How do I become a master naturalist?
To become a master naturalist, you must complete the required training course including 40 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of field trips.
To be certified annually, you must complete 8 hours of advanced learning through approved continuing education opportunities and 40 hours of volunteering in the projects of your choice.
What do Headwaters master naturalists do?
Master naturalists contribute time in different ways, including education and outreach, science activities (such as data collection or monitoring), stewardship (such as invasive plant removal and habitat restoration), and chapter leadership.
All volunteer time must be dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources within the local community, and must be for public benefit rather than personal gain. Projects can be one-time or ongoing, and can be completed independently or as a part of a team. All projects must be approved by the chapter, and new projects can be submitted for approval at any time.
Continuing education hours allow master naturalists to advance their skills and knowledge in specific topics that interest them and relate to the work they wish to do. CE hours must also be approved, but there’s a wide range of opportunities to complete this requirement, and hours can be met through webinars or in-person presentations.
Some of our current projects include:
Photo by Andrea Dono.
- James Madison University Campus Tree Data and Inventory
- Invasive plant removal and native habitat restoration at Natural Chimneys Park
- Tracking the migration of Northern Saw-Whet owls
- Monitoring local stream health through benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring
- Annual Christmas and Great Backyard Bird Counts
- Living With Black Bears in Virginia outreach with the Department of Wildlife Resources
- Native nut collection for injured wildlife and for Augusta Forestry Center, the Virginia Department of Forestry nursery in Crimora
- Staffing community compost drop-offs in Harrisonburg and Staunton
- Assisting with trail maintenance and habitat restoration at Lake Shenandoah, Bessie Weller Elementary School, and more
- Educational outreach at community events and assisting with school programming
- Bumble Bee Watch
- Tree and shrub planting to create riparian buffers
- Removal of litter from streams and public lands
- Assisting in chapter development through activity on the board and various committees
A few past projects include:
- Adoption of a Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail loop site and seasonally monitoring it
- Assisting in our annual spring Shenandoah Mountain Wildflower Walks for the public
- eMammal Camera Trapping project with the Smithsonian Institution
- Creating and installing Pollinator Waystations in the valley
A sampling of past continuing education opportunities includes:
- Grand Caverns tours
- Mushroom walks at the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at JMU and the George Washington National Forest
- Lesesne State Forest Tour about Saving the American Chestnut
- Quarry Gardens tour
- presentation about Wildlife Corridors in Virginia
- Peregrine Falcon population restoration program at Shenandoah National Park
- forest management at the McCormick Farm
- evening herp “hunting” at Hone Quarry
- tours of the Black Bear Composting facility in Crimora
- night sky observations
- Science Talks at Wayne Theatre and other local venues
Virginia Master Naturalists Headwaters Chapter 