Hello, VMNs. Happy Holidays! We hope everyone enjoys the holiday season in their own unique way with their own unique traditions. If you find yourself between holiday activities with nothing fun to do, try catching up on the VMN Bi-weekly emails.
This email includes:
VMN State Office closure dates for Winter Break
As the VMN Program is under the Virginia Tech (VT) umbrella, we observe the VT Winter Break. This means that the VMN State Office will be closed from December 21, 2023 - January 1, 2024. So, this is the last Bi-weekly Email for 2024 and we will resume communications on January 7, 2025.
Re-enrollment for 2025
We are currently in our Re-enrollment Period for 2025. Please make sure to look for the email from the VMN State Office that was sent out on December 2 with instructions. So far, 1,092 out of 3,479 VMNs have completed Re-enrollment. Let’s get that total higher before the holidays! Then it’s one less thing for you to do in January.
If you can’t find your email with instructions or need a paper form, please email Tiffany at [email protected].
Open Enrollment Period for the VMN Educators Bureau
Each year in June and December, we open the opportunity for additional volunteers to sign up for our VMN Educators Bureau. If you are willing and able to teach others, please read on and sign up!
The VMN Educators Bureau is an up-to-date listing of VMN volunteers willing to teach other VMNs, give presentations for community groups, lead nature walks, lead environmental education activities for youth, or do any other form of education related to natural resources. Our goal is to increase VMN engagement in Education & Outreach, help our program reach new audiences, and help us respond better to requests for presenters.
Want to join the Educators Bureau for the first time? If you are a VMN interested and willing to teach others and lead educational programs of any kind on natural resource topics and if you are not already signed up, we invite you to complete our Educators Bureau form between now and January 2. By completing the form, you aren't committing to any specific opportunity at this point but simply indicating your willingness to be contacted if an opportunity arises that fits your particular profile. On the form, we provide more details on how your information will be used and how you can update your information later.
URL for form for NEW signups: https://forms.gle/TaoMGL8FC9CwMDx76
Already signed up for the Educators Bureau? VMN volunteers who signed up for the Educators Bureau in the past should not use the link for new people, as that will result in your being listed twice. If you are already in the database, you instead should have received an email last week with a personalized link to view and edit your own existing listing. If you did not receive the email, first check your Spam/Junk folder. If it isn’t there, you can contact [email protected] to get the information and individualized link that you need.
Kudos to all our Educators Bureau members, new and seasoned! We have been able to fill a wide diversity of presenter requests, thanks to you! Our next ‘open enrollment period’ for the Educators Bureau will be in June.
Donating to Support the VMN Program
Our program benefits from financial gifts, both large and small, from volunteers and others who want to support what we do. We thank the hundreds of individuals and chapters who have contributed to the Virginia Tech Foundation this year in support of the VMN program! Gifts of all amounts have helped us provide mini-grants for chapters, volunteer recognition items, needed program staffing, and more. If you want to incorporate the VMN program into your year-end giving plans, please see the directions at http://www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/give.html and this information from the Virginia Tech Foundation about year-end giving logistics.
Also, mark your calendar now for Giving Day 2025, which will take place from noon on February 19 until noon on February 20. Giving Day is a celebration of philanthropy at Virginia Tech (including the Virginia Master Naturalist program), and it has been a great way to promote Virginia Master Naturalists in past years. More details to come in January!
Being a VMN - Transfers between chapters
As many VMNs know, it is possible for a VMN to transfer between chapters if they move to a new area of the state. Volunteers should keep this in mind if they have plans to relocate in the near future. However, volunteers should also keep in mind that beginning in 2025, the State Office will suspend transfers during the month of January. During that time, the State Office is running End-of-Year Reports and putting together packages of recognition items to send to chapters. It is just a bit too much to try and keep track of transfers in addition to those activities. Transfer requests and processing will pick back up in February.
Continuing Education Opportunities
VMN CE Webinar Series: VMN 20th Anniversary Kickoff
Save the Date: Our first VMN Continuing Education webinar in our 2025 series will take place Thursday, January 23, 12:00-1:00 pm. It also will be the kickoff of our year-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of the VMN program! Michelle will be sharing information on our anniversary plans, including a statewide volunteer service theme and associated new volunteer service opportunities. We’ll share the signup link and other details in our first bi-weekly newsletter of 2025.
CE Opportunity: 2025 Landowner Woods & Wildlife Conferences
Join landowners, natural resource professionals, and other outdoor lovers for day-long tours that explore a variety of sustainable forestry and wildlife management practices. Tours visit private, public, and industry-owned lands.
