become new VMN volunteers through training and service. The process for becoming a Certified VMN typically takes 6 to 12 months. One starts by completing a 40-hour basic training course offered by one the local chapters of the program. An additional 8 hours of continuing education and 40 hours of volunteer service are also required to become certified or recertified. Volunteer service hours are recorded in four primary areas: education, stewardship, citizen science, and chapter administration. At the statewide level, the program is sponsored by seven state agencies, and on the local level, chapters partner with dozens of conservation and education organizations.
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Results
The VMN program currently has approximately 2,200 active volunteers who reported service in 2019. These volunteers completed more than 30,000 hours of training and continuing education in 2019. They also contributed significant volunteer time in the areas of education, citizen science, stewardship, and chapter administration, amounting to more than $5.2 million in contributions to natural resource conservation in Virginia (based on IndependentSector.org value of a volunteer hour.) Since the program’s inception in 2005, VMN volunteers have contributed nearly one million hours of service with a value of $33.6 million to the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

In 2019, VMN volunteers contributed more than 46,000 hours of stewardship to improve local natural resource conditions on more than 580 sites through invasive plant management in parks, maintenance of habitats for pollinators and other wildlife, trail maintenance of hundreds of miles of trails, and litter cleanup events.  They also created approximately 60 new habitat sites through planting projects.

Volunteers also contributed more than 65,000 hours of time to more than 50 citizen science studies of birds, phenology, mammals, butterflies, stream health, and more.  Among these was the City Nature Challenge, a worldwide BioBlitz during which people use the iNaturalist app to report species observations in urban areas.  Virginia Master Naturalists in Northern Virginia were especially important to the Washington D.C. Metro Area City Nature Challenge.  They organized dozens of different events attended by more than 200 people, adding nearly 5,000 observations of more than 800 species observations to the database.  Overall, the D.C. Metro area came in 5th in the world for number of people contributing observations, and Virginia Master Naturalists contributed greatly to that success.

In addition, volunteers made more than 175,000 contacts through educational programs in their communities that totaled 47,000 hours of service. These programs included day camps and afterschool programs for youth in partnership with 4-H, talks for local community
groups, and activities at numerous special events, such as local Earth Day celebrations. In just one example of their education work, VMN volunteers led guided nature walks for the public at sites such as the Bassett Trace Nature Trail in Williamsburg, the Conway Robinson State Forest in Prince William County, the Ni River Trail in Spotsylvania County, and Powhatan State Park.

On top of their contributions to these many conservation projects, VMN volunteers also contributed more than 32,000 of time managing our local chapters.  The unique structure of the VMN program relies on volunteers to lead the day-to-day local operations of the program, including recruiting new volunteers, organizing training courses, developing local projects and partnerships, and tracking volunteer activities.  Several hundred VMN volunteers provide this local leadership, without which the program would not exist.

​Pocahontas Chapter Celebrates 10th Year in 2019
 
The Pocahontas Chapter Virginia Master Naturalists celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2019 with special recognitions, education, service and an overnight camp-out. The anniversary campaign, “10 Years, 10,000 Hours” was launched in May to recognize a milestone year and to encourage members to reach and sustain an annual goal of 10,000 volunteer service hours as the chapter continues to create and support new projects and increase its membership.
 
The anniversary year kicked off with a t-shirt contest where members were invited to submit designs related to the theme. Laurie McAleenan’s entry was chosen as the winner. On May 5, a formal celebration was held for members and special guests at the park. Speakers included Michelle Prsyby, Virginia Master Naturalist statewide coordinator; Keith Morrison, former Pocahontas Chapter advisor with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation who helped charter the chapter; Josh Ellington, former Pocahontas State Park manager, now District Manager with DCR overseeing six state parks (including Pocahontas); Christen Miller, Visitor Experience Manager with Virginia DCR, a 10-year instructor, and a charter member of the Pocahontas Chapter; and Lisa Quigley, first President of the Pocahontas Chapter and a Class of 2009 graduate. Attendees enjoyed project displays, cake and had the chance to view and sign the chapter’s 10th anniversary photo book with pictures and reflections from members throughout the years.
 
A weekend of continuing education and service opportunities took place May 10-11 that began with an evening campfire (s’mores included) and live music by the band WitchDuck (led by VMN Carmen Rabago). Group cabins were generously provided by Pocahontas State Park for members to stay overnight—which could only mean an after-dark hike to Swift Creek Dam was a must for star gazing!
 
Saturday activities began with continuing education programs that included bird identification in the park led by John and Caroline Coe, a herpetology survey led by Michael Clifford, and presentations on the State of the James by JRA Riverkeeper Jamie Brunkow, and animal rehabilitation by Colleen Harlow with Alliance of Wild Animal Rehabilitators and Educators (AWARE).
 
