Christmas Bird Count 2023

Rockingham County Circle On December 16, 2023, the Rockingham Bird Club held its Christmas Bird Count (CBC). This was the 70th count held in Rockingham County and the 124th year of counts nationwide. For a more general summary of Audubon’s CBC, see the article by Rob Beaton in the December 2023 HMN newsletter. This article…

Stargazing at Shenandoah River State Park

Anthony Adamovich, a member of the Headwaters Chapter living in Luray, invited me to help with a December 14 presentation on the Geminid meteor shower led by Megan Goin and Samantha House, rangers at Shenandoah River State Park. The park is situated between Luray and Front Royal, overlooking bends of the South Fork. I had scouted…

JMU Tree Inventory Project Update

2023 Progress Update from Ali This year, Headwaters Master Naturalists have been hard at work surveying and identifying trees at James Madison University (JMU) with Facilities Management and Edith J. Carrier Arboretum staff and interns. Over the last seven months, eleven master naturalists have spent a combined total of 115 hours working in the shade…

Cohort 8 Finishes Basic Training

Embracing Nature’s Classroom: A Journey to Graduation as a Virginia Master Naturalist As the sun sets on another chapter of exploration and education, a group of passionate individuals proudly emerges as the newest graduates of the Virginia Master Naturalists program. These dedicated individuals have completed a rigorous training program, equipping themselves with the knowledge and…