Virginia Biogeography – Virginia Master Naturalists

This page contains numerous curriculum resources that may be used flexibly by Virginia Master Naturalist chapters and trainees to meet their learning needs.  These resources also are available to other volunteer programs and the public for their use, but please note that watching or reading these materials cannot substitute for enrolling in and completing a basic training course with a VMN chapter in order to become a Virginia Master Naturalist volunteer.

Thank you to the numerous people who contributed to the creation of these materials.  In particular, Gary Fleming kindly provided most of the text and images for the presentation PowerPoint and videos.  Some volunteers have been fortunate to see Gary’s presentation on Virginia’s Natural Communities in person. The text and photos we provide here match what he uses in-person, so that more volunteers can learn from his expertise and view his beautiful photographs of Virginia landscapes.

Michelle Prysby, VMN Program Director, served as the project coordinator for the development of this curriculum, with support from a generous donation from an anonymous donor.

• Identify and differentiate the features of Virginia’s physiographic provinces, including the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateaus.
• Understand that the features and biodiversity of the physiographic provinces and ecological communities are influenced by geology, topography, soils, and human influences
• Identify common and unique ecological communities and species occurring in each province, with a focus on the province in which the volunteer is located
• Be familiar with parks, natural areas, and other public and publicly accessible lands in Virginia where a VMN might volunteer, with a focus on the local community in which the volunteer is located
• Understand the role of Virginia’s state agencies, such as VDCR-Natural Heritage, in protecting biodiversity and Virginia’s natural communities.

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What: Short videos to introduce volunteers to the topic of Virginia Biogeography
Possible uses:

• Have trainees watch before class as preparation
• Watch as part of class
• Have trainees watch after class as review or supplementary material
• Have existing members watch as a refresher on this topic

Director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Clyde Cristman, talks about the Virginia Natural Heritage Program and Virginia’s Natural Area Preserve System.  Video by the Virginia Department of Conservation.

Most Recommended Readings​

• Overview of the Physiography and Vegetation of Virginia, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/document/ncoverviewphys-veg.pdf

Supplemental Readings​

• Physiographic Regions of Virginia and linked pages on Virginia Places site, http://www.virginiaplaces.org/regions/physio.html
• Virginia’s Natural Heritage Program brochure, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/nhgenbro.pdf.
• Natural Communities fact sheets from VDCR (Barrier Beaches, Baldcypress-Water Tupelo Swamps, Groundwater Seepage Swamps, Pocosins, Sea-level Fens, Seasonal Ponds, Tidal Freshwater Marshes, Turkey Oak Sandhills), http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/factsheets
• Virginia’s Natural Area Preserve System, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/napbook4web.pdf

Online Tools to Explore

• Virginia Outdoors Plan Mapper, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational-planning/vopmapper
• Virginia Natural Heritage Database Search, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/dbsearchtool
• Virginia Conservation Lands Database, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/clinfo

Above and Beyond, for those seeking more in-depth information
Note that book publisher websites are provided, but often these books are available from other sources at varying prices.

• Virginia’s Precious Heritage: A Report on the Status of Virginia’s Natural Communities, Plants, and Animals, and a Plan for Preserving Virginia’s Natural Heritage Resources”.  http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/nhpc-web.pdf
• Other sections of the Virginia Places web site by Charlie Grymes, http://www.virginiaplaces.org.  (Note, this is a huge site with lots of links for exploring more.)

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What: A six-part set of online videos of PowerPoint presentations with narration by Michelle Prysby.  Combined, they are approximately one hour long.  Gary Fleming (VDCR Natural Heritage Program) provided most of the images and text for these videos.
Possible uses:

• Have trainees watch before class as preparation
• Watch as part of class, combined with hands-on activities
• Have trainees watch after class as review
• Share with instructors to give them an idea of the type of material to cover
• Have trainees watch as a make-up for a missed class on the same topic
• Have existing members watch as a refresher on this topic

User Notes: Please note that you can make the video full-screen and toggle the closed captioning on and off.  You can also watch these videos at video.vt.edu: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.  Please also note that these videos are intended to be used in conjunction with the handout provided below.

Note for Basic Training Chairs and Course Instructors: The script for the full PowerPoint presentation is provided below for download in MS Excel format, which makes it easy to add, delete, or re-order slides.  Basic training chairs for VMN chapters may contact the state office for access to the full PowerPoint file.  Both the Powerpoint and the script may be used and adapted for your courses.  Please pay attention to the image license restrictions listed in the notes section for each slide in the PowerPoint file.

What: A three-page handout that matches up with the presentation.  It is best printed in color, but black and white is acceptable.

Possible uses:  The handout is meant to accompany the PowerPoint presentation or the videos, so if an instructor is using the presentation in class, he/she should distribute the handout in lieu of a handout containing all the slides.  It is not recommended that you print the slides for a handout, as they are almost entirely image-based and would not make good reference material.
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Note: Chapters may wish to add an extra page to the handout in order to add relevant volunteer projects to the basic list provided.

What: A set of possible assessment questions on this topic for VMN trainees.

Possible uses: Incorporate these questions into written or practical assessments during the course.

What: Evaluation packet consisting of a summary form to be completed by the chapter’s training chair and individual evaluation forms to be completed by chapter trainees.

Possible uses:  We would like to have you help us evaluate the effectiveness of these materials for meeting program goals.  We request that chapters using any of these materials have their trainees complete the evaluation form.  The training chair or coordinator for that class should complete the cover sheet and return the cover sheet and all individual forms to the VMN statewide program office.