Sandy Greene, along with committee help from Anna Maria Johnson and Cindy Westley, developed our new display featuring birds and caterpillars relaying a message about the importance of native plants to sustain our wildlife diversity. The beautiful photography was generously contributed by Diane Lepkowski and Steven David Johnson.Photo by Carl Droms.
Harrisonburg’s Blacks Run Cleanup Green Scene, April 15
Chris Bowlen, Art Fovargue, Carl Droms, Peggy Plass and Jim Johnson by the HMN table at Harrisonburg’s Blacks Run Cleanup Green Scene, April 15, 2023. Photo by Adrie Voors.
Earth Day Staunton, April 22
On left, Sarah Foster, Cohort VIII, hosts our table at Earth Day Staunton on April 22. On right, Rob Beaton, Cohort VIII, and Ann Murray, Cohort II.
Lots of visitors on a rainy day, for a native plants theme. Other volunteers: Gretchen Achenbach, John Bauman, Peggy Plass. Other HMN’s were hosting all over the gym at other agencies and organizations. Busy and fun!
Sandy Greene, Cohort I
Waynesboro’s Riverfest, April 29
From left, Eunice Sill, Cohort VIII; John Bauman, Cohort VI; Rob Beaton, Cohort VIII; Cindy Westley, transfer member; and Ann Murray, Cohort II, at Riverfest 2023.Photo courtesy of Cindy.
… Riverfest … was a very well attended event and a beautiful day. Sandy’s beautiful display attracted many people who had a wide variety of experience with nature. So many people had stories to tell and pictures to share. It was great to introduce folks to iNaturalist app and Homegrown National Park. I was so impressed with the school children – some from as far as Hampton – and their understanding of the importance of pollinators. I think enough people took info about being a Master Naturalist to fill another program. Having current students talk about the program was impactful. Everyone (including us) learned new things. I was also pleased with the interest in bluebirds – a future CE program! It was great to be next to the Native Plant table, a symbiotic relationship and huge draw.
… Hooray for Sandy who really knows her stuff and generously shares her expertise.
Cindy Westley, HMN Outreach Committee
From left,Elaine Smith, Cohort IV, with Lyn Holt and Bekah Mongold, both of Cohort VIII, helping with our outreach table at Riverfest 2023.Photo by Cindy Westley.
There is a new pollinator garden in town,and it is starting to bloom!
Four Headwaters Master Naturalists are members of the small team at Trinity Presbyterian Church who installed the garden, located on the church campus at 725 South High Street, Harrisonburg. The new pollinator garden is located near the church playground. It is also near compost bins assisted by HMNs Adrie Voors, Cohort II, and Art Fovargue, Cohort VII. In the same way that all neighborhood children are welcome at the community playground, all pollinators are welcome in the garden!
Master Naturalists Frances Sale, Andy Sale, Malcolm Cameron, and Stephanie Gardner are among the team who began planning the garden in early 2021. Virginia Master Gardener Kathy Gillette, Elly Swecker, Mark Facknitz, and Marcia “Marty” Brown are also dedicated team members.
We met via Zoom for several weeks to plan the garden, which was made possible by funds from an environmental bequest. The Natural Garden, Inc. of Harrisonburg and Elly Swecker also donated some plants.
During planning, the team focused on how to create a manageable garden that would provide nectar and shelter for native pollinators at least three seasons of the year. We decided to upcycle an older framed garden bed behind the church playground. Andy Sale and Malcolm Cameron did the carpentry work, making a beautiful new addition to the previously unused bed. We put down landscaping canvas, cardboard, compost, river bottom soil, and mulch. In early May, we planted!
Among the native plants in the Trinity pollinator garden are Calico Aster, Sweet Goldenrod, Whorled Milkweed, Wild Quinine, Nodding Onion, Blue False Indigo, and Pale Beardtongue. The beardtongue was the first to bloom. All plantings established well, except for the asters, which fell victim to hungry rabbits and will be replaced.
I have been doing a monthly One Minute for Earth video for Earth Day Every Day of Harrisonburg, VA. The videos are shared on social media, and we will later make a compilation of them to document the progression of the garden. These outreach videos may also inspire others to start planting and creating habitats for wildlife.
The Trinity congregation has proved very interested in their new pollinator garden. It was recently incorporated as a station on a campus wide meditative walk. Our garden team has been busy educating the congregation on the benefits of a pollinator habitat and how members can help local pollinators within their own backyards.
We hope that the new garden will become one of a network of faith-based pollinator gardens, providing much needed habitat and food for our declining native pollinators. The garden also adds beauty to the neighborhood. It will give the community an opportunity to watch nature in a suburban environment. We are ready to see our new bee, butterfly, moth, wasp, ant, and bird neighbors move in!