This email includes:
- VMN State Office closure dates for Winter Break
- Re-enrollment for 2025
- VMN Educators Bureau - open enrollment period
- Donating to Support the VMN Program
- Being a VMN - Transfers between chapters (reminder)
- Continuing Education Opportunities
VMN State Office closure dates for Winter Break
As the VMN Program is under the Virginia Tech (VT) umbrella, we observe the VT Winter Break. This means that the VMN State Office will be closed from December 21, 2023 - January 1, 2024. So, this is the last Bi-weekly Email for 2024 and we will resume communications on January 7, 2025.
Re-enrollment for 2025
We are currently in our Re-enrollment Period for 2025. Please make sure to look for the email from the VMN State Office that was sent out on December 2 with instructions. So far, 1,092 out of 3,479 VMNs have completed Re-enrollment. Let’s get that total higher before the holidays! Then it’s one less thing for you to do in January.
If you can’t find your email with instructions or need a paper form, please email Tiffany at [email protected].
Open Enrollment Period for the VMN Educators Bureau
Each year in June and December, we open the opportunity for additional volunteers to sign up for our VMN Educators Bureau. If you are willing and able to teach others, please read on and sign up!
The VMN Educators Bureau is an up-to-date listing of VMN volunteers willing to teach other VMNs, give presentations for community groups, lead nature walks, lead environmental education activities for youth, or do any other form of education related to natural resources. Our goal is to increase VMN engagement in Education & Outreach, help our program reach new audiences, and help us respond better to requests for presenters.
Want to join the Educators Bureau for the first time? If you are a VMN interested and willing to teach others and lead educational programs of any kind on natural resource topics and if you are not already signed up, we invite you to complete our Educators Bureau form between now and January 2. By completing the form, you aren't committing to any specific opportunity at this point but simply indicating your willingness to be contacted if an opportunity arises that fits your particular profile. On the form, we provide more details on how your information will be used and how you can update your information later.
URL for form for NEW signups: https://forms.gle/TaoMGL8FC9CwMDx76
Already signed up for the Educators Bureau? VMN volunteers who signed up for the Educators Bureau in the past should not use the link for new people, as that will result in your being listed twice. If you are already in the database, you instead should have received an email last week with a personalized link to view and edit your own existing listing. If you did not receive the email, first check your Spam/Junk folder. If it isn’t there, you can contact [email protected] to get the information and individualized link that you need.
Kudos to all our Educators Bureau members, new and seasoned! We have been able to fill a wide diversity of presenter requests, thanks to you! Our next ‘open enrollment period’ for the Educators Bureau will be in June.
Donating to Support the VMN Program
Our program benefits from financial gifts, both large and small, from volunteers and others who want to support what we do. We thank the hundreds of individuals and chapters who have contributed to the Virginia Tech Foundation this year in support of the VMN program! Gifts of all amounts have helped us provide mini-grants for chapters, volunteer recognition items, needed program staffing, and more. If you want to incorporate the VMN program into your year-end giving plans, please see the directions at http://www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/give.html and this information from the Virginia Tech Foundation about year-end giving logistics.
Also, mark your calendar now for Giving Day 2025, which will take place from noon on February 19 until noon on February 20. Giving Day is a celebration of philanthropy at Virginia Tech (including the Virginia Master Naturalist program), and it has been a great way to promote Virginia Master Naturalists in past years. More details to come in January!
Being a VMN - Transfers between chapters
As many VMNs know, it is possible for a VMN to transfer between chapters if they move to a new area of the state. Volunteers should keep this in mind if they have plans to relocate in the near future. However, volunteers should also keep in mind that beginning in 2025, the State Office will suspend transfers during the month of January. During that time, the State Office is running End-of-Year Reports and putting together packages of recognition items to send to chapters. It is just a bit too much to try and keep track of transfers in addition to those activities. Transfer requests and processing will pick back up in February.
Continuing Education Opportunities
VMN CE Webinar Series: VMN 20th Anniversary Kickoff
Save the Date: Our first VMN Continuing Education webinar in our 2025 series will take place Thursday, January 23, 12:00-1:00 pm. It also will be the kickoff of our year-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of the VMN program! Michelle will be sharing information on our anniversary plans, including a statewide volunteer service theme and associated new volunteer service opportunities. We’ll share the signup link and other details in our first bi-weekly newsletter of 2025.
CE Opportunity: 2025 Landowner Woods & Wildlife Conferences
Join landowners, natural resource professionals, and other outdoor lovers for day-long tours that explore a variety of sustainable forestry and wildlife management practices. Tours visit private, public, and industry-owned lands.
- February 22 (same date, two different locations)
- Before January 7 - $50/person; $90/couple
- January 7 and later - $55/person; $100/couple
- Squires Student Center, Virginia Tech, Southwest Virginia - Blacksburg
- Daniel Technology Center, Germanna Community College, Northern Virginia - Culpeper
- More info on the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program site
- Online registration is open!
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