Friends of the Middle River is planning to monitor our benthic sites in late September and early October. We always welcome any volunteers who want to pitch in and pick and count critters or just see what we do and how we go about assessing stream health. (The species and quantity of certain aquatic insects…
Aligning with many things Master Naturalists hold dear, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is offering its first ever class in the valley to become a steward of the Chesapeake Bay. VoiCeS (Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards) classes will be held weekly for six evenings on Thursdays beginning on October 11 this fall in Verona. The course includes…
“The Virginia Big Tree Program maintains a register of the 5 (now 3) largest specimens of over 300 native, non-native, and naturalized tree species. The register includes information about each tree’s size, location, and unique characteristics. Each tree must be re-certified every 10 years to maintain its status in the register.” – VA Big Tree…
Recap of July 22, 2018, Membership Summer Gathering What started out as an opportunity to gather as many Headwaters Master Naturalists as possible for a summer event, turned into a full day of community building, field trips and continuing education at Grand Caverns Park in Grottoes. Highlights from the day included: Board Meeting with reports…
Just after sunset on July 1, HMNs Peggy Plass and Emily Fugate met at Lake Shenandoah to kick off our latest project—Acoustic Bat Monitoring! Our chapter purchased a handheld bat monitor earlier this summer, and Sunday night marked the first time that it was used to collect data in the field. This spring, the state…
By Cheryl Shull, Cohort V During a recent fishing trip at Elkhorn Lake, my husband and I observed what we believed to be a brown water snake swimming towards us. As I began shooting photos, we quickly realized that we had a timber rattlesnake in our midst. We enjoyed the afternoon watching the snake quietly…
Despite the cool and dry conditions prior to the 2018 Shenandoah Mountain Wildflower Walks on April 28th, three groups of walkers found many species and had a great time in the woods of George Washington National Forest. Prescribed burns scheduled for the Hone Quarry area required us to consider alternative walks, but in the end…
On the evening of Friday, May 4th a group of four Headwaters Master Naturalists and one guest journeyed to the Augusta Springs Wetlands Trail to try our ears at frog and toad call identification. Under the tutelage of HMN and Frogwatch Monitor Kate Guenther we listened to the recorded voices of the frogs and toads…
HMN Jerry Hopkins has an affinity for the Shenandoah National Park. Spending time there since he was a kid, he currently makes frequent trips to his adopted stretch of trail in the Park to keep it welcoming by clearing brush and obstacles which might impede travelers. On a recent beautiful sunny spring day, he generously…
Geology Field Trip in Shenandoah National Park April 12, 2018 After being snowed out in December and postponed in early April, this field trip was finally held on Thursday, April 12. Malcolm Cameron led the trip with Jerry Hopkins attending. Malcolm gave an overview of geologic history of the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah National Park…
It’s that time of year! The Headwaters Master Naturalists join the likes of the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at JMU, Wild Virginia, and the Shenandoah National Park in offering guided Wildflower Walks to the public. With just a short season for these ephemeral beauties, the more opportunities to get out to experience their magic, the…
To Headwaters Master Naturalists (and all those who frequent National Forest land in Augusta County) from Sandy Greene, April 2, 2018 We have been following the permitting process for Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), with 56 miles of 42” fracked natural gas pipeline through Augusta County. The final permits from the Virginia Marine Resource Commission…