After a catered barbecue lunch, members could join small groups for volunteer activities that included clean-up for park trails and waterways, invasive species removal, and maintenance at several native plant gardens.
 
The chapter is grateful to all those who participated on the anniversary planning committee to coordinate these events. In all, more than 50 Pocahontas Chapter members participated in our anniversary year activities!

A New State of the River Report for the Nansemond

Members of the VMN-Historic Southside Chapter contributed to the collection of data and writing for the newly released Nansemond River Preservation Alliance State of the River Report.  VMN volunteers involved included Geoff Payne (chair of the Alliance’s Water Quality Committee), John Wass, William Old, Ken Dugan, Wayne Martin, Leora Porter, and Donald Porter.

Old Rag Master Naturalists are Conservation Educators of the Year

The 2019 Conservation Educator of the Year Award was given to the Old Rag Master Naturalists, a group of volunteers in Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties.  Members of the group take a basic training course of lectures and field trips. To remain active they complete a minimum number of continuing education and volunteer hours. According to CSWCD, “the district’s Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) program would not be possible without the volunteers of the Old Rag Master Naturalists. In particular, Bill Clark and Ken Cranston were recognized at the banquet. They have volunteered more than 300 hours with CSWCD.”

Ten Years of Capturing Wildlife on Camera at Claytor

Ben Shrader, VMN-Central Virginia Chapter, recently compiled results from more than ten years of camera trapping at the Claytor Nature Center.  This nature center in Bedford, Virginia, is owned and managed by the University of Lynchburg for environmental conservation and education.  

A wide diversity of wildlife has been observed through the camera trapping study, including deer, bears, fox squirrels, raccoons, opossums, groundhogs, wild turkeys, striped skunks, beavers, otter, mink, muskrats, coyotes, both red and gray foxes, Great Blue Herons, bobcats, and bald eagles!  Ben has used the long-term data set to describe trends in abundance and seasonality of these species at the site.

View a small selection of the photos Ben has captured at Claytor Nature Center.  Click on each photo for the caption with identification information.

Highlights from Virginia Department of Enviromental Quality – Salt Management & Volunteer Water Monitoring

Virginia’s Salt Management Strategy
By Anissa Rafeh and Ann Regn, DEQ
The Virginia Salt Management Strategy (SaMS) was established by a diverse group of stakeholders coordinated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). SaMS provides recommendations for improving winter practices through efficient and effective salt use while maintaining the same levels of safety. The strategy also offers ways to raise awareness of these impacts, how individuals and organizations can participate, guidance for water quality monitoring and research to support action. The focus of SaMS is to balance the unintended impacts of salt use with the important safety benefits in Northern Virginia. For more information, visit DEQ’s webpage.

Citizen Monitors Make an Impact on Virginia’s Waters
By James Beckley, DEQ
A record number of locations are being sampled by Virginia’s citizen water quality monitors. DEQ estimates last year that more than 1,290 volunteers spent over 81,000 hours and drove 450,000 miles last year to collect and analyze water quality samples—a contribution of more than $3.25 million. To learn more about citizen monitoring, grant opportunities, how to nominate new sampling locations, guidance for Virginia’s new bacterial standards, or to sign up for the newsletter, visit the DEQ Citizen Monitoring homepage. 

Virginia Department of Forestry Reports on the State of the Forest
By Ellen Powell, DOF
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In its 2019 State of the Forest report, VDOF reports activities related to its mission to protect, manage, conserve, and educate about Virginia’s forests.  Just a few highlights of the report include:

• 100th anniversary of Virginia’s State Forest system
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and American Tree Farm System (ATFS) certification of all State Forests
• Introduction of the Hardwood Initiative  
• Urban Wood program

This year’s report contains clickable links to additional information, stories, and videos. For example, you can read about the use of goats to control invasive species on Lesesne State Forest, or watch a Harrisonburg urban tree be transformed into a conference table for a local office.  

Read the full report!

Winter Activities at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science VIMS
 by Karen Duhring, Middle Peninsula Chapter Advisor and VIMS-CCRM

Winter activities at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) include several opportunities for Virginia Master Naturalists. 

After Hours lecture series 
This monthly series of free, public lectures by scientists from VIMS and elsewhere explores hot issues facing the Chesapeake Bay and the ocean.   If you cannot attend in person, you can watch these lectures online or view recordings in the Archives at your convenience.  Check with your Chapter’s Continuing Education chair to find out if you can earn CE hours for attending or watching these VIMS lectures.  Reservations are required due to limited space.  Visit the After Hours Lecture Series web site to learn more and to register.

