Virginia Master Naturalists Headwaters Chapter

Chapter happenings

  • Second Annual Meeting of Headwaters Master Naturalists

    by Gretchen Achenbach   November 15, 2014      … from the Annual Meeting Minutes

    photos by Tom Long unless otherwise credited

    hmn annual meeting 2Date Meeting Held:  November 2, 2013  2:30pm to 8:00pm

    Program Coordinator: Penny Warren.

    Venue: Buck Hill Farm, in Mt. Solon, has a wonderful big fireplace, warm meeting room and bathrooms, and a giant kitchen with plenty of space to heat up or cool down food for the potluck.

    Advanced Education: Hike or Salve-Making: Chip Brown and Sandy Greene led a hike on interpretive hikes. Chip had us testing our powers of observation as we searched through the fallen leaves for a hidden pencil and looked for signs of winter, and Sandy taught some “pocket tricks” that can be used to create interest. Sandy brought hazelnuts and persimmon for tasting, and a sprig of witch hazel shrub with its winter blooming flowers and witch’s hat galls.

    Witch Hazel
    fall blooming Witch-hazel, photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
    Witch-hazel aphid gall cones, photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
    Witch-hazel aphid gall cones, photo credit: Wikimedia Commons



    Advanced Education:  Stokesville Observatory and Starry, Starry Night program: Due to impending clouds, the planned trip to the Stokesville observatory was cancelled. Instead, Chip Brown gave an introduction to astronomy and star viewing techniques, after which we went outside and located the Summer Triangle and its associated constellations of Cygnus, Lyra, and Aquila, as well as several other constellations.

    hmn annual meeting 3Raffle: Tom Long led the  50/50 raffle. Tickets were $1 each (or 6 for $5.00),where the winner gets 50% of the pot and the rest of the money goes to the 2013 Focus Project. The winner was Ann Murray, who generously donated her winnings back to the Focus Project, for a total of $101. Tickets were also drawn to award several wildlife calendars brought by Paul Bugas.

    hmn annual meeting 1Environmental Book Sale: Books donated by members were sold to raise money for the chapter. Judy Tammi supervised the sale, which raised $47.

    Socializing: Members socialized in front of the fire while dining on many wonderful hot dishes and stews, salad, breads, and desserts.

    Summer_triangle_map
    The Summer Triangle is defined by the bright stars Altair, Deneb, and Vega in the three constellations of Aquila, Cygnus, and Lyra, respectively.

    Business Meeting: President Sophia Cliffe conducted a business meeting between the two educational programs which included:

    • Sandy Greene’s presentation of Kate Guenther’s power point report on our 2013-2014 focus project to create a certified wildlife garden at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.
    • Presentation of certificates to those members recently achieving Certified Master Naturalist status.
    • A vote on new board members and bylaw changes.
    • Reports from several board members.

  • Wildflower Tournament 2014

    by Sandy Greene

    spring wildflowersShenandoah Mountain stretches across Augusta and Rockingham Counties in the George Washington/Jefferson National Forest (North River Ranger District). It is a biodiversity treasure, with native forestland for native species habitat, recreation, hunting, fishing and clean water. The Shenandoah Mountain complex includes the largest roadless area east of the Mississippi (Little River roadless area), one of Virginia’s highest elevations (Reddish Knob at 4,397′) and over 170 miles of trails. This is the literal “backyard” of the Headwaters Master Naturalists, and citizens of the counties we serve. It is important to know and appreciate the rich natural heritage we live beside, and depend upon.

    Last year's planned Wildflower Tournament was cancelled due to thunderstorms. This year's is sure to offer more perfect weather!
    Last year’s planned Wildflower Tournament was cancelled due to thunderstorms. This year’s is sure to offer more perfect weather!

    To this end, multiple guided hikes are tentatively planned for Saturday, May 10th, 2014, for anyone willing to come out. The focus of the walks will be on the diverse, abundant wildflowers expected to be adorning the trails this time of year.

    The “tournament” aspect is by photography. Who can “photobag” the most species blooming that day, as a measure of the biodiversity of Shenandoah Mountain? A web-based slide show will highlight each trail’s finds.

    Master Naturalists and those in training will work together with Friends of Shenandoah Mountain and the Virginia Native Plant Society (Shenandoah Chapter), as well as the US Forest Service, North River District, to plan/host four accessible/rich wildflower hikes on the Shenandoah Mountain trail complex over the day. The schedule and trailhead locations will be publicized locally, and will be open to the public. Teams of Master Naturalists in training, a Master Naturalist or at least one wildflower “expert” will accompany and guide each group. These volunteers will follow all Master Naturalist guidelines, and be reasonably prepared with safety procedures and first aid/communications devices.

  • Micro-Habitat Demo Garden Chapter Focus Project

    Ann, Judy and Eleanor clean out the roots of the old invasive non-native Leatherleaf mahonia at the project Kick Off!
    Ann, Judy and Eleanor clean out the roots of the old invasive non-native Leatherleaf mahonia at the Kick Off!

