Recently, Headwaters Master Naturalists joined other volunteers to help the City of Harrisonburg plant over 50 trees. On Wednesday, October 24, Kathy McKenzie, Cohort V, planted trees around Thomas Harrison Middle School, and on Saturday, October 27, trees were planted along a small tributary at Heritage Forest and Gardens. A variety native species were planted,…
UPDATE: FOMR (Friends of the Middle River) has had to scrap our first set of dates for benthic monitoring at our 9 sites due to persistent flood conditions. We are uncertain as to when and if we will be able to do this volunteer activity this fall, but if we can, it will be ASAP…
“The Virginia Big Tree Program maintains a register of the 5 (now 3) largest specimens of over 300 native, non-native, and naturalized tree species. The register includes information about each tree’s size, location, and unique characteristics. Each tree must be re-certified every 10 years to maintain its status in the register.” – VA Big Tree…
Just after sunset on July 1, HMNs Peggy Plass and Emily Fugate met at Lake Shenandoah to kick off our latest project—Acoustic Bat Monitoring! Our chapter purchased a handheld bat monitor earlier this summer, and Sunday night marked the first time that it was used to collect data in the field. This spring, the state…
Despite the cool and dry conditions prior to the 2018 Shenandoah Mountain Wildflower Walks on April 28th, three groups of walkers found many species and had a great time in the woods of George Washington National Forest. Prescribed burns scheduled for the Hone Quarry area required us to consider alternative walks, but in the end…
It’s that time of year! The Headwaters Master Naturalists join the likes of the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at JMU, Wild Virginia, and the Shenandoah National Park in offering guided Wildflower Walks to the public. With just a short season for these ephemeral beauties, the more opportunities to get out to experience their magic, the…
Headwaters Master Naturalist Byron Hukee took advantage of a unique opportunity to help scientists further our knowledge of the endangered California Condor. Many thanks to him for sharing his experience here. My affinity for the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) began in 2008 after moving back to Utah when I retired from the US Air Force.…
