Hello, VMN volunteers! We recently noticed our first common eastern firefly (Photinus pyralis) of the season–a sign of warmer weather. This is the familiar summertime species that flies in the characteristic “J” pattern close to the ground. Keep an eye out for it while you are relaxing on your front stoop reading the Bi-weekly email.
This email includes:
Better Impact Tidbits: Be Sure To Distinguish CE from Service
VMN volunteers spend time in two different ways: continuing education (CE) and volunteer service. Better Impact uses the same reporting method for both, so it is important that we distinguish between them when reporting hours. When reporting CE hours in Better Impact, always be sure to choose an activity that is under the Continuing Education category. In some chapters, there is just one CE activity to choose from in that category (usually called something like “VMN Continuing Education (unscheduled general activity)”. In other chapters, there are many specific Continuing Education activities listed, and you should choose the one that fits the activity you did. Do not choose an activity under any category other than Continuing Education when reporting CE hours.
If you want to check to see how much CE versus volunteer service you have done, go to the Reports tab and scroll down to the Hours and Feedback Report. Put in the date range of interest, and you can produce a report to show your hours by category so that you can determine how many of your total hours are CE (all listed under the Continuing Education category) and how many are volunteer service (all the other categories combined.)
CE Opportunity: VMN Continuing Education Webinar for June
Join us for the next installment in the VMN CE Webinar series! As a reminder, you can always find information and the registration link for the next VMN CE Webinar and the recordings of past webinars on the CE Webinar page of our website.
Date/Time: Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 12:00-1:00 pm
Title: Why have clumps when you can have superclumps: What matters in achieving desired forest restoration outcomes
Description: Lessons learned and practical tips in 15+ years of restoring Virginia's forests. For more information on the mini-forest technique, check out this blog post by our presenter. This webinar is supported by the Urban and Community Forestry grant program from the US Forest Service and Virginia Department of Forestry.
Presenter: Meghan Noe Fellows has been a practicing restoration ecologist in diverse ecosystems such as salt marshes, sub-tropical glades and hammocks and mid-atlantic meadows and forests. The complexity of establishing forests that last and build captured her attention and led to developing the technique lovingly referred to as the "Superclump" (aka mini-forest or nucleation). Meghan is interested in how restoration can lead to a holistic uplift of ecosystem services, including both ecological and social benefits. She now works in southern Delaware, turning ag fields into future forests, one superclump at a time. When preservation and conservation can't get you there - who are you going to call? a restoration ecologist!
Registration: Pre-registration required
What’s Happening in Nature? Look Out for Two-horned Trapa!
Two-horned trapa (Trapa bispinosa), also known as two-horned water chestnut, is a floating, rooted invasive weed of lakes, ponds, and rivers. Large mats clog waterways, disrupt boating, fishing, and harm wildlife. This flyer has information on how to identify the species and where to report it if you should find it. VMNs are encouraged to share the flyer at tabling events, park kiosks (especially at parks with boat ramps), and other venues where you can get the word out. Currently for Virginia, two-horned trapa has gotten established mainly in the Potomac watershed (especially Fairfax, Prince William, and Fauquier counties) and also more recently in Charlotte County, near Cullen.
This email includes:
- Better Impact Tidbits: Be Sure to Distinguish CE from Service
- June VMN CE Webinar announcement
- Info on the invasive species two-horned trapa
Better Impact Tidbits: Be Sure To Distinguish CE from Service
VMN volunteers spend time in two different ways: continuing education (CE) and volunteer service. Better Impact uses the same reporting method for both, so it is important that we distinguish between them when reporting hours. When reporting CE hours in Better Impact, always be sure to choose an activity that is under the Continuing Education category. In some chapters, there is just one CE activity to choose from in that category (usually called something like “VMN Continuing Education (unscheduled general activity)”. In other chapters, there are many specific Continuing Education activities listed, and you should choose the one that fits the activity you did. Do not choose an activity under any category other than Continuing Education when reporting CE hours.
If you want to check to see how much CE versus volunteer service you have done, go to the Reports tab and scroll down to the Hours and Feedback Report. Put in the date range of interest, and you can produce a report to show your hours by category so that you can determine how many of your total hours are CE (all listed under the Continuing Education category) and how many are volunteer service (all the other categories combined.)
CE Opportunity: VMN Continuing Education Webinar for June
Join us for the next installment in the VMN CE Webinar series! As a reminder, you can always find information and the registration link for the next VMN CE Webinar and the recordings of past webinars on the CE Webinar page of our website.
Date/Time: Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 12:00-1:00 pm
Title: Why have clumps when you can have superclumps: What matters in achieving desired forest restoration outcomes
Description: Lessons learned and practical tips in 15+ years of restoring Virginia's forests. For more information on the mini-forest technique, check out this blog post by our presenter. This webinar is supported by the Urban and Community Forestry grant program from the US Forest Service and Virginia Department of Forestry.
Presenter: Meghan Noe Fellows has been a practicing restoration ecologist in diverse ecosystems such as salt marshes, sub-tropical glades and hammocks and mid-atlantic meadows and forests. The complexity of establishing forests that last and build captured her attention and led to developing the technique lovingly referred to as the "Superclump" (aka mini-forest or nucleation). Meghan is interested in how restoration can lead to a holistic uplift of ecosystem services, including both ecological and social benefits. She now works in southern Delaware, turning ag fields into future forests, one superclump at a time. When preservation and conservation can't get you there - who are you going to call? a restoration ecologist!
Registration: Pre-registration required
What’s Happening in Nature? Look Out for Two-horned Trapa!
Two-horned trapa (Trapa bispinosa), also known as two-horned water chestnut, is a floating, rooted invasive weed of lakes, ponds, and rivers. Large mats clog waterways, disrupt boating, fishing, and harm wildlife. This flyer has information on how to identify the species and where to report it if you should find it. VMNs are encouraged to share the flyer at tabling events, park kiosks (especially at parks with boat ramps), and other venues where you can get the word out. Currently for Virginia, two-horned trapa has gotten established mainly in the Potomac watershed (especially Fairfax, Prince William, and Fauquier counties) and also more recently in Charlotte County, near Cullen.
Invasive two-horned trapa removal. Photo by Ron Grimes, VMN Fairfax Chapter.
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