At the Gloucester Point campus:

• January 30      Expedition Nepal 
• February 27     Plastics in the Ocean

​At the Eastern Shore Laboratory in Wachapreague: 

• February 5      Ghost Forests of the Chesapeake Bay 

Public & Chapter Tours
Guided tours of VIMS are offered to the public from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM on select week days each month.  Upcoming tour dates:  February 7, March 12, April 7, May 5  

Each tour includes an overview of VIMS, a guided tour of the Visitors Center and aquariums, and two of our research laboratories with scientist interactions. Tours are designed for adults. Children must be at least 9 years old to attend. Space is limited and registration must be completed at least two days in advance. Visit the events calendar for more information and tour registration.

Visit our Group Tours page to learn more about private VIMS tours for groups of 12 or more.  Virginia Master Naturalist Chapter field trips can also be arranged with the entire focus on coastal ecosystems.  To arrange for a guided tour of the VIMS Teaching Marsh and other coastal habitats at the Gloucester Point campus, contact Karen Duhring at karend@vims.edu or 804-684-7159. 

Volunteering 
Volunteer positions are available with the VIMS outreach and educational programs and occasionally with specific research programs.  Visit the William & Mary Volunteer Portal to view the available volunteer positions.   If you are interested in one or more positions, click the Apply button next to the position.   Once you apply, the coordinator for that position will contact you. 

Requirements for each volunteer position vary, but general requirements for all VIMS volunteers are below: 

• Be at lea
  st 16 years of age
• Complete safety training with the VIMS Safety Office before conducting any work as a volunteer
• Complete required volunteer paperwork (check-in form, liability waiver, emergency contact information)
• A volunteer position may require you to commit to a certain number of hours, such as two hours per week, 15 hours per year, or more regular hours during a certain timeframe (summer, specific sampling period, etc.)

For general questions about volunteering at VIMS, please contact Sally Brooks at sabrooks@vims.edu or 804-684-7010. 

General Education
Sign up to receive monthly VIMS e-Tidings for updates and news about what’s happening in the world of coastal and marine science.  If the winter weather has you stuck indoors, browse the VIMS Bay Info web site for topics and information that will improve your knowledge of Virginia’s coastal and marine resources.  Or take a virtual tour of the Teaching Marsh, a 1-acre tidal wetland demonstration habitat.

The Virginia Natural History Society (VNHS) was formed in 1992 to bring together persons interested in the natural history of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The VNHS defines natural history in a broad sense, from the study of plants, animals, and other organisms to the geology and ecology of the state, to the natural history of the native people who inhabit it. The goals of the VNHS are to promote research on the natural history of Virginia, educate the citizens of the Commonwealth on natural history topics, and to encourage the conservation of natural resources.

Share Your Citizen Science Results though the VNHS Journal

Dissemination of natural history information occurs through publication of the journal Banisteria, named for John Banister (1650-1692) who was the first university-trained naturalist to work in Virginia. The first issue was published in 1992, and the journal is published twice per year in spring and fall. Articles cover a wide array of subjects, and members of VNHS are encouraged to submit manuscripts on any aspect of natural history in Virginia; book reviews and biographies of relevance to natural history in Virginia are also welcomed. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed for suitability and edited for inclusion in the journal.

In the past, most submissions to Banisteria have been from authors in academia. VNHS would like to include a special section of the journal for citizen science projects which would provide a formal publication outlet for the results of the many projects carried out by members of the Virginia Master Naturalist chapters.  Many chapters have projects which include long-term data sets that would likely be of interest to readership of Banisteria and would be a welcome addition to the literature dealing with the natural history of Virginia.  

Papers submitted to the citizen science section would be expected to follow a similar format to regular papers with respect to journal style and would be subject to review and recommendations for revision by the editorial board.  The editorial board of the journal will assist authors in the preparation of their papers with respect to both content and style.

Any comments or questions on this proposal for a special section from Master Naturalist chapters or individual members is welcome.  Please contact the Editor, Todd Fredericksen, at tfredericksen@ferrum.edu.  

​You may visit the VNHS website at  https://virginianaturalhistorysociety.com/index.html for information on the society and/or Banisteria.

Save the Date for the VNHS Annual Meeting

Virginia Master Naturalists are invited to attend the Annual Conference of the Virginia Natural History Society on Saturday, 31 October 2020 at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia.
 
General Schedule

• 9 AM to 10 AM refreshments, registration, and poster set-up
• 10 AM to 3:30 PM invited and contributed presentations and lunch
• 3:30 PM to 4 PM general members meeting

                                               
Student oral presentations and posters are welcome.  Note that the number of slots for contributed oral presentations is limited.  Registration will open in early September.  Presenters must register and provide a title by 8 October.  Please visit https://virginianaturalhistorysociety.com  for updates.