HMN David Forrer, Cohort VI, on a collaborative effort to curb invasive plants in Virginia: All of us HMNs are painfully aware of the many invasive plants that are taking over landscapes and forests around us. In addition to the stiltgrass, garlic mustard, and other invasives we see and do battle with in the forest,…
Thanks to HMN Elizabeth Pass, Cohort VI, for developing the connections that led to this project and letting us know about it! I read in the July newsletter about a volunteer opportunity for building bird boxes (kestrel and bluebird nest boxes) for Jill and Lance Morrow who coordinate the Kestrel Nest Box Monitoring project. I…
HMN CE Opportunity Monday, December 6 at 6:30 PM Arey Assembly Hall meeting room in the Bridgewater Town Hall201 Green St, Bridgewater Wildlife mammalogist Mike Pelton will discuss the importance of safe passage issues for wildlife in general, and specifically for large mammals in Virginia. Wildlife corridors are becoming critical as highways become death…
Cohort VII was honored at a potluck-style picnic on Saturday, October 16, 2021, at a shelter in the park at Grand Caverns. Members of the Virginia Master Naturalists Headwaters Chapter demonstrated their culinary skills with an array of vegetarian and vegan soups, quiche, homemade breads, and delectable desserts. HMN Program Committee Chair Mary-Gatling Finks had…
This is the fourth installment in a series to learn more about who’s doing the work behind the scenes to keep our Chapter running along. Stephanie Gardner, HMN Board Historian and Parliamentarian, is conducting a series of online interviews with the members of our 2021 Board of Directors. Here we are featuring Andrea Dono, Secretary…
Sharon Landis, a recent HMN basic training graduate in Cohort VII (aka Cohort Zoom), shares here about the environmental education work that she and her husband and fellow Cohort VII member Jay Landis have been doing on their property in Rockingham County. Since moving to Virginia in 2016, Jay and I have been offering Stream…
On a very fine September Sunday morning, about 12 members of the Headwaters Chapter of Master Naturalists enjoyed quite the treat on the Mushroom and Lichen Hike with credentialed mycologists Jack Wilson, Chris Vacher, Vicki Vacher, and Mark Jones. Within the state of Virginia, just 10 people have passed the difficult examinations that give them…
This is the third installment in a series to learn more about who’s doing the work behind the scenes to keep our Chapter running along. Stephanie Gardner, HMN Board Historian and Parliamentarian, is conducting a series of online interviews with the members of our 2021 Board of Directors. Here we are featuring Pam and Lincoln…
On Thursday, September 23rd, 2021, members of the Headwaters Master Naturalists chapter visited Black Bear Composting facility in Crimora. Eric Walter, the owner, showed us around the property and walked us through the composting process. They obtain the compostable waste from residential houses, businesses, and even institutions such as the local Bridgewater College. Once brought…
Most every August, the Friends of the Middle River (FOMR) organize a week of trash removal from different segments of the Middle River as it runs through Augusta County. Members of the Headwaters Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists are always invited to participate and earn volunteer service credit hours under the activity: “Trash Cleanups:…
Virginia Master Naturalist Headwaters Chapter 