Hello, VMN. We hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holidays. As we launch into the holiday season, you can check out the Bi-weekly emails in between shopping and baking. And don’t forget - Re-enrollment opens this Thursday!
This email includes:
Re-enrollment with VMN
The Re-enrollment Period for 2023 will open this Thursday, December 1, 2022. All VMNs who need to Re-enroll will receive an email from the VMN State Office giving them instructions on how to Re-enroll. The process should only take about 5-10 minutes.
If you would like more detailed information about Re-enrollment, you can read about it here.
Support VMN for Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday (today!) is a global day to encourage charitable giving. Consider making a gift today to the Virginia Tech Foundation to support VMN. Through December 2, if you give $15 or more, Virginia Tech will send you a VT hat or pair of socks.
Here’s all the info you need about the hat/sock promotion.
Here’s the site to make a gift if you want to be included in the hat/sock promotion. At that site, use the “Search for an area to support” function, type “Virginia Master Naturalist”, and our program should pop up for you to choose.
Don’t care about the hat or socks? Our standard giving information is always available on the VMN website. Gifts through that route will come through just fine, but you won’t get the hat or socks.
New VMN Logo
VMN is getting a new logo for the state program! The new logo is professionally designed with input from a focus group of VMN volunteers and sponsoring agencies. It will help us better match the Virginia Cooperative Extension brand (our lead sponsor) and the other Master Volunteer programs. We will start rolling out the new logo sometime in December, so watch for the big reveal and more information. FYI, you do not need to get rid of shirts, hats, bags, and other items that have the old logo. You can continue to use these items, but as they are used up, replacements should have the new logo.
Volunteer Opportunities
The annual Christmas Bird Count organized by the National Audubon Society runs December 14, 2022 to January 5, 2023. Information on how to find a count circle near you and how to sign up to participate is available on the Audubon website.
Continuing Education Opportunities - In-person
Winter Wildlife Festival
This in-person event runs January 28-February 5, 2023 in Virginia Beach and surrounding areas. Fees vary depending on what workshops and field trips you sign up for. Visit the Winter Wildlife Festival website for descriptions and registration.
Continuing Education Opportunities - Webinars
Regional, State, and Local Uses of Volunteer-collected data: Spotlight on the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative
Description: Across the country there are hundreds of water quality programs that involve members of the public in collecting data, but how are these data used? This webinar will highlight efforts by the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative (CMC) to facilitate data use efforts on the local, state, and regional scales to help assess progress on Bay cleanup efforts. CMC will explore the essential building blocks for a coordinated multi-state monitoring effort as well as case studies highlighting data use success stories and lessons learned.
Date/Time: Wednesday November 30, 2pm-3pm If you cannot attend but are interested in seeing the recording, please register.
Registration: Pre-registration required. This webinar is put on by the National Water Quality Monitoring Council’s Volunteer Monitoring Work Group, not the VMN program. If you have questions about the event, please contact their director Julie Vastine at vastine@dickinson.edu.
Stormwater and Plastic Pollution
Description: This free webinar will address urban trash pollution and will highlight strategies employed to intercept a piece of trash before it becomes part of the stormwater runoff and is conveyed to and through the storm sewer system. Hear from trusted experts from The International Trash Trap Network and Clean Virginia Waterways. You’ll have a chance to ask questions, share best practices from your locality, connect with colleagues across the region, and provide your insights on this important topic!
Date/Time: December 7, 2022, 1:00-2:30 pm
Registration: Pre-registration required. This webinar is put on by Clean Virginia Waterways, not the VMN program. If you have questions about the event, please contact Zach Huntington at huntingtonza@longwood.edu. The webinar will be recorded, and will later be on Clean Virginia Waterways' YouTube channel.
This email includes:
- Re-enrollment - Opens this week
- Giving Tuesday
- New VMN logo is coming
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Continuing Education Opportunities
Re-enrollment with VMN
The Re-enrollment Period for 2023 will open this Thursday, December 1, 2022. All VMNs who need to Re-enroll will receive an email from the VMN State Office giving them instructions on how to Re-enroll. The process should only take about 5-10 minutes.
If you would like more detailed information about Re-enrollment, you can read about it here.
Support VMN for Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday (today!) is a global day to encourage charitable giving. Consider making a gift today to the Virginia Tech Foundation to support VMN. Through December 2, if you give $15 or more, Virginia Tech will send you a VT hat or pair of socks.
Here’s all the info you need about the hat/sock promotion.
Here’s the site to make a gift if you want to be included in the hat/sock promotion. At that site, use the “Search for an area to support” function, type “Virginia Master Naturalist”, and our program should pop up for you to choose.
Don’t care about the hat or socks? Our standard giving information is always available on the VMN website. Gifts through that route will come through just fine, but you won’t get the hat or socks.
New VMN Logo
VMN is getting a new logo for the state program! The new logo is professionally designed with input from a focus group of VMN volunteers and sponsoring agencies. It will help us better match the Virginia Cooperative Extension brand (our lead sponsor) and the other Master Volunteer programs. We will start rolling out the new logo sometime in December, so watch for the big reveal and more information. FYI, you do not need to get rid of shirts, hats, bags, and other items that have the old logo. You can continue to use these items, but as they are used up, replacements should have the new logo.
Volunteer Opportunities
The annual Christmas Bird Count organized by the National Audubon Society runs December 14, 2022 to January 5, 2023. Information on how to find a count circle near you and how to sign up to participate is available on the Audubon website.
Continuing Education Opportunities - In-person
Winter Wildlife Festival
This in-person event runs January 28-February 5, 2023 in Virginia Beach and surrounding areas. Fees vary depending on what workshops and field trips you sign up for. Visit the Winter Wildlife Festival website for descriptions and registration.
Continuing Education Opportunities - Webinars
Regional, State, and Local Uses of Volunteer-collected data: Spotlight on the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative
Description: Across the country there are hundreds of water quality programs that involve members of the public in collecting data, but how are these data used? This webinar will highlight efforts by the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative (CMC) to facilitate data use efforts on the local, state, and regional scales to help assess progress on Bay cleanup efforts. CMC will explore the essential building blocks for a coordinated multi-state monitoring effort as well as case studies highlighting data use success stories and lessons learned.
Date/Time: Wednesday November 30, 2pm-3pm If you cannot attend but are interested in seeing the recording, please register.
Registration: Pre-registration required. This webinar is put on by the National Water Quality Monitoring Council’s Volunteer Monitoring Work Group, not the VMN program. If you have questions about the event, please contact their director Julie Vastine at vastine@dickinson.edu.
Stormwater and Plastic Pollution
Description: This free webinar will address urban trash pollution and will highlight strategies employed to intercept a piece of trash before it becomes part of the stormwater runoff and is conveyed to and through the storm sewer system. Hear from trusted experts from The International Trash Trap Network and Clean Virginia Waterways. You’ll have a chance to ask questions, share best practices from your locality, connect with colleagues across the region, and provide your insights on this important topic!
Date/Time: December 7, 2022, 1:00-2:30 pm
Registration: Pre-registration required. This webinar is put on by Clean Virginia Waterways, not the VMN program. If you have questions about the event, please contact Zach Huntington at huntingtonza@longwood.edu. The webinar will be recorded, and will later be on Clean Virginia Waterways' YouTube channel.
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