    Hi Headwaters members!

    I am pleased to announce that the chapter has chosen a volunteer project to be a central focus for our whole chapter in the next 12 months. How did we select a focus project? We chose from projects that would utilize a broad array of member skills and interests that could complete a discreet project in 12 months.

    Our hope is that every member will consider how she or he can get involved in some way to help the chapter achieve this goal. Even if you just help a wee little bit. And there are some nice juicy sub-projects for those of you who can help out more.

    This year’s project is going to be creating and installing a Micro-Habitat Demonstration Garden at the front entrance of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, in Waynesboro VA. Please see this flyer about the project and hold the work dates in your calender. We’ll be starting in October! For those of you who cannot attend these dates– there are other ways to get involved. I’ll be sharing that in the near future.

    I look forward to working, learning and having fun with you all in the upcoming year.

    Kate Guenther, September 9, 2013

    focus project ppt
    Click on this image to launch Kate’s excellent Powerpoint Presentation about the Wildlife Project.

    are you sold
    Contact Kate, goatherderkate[at]yahoo.com to join up! She will find a way for you to contribute.
    More about this Project:

    A diverse range of citizens bring over 2500 injured animals through the front doors of the Center every year. This entrance garden will demonstrate some ideas for native gardens for wild-life and wildlife foods people can integrate into their habitats at home. There may also be the possibility of working with the Center to install a sustainable grove of seedlings to be harvested for fawn and bear browse. Other possibilities include a shrub screen to isolate the bears from walking paths, and bank stabilization planting to manage runoff. The full scope of possibilities for involvement are still being developed.

    Sandy works with the Pond team in the back, while Betty (center) helps discuss possible guild plantings
    Sandy works with the Pond team in the back, while Betty (center) helps discuss possible guild plantings

    Once we dig around and see the quality of soil, sun and water this November, we will then form teams to plan the following possible garden elements:

    •  a water feature
    •  a wildlife food guild
    •  a raised bed wildlife food plot
    •  an animal or bird nest box

    Raccoon nest box plans here: http://www.helpingwildlife.org/images/raccoonnestbox.pdf

    flying squirrel nesting boxFlying squirrel nesting box for use by a mother and her young, and aggregate box for use by a group of flying squirrels in the winter are both here: http://www.flyingsquirrels.com/boxplans.html

    Who Benefits?

    • Wild Patients at the Center will get a few additional wild crops added to their diets—true com-fort foods for those far from home.
    • Volunteers will benefit from brain and body exercise and learn some permaculture and water element techniques, while learning about the flora that our local fauna eat.
    • The Wildlife Center will benefit from having a beautiful native garden that is a certified wildlife habitat!
    • The Public will have another local tool to learn about eco-friendly gardening practices.

    Project Work Dates:

    • Saturday, October 19, 2013 (Rain date is Oct. 26) 9am-3pm. The Kick Off! Clean out and prep the bed in morning, work on designing the garden after lunch.
    • Thursday, February 13, 2014 (Rain dates Feb. 20 and 21) 9am-afternoon or any part thereof. Pond digging and Raised Bed installation. Bring a shovel, work gloves and a lunch. POSTPONED to Thursday, February 20 due to winter storm. UPDATE: Due to the snow, the garden bed is not quite ready to be worked this Thursday, Feb. 20. It is still buried under a foot of snow.
    • Thursday Feb. 27th, 9 am until after lunch sometime and bring a sack lunch. — new date. Please bring shovels, gloves for digging the pond, building the raised bed out of stone.
    • Thursday March 6, 9 am until after lunch sometime and bring a sack lunch. — new date. Please bring shovels, gloves for digging the pond, building the raised bed out of stone. CANCELLED due to ground conditions from recent winter storm.
    • Saturday, March 8, 2014 (Rain/snow date is March 15) 9 am- noonish. Install nest boxes, and signs. Work on water feature. Lunch provided.
    • Saturday, August 16, 2014 Rain or Shine! 12pm-4pm. Celebration, Advanced Training and Ribbon-Cutting! We will come together to celebrate our achievements and get some advanced training in a topic related to wildlife foods and how to take the knowledge of a Wildlife Federation Garden habitat home.

    For more info, contact: Kate Guenther goatherderkate [at] yahoo.com or 540-350-2824 Directions: The Wildlife Center of Virginia, 1800 South Delphine Ave., Waynesboro: Take Interstate 64 to the base of Afton Mountain in Waynesboro. Get off at Exit 96, the Lyndhurst exit. At the end of the exit ramp, turn south towards Lyndhurst/Sherando. The Center is ½ mile down that road on your left hand side, in the woods. 540-942-9453  www.wildlifecenter.org

    wildlife center prefocusproject
    Wildlife Center of Virginia in need of a wildlife garden!

