My belief in the Virginia Master Naturalist Program and in Headwaters Chapter is true and deep.  I believe in the difference we can make for the earth and creatures we love.  I believe we can do great good together whether we work individually or as teams.   The bonus is lots of enjoyment and many fulfilling experiences.

You should consider my experience with Headwaters deep and rich – like one of our many Virginia caves full of bat guano!  But this is guano you can mine without detriment to the creature that produced it.   I love the work I do for Headwaters and can barely get enough of it.   Why?  I do what I do because of the vision I have for our Chapter.

Envision with me a Chapter of excellence and community.  Let’s dream that our sponsoring agencies will soon be calling on us because they have heard of our skilled and knowledgeable volunteers.  Let’s picture projects of imagination and note that inspire participation and involvement.  I see a Chapter membership supporting and encouraging each other because they have come to know and appreciate one another.  You see it too, don’t you?   Just imagine regular gatherings of great vigor where we learn together, have fun together and grow together (maybe because we always eat together?)  No, that’s not really the kind of growing I mean . . .

We are not alone in this hope and vision.  Many have a similar vision for Headwaters or some version of it.  I can only speak to my version though.  Mine comes from a belief in the Program design that I have come to know and understand through continual reading and re-reading (and re-reading the re-reading) what the State Steering and Executive Committees have put together to guide us.  This includes pages and pages and hours and hours of study and analysis.  Well, I might as well admit it – I’m a Policy Wonk.  I’m a detail person.  I pay attention to details and patterns because they can tell a story and help direct and focus energy.   All those details and patterns become a springboard for the creativity I try to bring to Training.

It’s been impossible not to learn a great deal about the Program’s intent over the past three years of attending three full basic trainings and listening to the voices of others who are much more deeply involved in environmental work than I.   These are the people who help to synthesize and implement all this learning in support of Headwaters as a VMN Chapter making the difference we all believe it is destined to make.

The invitation is always there for the Chapter to utilize the energy and enthusiasm I have for Headwaters.  There is plenty of useful guano to harvest.  Because, you know, “. . . guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to its exceptionally high content of . . . nutrients essential for growth!” (Wikipedia says)

– RoxAnna, November 2014