Wildflowers of Virginia Shale Barrens Trip

April 22, Earth Day, with warm sunny weather, was an appropriate time for three Headwaters Master Naturalists and guests Mike Smith of the local PATC Chapter and Roger and Cynthia Barouti of Allegheny Highlands Master Naturalists to explore rare plants at four area shale barrens and a couple other locations. Jay Shaner, a well- known…

Spring Outing at Maple Flats Ponds

Sunday, March 10 turned out to be a beautiful, warm, spring-like day for 14 Headwaters Master Naturalists and five guests who enjoyed a very informative outing to Maple Flats Ponds near Sherando with James Madison University Instructor in Biology Billy Flint. Billy’s hope was that we would see at least 6 to 8 species of…

Northern Saw-whet Owl Banding at Highland Retreat

On Saturday, November 10th members of the HMN chapter participated in the Saw-whet Owl banding at Highland Retreat in western Rockingham county. Saw-whet Owls are migrating through our area this time of the year from their northern nesting grounds. Dr. Clair Mellinger, assisted by Charles Ziegenfus and HMN trainee Ben Spory, collected the birds and…

Herp Hike 2018

October 8 was a cool, foggy and breezy night on Reddish Knob when 10 Headwaters Master Naturalists and friends joined Billy Flint of James Madison University to look for and learn about terrestrial salamanders. The thick fog made driving up the narrow road tricky, but conditions were perfect for salamanders. The Cow Knob Salamander is…

Ribbit!

On the evening of Friday, May 4th a group of four Headwaters Master Naturalists and one guest journeyed to the Augusta Springs Wetlands Trail to try our ears at frog and toad call identification. Under the tutelage of HMN and Frogwatch Monitor Kate Guenther we listened to the recorded voices of the frogs and toads…