VMN Statewide Conference 2023

A few HMNs made it to this year’s VMN Annual Conference September 29- October 1, 2023. Thanks to Lincoln and Scott for sharing about their experiences! Advantages of the annual VMN conference are guided tours of some remarkable areas of our Commonwealth.  So it was in Abingdon. Highlights for us (P & L Gray) were…

Headwaters Master Naturalists Fall Meet-Up

Lunch, work and play at Natural Chimneys Park Saturday, October 14, started out a bit rainy, but by the time HMNs met at Natural Chimneys Park for a potluck and some volunteering, the sun was peeking out on the (not quite peak) Autumn foliage.  This outing was the 2nd seasonal “meet-up” for the chapter, designed…

Stargazing at Starry Meadows Farm, October 2023

HMNs enjoy a guided star tour with Zack Perdue On October 7, 2023, Zack Perdue led a stargazing party at Starry Meadows Farm in Linville. Seven Headwaters Master Naturalists attended, along with four guests. Our two hours together passed quickly; we ended our stargazing when the unaccustomed cold finally got to us!  We saw the…

Bat Watching in the Arboretum

Stellar turnout to learn about bats Peggy Plass, of the Headwaters MN Chapter, educated us on bats in general and on our local bats as we watched them coursing above the pond. Fun evening! Diane Lepkowski, Cohort VII, via Facebook On Friday, September 22, Headwaters Master Naturalists partnered with Bat Conservation and Rescue of Virginia…

New project: Staunton Tree Stewards

Staunton Tree Stewards took root (we’re here for all the puns) in 2020, when Shenandoah Green, a local environmental group, began the Staunton Legacy Tree Project. In three years, volunteers planted 3300 trees, and then began to transition to long-term care and management of those trees. Staunton Tree Stewards focuses on four areas within the…