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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!

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. 

Contest Guidelines

• The artwork must be original artwork created and submitted by a currently enrolled VMN volunteer.
• Please limit submissions to one submission per volunteer. The volunteer may choose which of the two plants to illustrate.
• The artwork may be a drawing, painting, or photograph, but it must be submitted as a digital file, such as a PDF, JPG, PNG, or GIF file.
• The artwork must be of either poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) or Virginia-creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). 
• We tend to prefer artwork that allows us to create a pin in the shape of the plant, rather than having to be an oval or rectangular pin. Keep this preference in mind when creating your artwork, and imagine a pin cut in the shape of the image. Pins cannot easily have very finely detailed edges, so it is helpful if the image outline is a smoother line.  See the dogwood image on our recertification pin artwork history page as an example of botanical artwork that was easily converted to a pin. 

To Submit Your Artwork for the Contest
If you want to submit your artwork for the contest, please complete the online contest survey no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, August 18. You will be asked to provide your name, email, VMN chapter, and your permission to use the artwork. Have your digital artwork file ready; you will be need to upload it within the survey.
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By night (at least on Tuesdays this spring), Sarah Foster is a VMN trainee in the Headwaters Chapter, learning all about natural history and natural resource management. By day, she teaches Family and Consumer Sciences to students at Beverly Manor Middle School. This spring, she was recognized as one of the August County Schools Teachers of the Year! In her teaching, Sarah strives to make learning as hands-on as possible. We are looking forward to her combining her teaching talent with her developing naturalist expertise to be a wonderful VMN volunteer!

Also bringing personal talents to the Headwaters Chapter is current trainee Virginia Greene. Her original watercolor, “Please Don’t Roll My Rocks” was chosen by a panel of judges to be the artwork for the annual Restore the Wild sticker from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Virginia also has a day job that connects with the VMN program–she’s the South River Restoration Projects Specialist with the Virginia Natural Heritage Program. 

Congratulations, Sarah and Virginia, and thank you for all the talent you bring to the VMN program!

The Central Virginia Land Conservancy (CVALC) works with landowners in the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, and Nelson who want to protect their land through the use of conservation easements.  On April 22, the organization celebrated its 20th anniversary at a dinner event held in the City of Bedford.  At the event, CVALC’s highest award – the Conservation Cornerstone Award – was presented to a volunteer with an impressive history of communicating with landowners throughout the area about the importance of preserving farms and forests for future generations.

The volunteer recognized was Wendy Kendrick, who is a member of the Central Blue Ridge chapter.  She serves as an at-large board member for the chapter, but long before she became a Virginia Master Naturalist volunteer, Wendy was already active with CVALC.

In 2003, Wendy co-founded CVALC, and she has served on the organization’s board since that year, including a long stint as president.  Over the years, she has spoken with hundreds of landowners about conservation and open space easements as a means to protect their land from subdivision and development.  Her work has included organizing informative indoor workshops as well as on-the-ground visits to properties throughout central Virginia.

Wendy also serves on the board of the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy (BRLC) that covers Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, and Roanoke counties.  She helps monitor land under easement for both CVALC and BRLC and she is part of the stewardship committee for BRLC.  As if that was not enough, she has even been known to volunteer with the Southern Virginia Land Conservancy, which operates in Patrick, Henry, Pittsylvania and Halifax counties.  Her own farm in Amherst County has been under an open-space easement with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation since 2003.

As a Virginia Master Naturalist volunteer, Wendy serves as an at-large board member for the Central Blue Ridge chapter.  She regularly volunteers with the James River Association on stream buffer planting and invasives removal projects, and she has also helped plant a stream buffer in Nelson County organized by the VA Department of Forestry.  Anyone who appreciates the rich biological heritage of Virginia, with its beautiful vistas of forests and farms, can thank people whose efforts often take place “behind” those bucolic scenes.

Thank you, Wendy!   