– Stephanie Gardner, HMN, June 2021
Photos by Stephanie.The purple flower in bloom is wild bergamot/ bee balm, and the yellow flower is tickseed coreopsis. Those two plants were a special donation to the garden and were the only two plants used that were not purchased or donated by The Natural Garden.The photo on the right, below, is ofwhorled milkweed.Click on any of the photos below to enlarge it and start a “slide show.”
Jay leading HMN Wildflower Walks at North River Gorge. Photo by Lynn Cameron.
I am very sad to share the news that Headwaters has lost a faithful friend. Many of us have wonderful memories of Jay and know that he was one of a kind. I hope that he is walking flower-lined pathways now, free from pain and struggling.
– Elaine Smith
HMN bids farewell to a longtime friend and inspiration. Jay Shaner probably knew wildflowers in the Blue Ridge-Allegheny region of Virginia and West Virginia better than anyone else. Not only could he identify flowers and other native plants, but he knew where they grew and exactly when they bloomed. He had a special love for shale barren plants and the many varieties of trilliums, though he appreciated all wildflowers, even the ones that are not as glamorous.
Jay led HMN Wildflower Walks since they began in 2014. HMN leaders would always go with Jay to check out the wildflowers a few days ahead. Jay would say, “We are going to find the flowers and identify them and then move on. We are not going to conduct a service over each one.”
Jay’s career was in timber procurement, which gave him an opportunity to drive all over Virginia and West Virginia. Perhaps this is how he developed his extensive knowledge. He could spot and identify a wildflower while driving down the road at 60 miles per hour. He took many of us to see shale barrens and led a special shale barren field trip to Allegheny, Bath, Augusta, and Botetourt counties for HMN in 2019.
Jay also had a special love for the annual Webster County Nature Tour at Camp Caesar in WV. He led a wildflower walk at the gathering every year for decades and thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of kindred spirits.
Jay contributed to the Flora of Virginia since he knew locations for some of the rare flowers. Many of us would call on Jay if we had questions about wildflowers. He was the authority. It was often said that you should not argue with Jay because he was always right. We learned all we could from Jay, but his vast amount of knowledge is truly irreplaceable.
Photo: 1st place in Virginia Master Naturalists in Action: “Naturalist Stream Monitoring Training” by Dianna Bridges (VMN-New River Valley Chapter)
This year was the seventh Virginia Master Naturalist photo contest, with categories for “Virginia Native Flora & Fungi,” “Virginia Native Wildlife,” “Virginia Native Landscapes,” “Virginia Native Macro and Night Photography,” and “Virginia Master Naturalists in Action.” We received approximately 100 entries from 21 different VMN chapters across the state. Each chapter could submit only one photo per category, and chapters were allowed to design their own processes for choosing which photos to send. Many chapters hold their own internal photo contest, often having members vote to choose the submissions.
The 2019 contest was coordinated by Debbie Pugh, a member of the VMN-Headwaters Chapter, a talented photographer herself, and an organizational genius! Great job, Debbie!
The contest winners were announced on September 20, 2019, at our statewide conference. Winners earned lovely certificates as well as bragging rights and the opportunity for many more folks to see their fantastic photos. We congratulate them and all the participants. A slide show of all the entries was enjoyed by all the conference attendees.
I wanted to update you on the Underground Classroom progress and follow up on the volunteer program! The Underground Classroom has been off to a great start and we are starting to get more and more event signups. With more events comes the need for more volunteers. Everyone loves the trailer so there is a need for more volunteers! Here are the upcoming events so far:
10/24: Hugh G. Cassell Elementary School. Gifted and Talented After School Program 3rd-5th Graders 3:30-4:30 pm
10/27: Farming in the Valley Fall Festival @ Creative Works Farm. 12-5 pm
11/1: Guy K. Stump Elementary School. Classroom Visits (TBD)
11/2: Guy K. Stump Elementary School. Nature Trail Work Day 8 am-3 pm
11/7: Skyline Middle School in Harrisonburg 7th Grade STEM. 8 am-3 pm
12/19: William Perry Enrichment Group 8:25-10:25 am
Transportation can be provided to volunteers if they are staying the entirety of the event. If they cannot volunteer throughout the event (which is fine), they would need to provide their own transportation. More information and volunteer applications are on our website http://headwatersswcd.org/underground-classroom/.
Photo: from Headwaters SWCD
Inside the Underground Classroom.
Photo: from Headwaters SWCD
A close-up of the wall inside the Underground Classroom.
By Kayla Mathews, Operations Assistant
Headwaters SWCD
70 Dick Huff Lane
Verona, VA 24482
Photo: from Headwaters SWCD
