
August 2018 photo of the Bird and Wildlife Trail sign at Silver Lake. Since then the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has been renamed the VA Department of Wildlife Resources and the Birding and Wildlife Trail program has dropped the “ing” in Birding to become the Bird and Wildlife Trail.
A big “Thank You” to all HMN BWT volunteers and an appeal for new monitors for 2022
From project coordinator Sandy Greene
Our chapter responded to the request to adopt all three the Bird and Wildlife Trails in Augusta and Rockingham Counties, and YOU rose to the site monitoring challenge. YOU found your places, explored and learned more about what grew and moved there, took other visitors, picked up trash, mended trails, photographed and sent in love notes about them to Cheryl and Sandy. We in turn compiled your notes and photos and reported to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), and the North River Ranger District of the George Washington/Jefferson National Forest.
Thank you for your commitment, your diligence and study, and your creativity as we searched for the most beneficial way to highlight and care for these special natural areas. Your visits were more important than you may have thought, when looked at in composite:
- We began including eBird data in our reports, which prompted the DWR to add eBird hotspot links on their website to each of the Bird and Wildlife Trail sites.
- These sites have been the logical destinations for Wildflower Walks for many years, for Wildflowers and Warblers, Dragonfly study, Butterfly and bird counts, and a Frog-Calling Workshop. Advertising to the public, and becoming more confident about hosting and leading events has elevated the beauty, ecological value and comfortable accessibility of our public lands.
- Having reports on file at our agencies insures more accurate website information.
- Learning to navigate to our sites, knowing where to park, where the trails really go, where and when the wildflowers are blooming, and birds are migrating, has enriched our Master Naturalist skills, events and training.
- Monitoring has prompted us to learn to use eBird and iNaturalist – even as we struggle with our phones and connectivity. We’re at least on the learning curve.
Thank you for becoming the students, stewards and advocates for your sites.
We are excited about the direct and real-time reporting changes coming this year to the Bird and Wildlife Trail programs through CitSci. At the chapter level, we will also change to an annual commitment for monitors. If you love your sites, wonderful! Sign back up. If you’re worn out, or need a break, that’s ok too. We sure do understand!
If you would like to become a monitor for a particular site (or sites) for this year, call or text one of us. We will be actively recruiting for all of our sites soon. All of us will need some orientation to CitSci, to the new online format for reporting. We are also recruiting experts in using eBird and iNaturalist, and will be hosting virtual training and supporting every monitors’ skills in these programs. The VMN already has wonderful training videos ready for us.
We have so enjoyed partnering and learning with you in this project! – Sandy and Cheryl
Here is a listing of all our sites with the names of HMNs who have helped monitor them over the past six years. Pick a site (or two or more) and contact Sandy or Cheryl to sign up for this year: 2022!
Sandy Greene: 540-487-1224 | greenes104 [at] aol.com
MFT01 | Montgomery Hall Park | (Breyette Lorntz )Merrilee Lianez |
MFT02 | Goshen WMA | Derek Blyer (Kim McCray) |
MFT03 | Augusta Springs | Allen and Shelley Baker, Deb Pugh |
MFT04 | Crawford Mtn Elliott Knob | John Bauman |
MFT05 | Braley Pond | Barb Phillips |
MFT06 | Ramseys Draft | Merrilee Lianez, John Bauman, Dave Wendelken |
MFT07 | Shenandoah Mountain | Lisa Klein |
Cheryl Shull: 540-383-5390 | cherylshull [at] yahoo.com
MNR01 | Silver Lake | Peggy Plass, John Shuster |
MNR02 | Paul State Forest | Cheryl Shull |
MNR03 | Switzer Lake | Adrie Voors and Carl Droms |
MNR04 | Hone Quarry | Kathy McKenzie |
MNR05 | Briery Branch | Kristina Oates |
MNR06 | Flagpole Knob | Kate Guenther |
MNR07 | Reddish Knob | Kate Guenther |
MNR08 | Hearthstone Lake | Chip Brown |
MNR09 | Todd Lake | Kathy Byers |
MNR10 | Natural Chimneys | Janet Joseph, Merrilee Lianez, Kelly Rourke – |
Cheryl Shull: 540-383-5390 | cherylshull [at] yahoo.com
MLS01 | New Market Battlefield | Kim Atkins, Jay and Sharon Landis |
MLS02 | Slate Lick Fields | Jay and Sharon Landis |
MLS03 | Long Run Road | Jay and Sharon Landis |
MLS03A | Carrier Arboretum | Kathy McKenzie |
MLS04 | Lake Campbell | |
MLS05 | Lake Shenandoah | Dave Forrer |
MLS06 | Leonard’s Pond | Kelly Jones |
MLS07 | Mountain View Park Grottoes | |
MLS08 | Grand Caverns | Burt Blessing |
MLS09 | Madison Run | Pam and Lincoln Gray |
Thanks to all, and please forgive us if we have missed any details.
– Sandy Greene, Cohort I, January 2022
Here is a Google map of all the sites. Thanks to Carl Droms, Cohort II, for creating it … way back in 2015!