Four Old Rag Master Naturalists – Linda Lowery and Lynne Leeper from Fauquier County and Jere Willis and Mike Wenger from Rappahannock County – completed the field portion of the program in April. They had gained experience last year by teaching the protocol to members of ORMN’s Basic Training Class. Most of the stream sites that ORMN members monitor exhibit a health biological mix of sensitive organisms such as mayflies and stoneflies and more tolerant species like black fly larva. 

Their training also included a session with Kria Carney from Virginia Save Our Streams and some people from other stream monitoring programs. This included going over the protocols and procedures for training future stream monitors. They received informational materials to use in training as well as discussions on how to handle a variety of situations.

With the completion of their field work, these four ORMN members
are now able to work with other ORMN members who want to become certified monitors – essentially our own training team! In order to maintain their Trainer Certification they have to train and certify at least one new monitor a year, which they can do as a group. They hope that some Class XII members will be interested in the program and join them.

The expertise that our four ORMN members offer is a valuable resource to our community and an important aid to Master Naturalist efforts to promote healthy streams. ORMN applauds their commitment to this important role!

​In 2022, Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers contributed 11,609 hours of service in more than 25 Virginia State Parks. Virginia Master Naturalists are some of the most dedicated park volunteers! Several of them were recently recognized with Virginia State Parks Volunteer of the Year awards. Here’s more about each of them and the work they do in the parks, as written by their nominators. In addition, Randy Smith (formerly a VMN in the Holston Rivers Chapter) was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award, posthumously, for all of his work at Hungry Mother State Park. 

Jack and Theresa Rayburn (VMN-Pocahontas Chapter, winners of the Individual – Exceptional Service award for their work at Westmoreland State Park) – “This volunteer duo self-describes their duties as “whatever benefits the park the most”. I have yet to discover any task these two aren’t willing to help out with. The rayburns regularly conduct beach cleanups, interpretive programming, park maintenance, assist with special events, manage native/invasive plant species, monitor and encourage pollinator activity, build park signage and structures, and perform camp host duties- even prior to registering as camp hosts.”

April Allen (VMN-Southern Piedmont Chapter, runner-up for the Individual – Interpretation award for her work at Staunton River Battlefield State Park) – “The ranger-led programs she provides continue to be well received. One of the best examples of her stellar character to devotion of our park’s mission, and the mission for Virginia State Parks, was in November when the park received a school field trip numbering eighty 2nd Graders and teachers.  April stepped up, stuck it out the entire day, and was an essential part to the memories generated for those school children, who had not had a field trip adventure in over two years.”

Randy Bagby (VMN-Southern Piedmont Chapter, winner of the Individual – Exceptional Service award for his work at Occoneechee State Park) – “As the trail steward for our most extensive trail, The Panhandle Multi-use trail. Randy’s regular duties include a weekly check of the trail for fallen limbs, trees, and debri; the collection of litter along this trail; completing duties associated with the Friends of Occoneechee State Park; assisting park staff with pollinator field management; and working with staff to complete the Sawyer Apprentice program.”

From the very get-go, Randy Bagby has been extraordinary in his devotion and service to the Southern Piedmont Chapter and to Virginia State Parks. Randy trained and certified with this new chapter’s inaugural Basic Training class in 2022. Since then, he has volunteered in several different project areas, including stewardship, citizen science, and chapter admin. Randy is always willing to lend a hand anywhere he’s needed, and his service in Virginia’s State Parks is particularly noteworthy. Since January, Randy has logged over 150 hours, including 120 at Staunton River and Occoneechee State Parks. His work at two of the Southern Piedmont’s three state parks demonstrates both his love of the parks and personal commitment to service. Randy has trained for operating heavy equipment and chainsaws, so for him, trail stewardship goes well beyond clearing storm blowdown and removing invasive plants and litter. Plus, he never misses an opportunity to engage with park visitors as an ambassador both for VMN and VSP. 