  • A Day at the Grand Caverns

    by RoxAnna Theiss   … on HMN day of advanced training opportunities on Wednesday, August 21, 2013

    River walk at Grand CavernsIt was a great day almost glitch free except RoxAnna couldn’t find where she put the pitchers for making tea and lemonade and had to go buy plastic at the local dollar store.  Of course, as soon as she did that she found the missing pitchers.

    Sandy led a fantastic Riverwalk and got everybody back in plenty of time for the cavern tour.  The Grand Caverns’ staff was wonderful: accommodating and supportive at every turn.  Members and family of members who came appreciated the tour.  Judy brought husband Leo, Teresa brought daughter Serena; Sue brought husband Mark and RoxAnna’s husband Bill rode in on his Honda Magnum just in time for chow down.  Kate stayed a bit after the Riverwalk to work with Adrie, Dwayne and Pat on identification and keying skills.  Ann Cline found cicada killers in the lawn (thanks to Dwayne we all now know what they look like and what they do) and took some great photos of them.  As he always does, Caverns tourTom Long took some photos of the cavern tour and while that was in progress Pat and Dwayne helped RoxAnna set up for the return of the Cave Crawlers and the evening Pot Luck.  Paul Bugas came by and was put to work at the Grill.  He was a wonderful Grill Master even though the coals were not cooperating.  We will have to remember to start the coals sooner next time.  Dwayne put together the flower arrangements for each table while RoxAnna mixed the teas and fresh squeezed lemonade and Pat finished the bulk of the food prep just in time for the return of the rest of the group.  Everyone enjoyed the beverages and Jerry’s chips and dip while Paul crooned to the charcoal to get them hot.

    After some additional food prep by members who had been on the cave tour, all was ready and we dug in to some wonderful dishes and sat down to socialize and get to know each other better.  Ann Cline took some photos of the group at chow down and all seemed to enjoy the meal and each other.  Stephanie brought some beautiful heirloom tomatoes.  Teresa experimented on the group with a new dessert combo.  RoxAnna focused on Dwayne’s cookies – who tried the other desserts?  Those who finished first (thank you Chip, Rob and Carl) lent a hand to set up the presentation support.  Sandy and Gretchen were the first to receive the new Headwaters appreciation gifts: 2014 Gatewood Calendars made especially for the Chapter by our own Betty Gatewood.  Everybody signed the calendars and the Fall Wildflower book given to RoxAnna –sometimes signing Gretchen’s calendar for Sandy and Sandy’s calendar for Gretchen – so it was a very memorable effort.

    Just as Gretchen was about to start her presentation on bats Mother Nature made her entrance and about half way through a very close (if not direct) lightening strike postponed the talk for about fifteen or twenty minutes until the bulk of the storm passed.  Gretchen finished her excellent presentation while Judy and Ann Murray took copious notes and we had lively Q&A session before cleanup and pack up.

    Some of our new trainees have already been mentioned but we thank them for joining us for the day and/or evening.  Bob Forrest came with wife Betty (one of our Charter members) and did a book review on the spot for a potential training text.  Kendal Swartzentruber (I did that without looking!), Ginny Hoffman, Sue Eckroth and Janet James (who became a prospective trainee that very night) graced us with their presence.  Thank you Sue and Ginny for helping lug the food support.

    Each and every person pitched in at some point during the day and the group team effort made the event a spectacular success.  But the clean up team were the best – smart enough to ignore RoxAnna’s claim that she could do it alone, they made it all happen as Bill packed up the Prius V while Janet and Gretchen packed up Gretchen’s van.  Sandy took home all the dishes and linen to be washed and Gretchen followed RoxAnna home with her loaded van.  We all loved every minute of it!

  • Lake Todd Campsite Cleanup

    by Tom Long  July 20, 2013  … on HMN volunteer project in the George Washington National Forest on Wednesday, July 17, 2013

    Todd Lake cleanup 1Undeterred by the muggy morning, Headwaters Master Naturalists – Ann Murray, RoxAnna Theiss, Rob Alexander, Dwayne and Pat Martin, Tom Long, and Gretchen Achenbach (joined by her husband, Ken) – tackled the persistent litter problem that seems to plague so many of our public lands. Working the stretch between Todd Lake and Camp Todd the group cleaned up over a dozen dispersed campsites and much of the roadside between them. Eight heavily laden contractor trash bags later we’d picked up cigarette butts, numerous bottles and cans, camp chairs, and even an improvised 5 gallon pail toilet. The Forest Service graciously gave us a fee waiver for use of the Todd Lake recreation area and, after the work was done, our trash team settled in for lunch at the Todd Lake picnic area. Many washed off the sweat with a cool – some would say cold – dip in the lake. As master naturalists the conversation often focused on trees, butterflies, flowers, and mushrooms we saw along the way. The George Washington National Forest is quite a treasure for hikers, bikers, campers, birders, and anyone interested in nature. Headwater Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists is pleased to be a small part in taking care of this special place.

    Todd Lake cleanup 2Todd Lake cleanup 3