State Park staff are thrilled to have Randy on their team:

“Randy Bagby has been working with Occoneechee State Park for the past year,” says Chief Ranger Austin Peightel, “From the moment of his arrival, he has been a dependable and ambitious volunteer. Randy does not hesitate to accomplish any task and does so with an enthusiasm that is contagious to other volunteers and park staff alike. During the past year he has been working to restore the Panhandle Trail system. He has been vital in our ability to reopen corridors along the trail that had been previously lost to succession. Not only has he played a vital role on the Panhandle trail, but Randy has frequently sought out other opportunities to aid the park in all areas and departments. Some examples include invasive species abatement, pollinator field maintenance, sawyer operations, group volunteer involvement and volunteer recruiting…Randy was one of the initial members of the newly founded Friends of Occoneechee State Park and continues to surprise and impress us with his kind heart and aptitude for service. We are extremely grateful for the work he has accomplished in the park, and even more so for the relationship we have formed with Randy Bagby. We look forward to many more years and many more projects.”

At Staunton River State Park, Chief Ranger Ben Issacs says, “Randy has been serving as a trail steward…for a little over a month. In that short time, he has played a crucial role in assisting park staff with the rehabilitation of an old hiking trail around the park’s private lake.  He has pruned, sawed, rak
ed, blown leaves, weed-eated, and overall groomed this trail back to its former glory.  The park will be utilizing this trail for a “Cops and Bobbers” kids’ fishing day with the South Boston Police Department, and without Randy’s help we never would have been able to get the trail ready in time.  In helping us with this trail Randy has served this park and our local community!  Randy showed up to the park one day and said, ‘I am here to help, put me to work,’ and we are so happy to have him on board.”

The Southern Piedmont Chapter is also very happy and proud to have Randy on board!

The Holston Rivers chapter has been doing a lot of observations at DWR Bird and Wildlife site MCM02 — The Well Fields in Saltville. During Covid, volunteers logged many hours of observations in iNaturalist and eBird at that location in order to work together while staying physically apart. Now that restrictions are over, they are inviting the public, especially members of the Saltville community, to join them in enjoying the marvels of this fascinating DWRBWT area.

In February 2023, Holston Rivers members teamed up with the Emory & Henry Lifelong Learning program to offer a Sunday afternoon of birding information and observation. With 30 attendees for this very first event, program organizers were thrilled.

Saltville’s unique geography makes it a fascinating location for plants and geology, and even though these well fields are basically right in the middle of town the diversity of birds and other wildlife is remarkable. eBird lists 189 recorded bird species just in the well fields area, and there were some unique birds in attendance at this first event. The afternoon viewing revealed Northern Shovelers, Lesser Scaups, American Coots, Gadwalls, American Wigeons, Killdeer, and a Red-tailed Hawk among others. The crowd ranged in age from retirement to third grade, and participants were delighted. Most were new birders who were thrilled to see animals they had never noticed before, and they repeatedly asked for another opportunity soon. 

The Smyth County Chamber of Commerce has invited HRVMN volunteers to repeat the event quarterly, and volunteers are excited to share more about what makes this spot so special. 

Amber Miller, VMN-Peninsula Chapter, has been conducting a biosurvey at a local park, Historic Endview, in Newport News. She has gathered experts on herpetology from the Virginia Living Museum, Christopher Newport University, and Newport News Parks and Recreation. Their efforts have resulted in identifying two species of interest – the spadefoot toad and the woodland box turtle. 

Due to increased awareness of the importance of wildlife corridors and the persistence of a Rivanna Master Naturalist (Leah Jung), Virginia Tech recently funded a study of bobcat movement in Northwest Albemarle County. A graduate student was recruited and is currently setting live traps to capture bobcats and outfit them with satellite collars.

The collars will transmit movement data and this will be compared to the types of land used to determine bobcat habitat. Any corridors used to move across the land will be mapped. The data may also provide information on bobcat response to human activity and provide insight into how growth may impact bobcat behavior. 

Bobcat were chosen for the study because their food sources (prey) and thus habitat needs are likely to reflect the habitat needs of a large variety of other wildlife. Landowners continue to be recruited for ‘hosting’ a live trap, local & state government officials are being informed, and other types of support are being achieved towards a goal of including scientific-informed decisions in county growth management.