Central Blue Ridge Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist Program
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Take a peak inside...
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...to see what Central Blue Ridge can offer!
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VMN Basic Training
Due to the small size of our chapter, CBR is normally only able to hold a Basic Training course every other year. The 2024 course is full, and applications are no longer being accepted. However, we maintain a list of people who are interested in becoming a VMN volunteer, and if you would like to be added to our list, send your name and email address to the Virginia Extension Office in Lovingston, phone 434-263-7180 or email [email protected]. We will contact you as soon as we schedule the next course. You might also consider inquiring about training courses with some of the other chapters that serve the general area.
The majority of our members live in Nelson County, but we also have members who live in Albemarle, Amherst, Augusta, Buckingham, and Rockbridge counties and the city of Charlottesville. Our meeting schedule for 2024 is below, and you are welcome to attend any of the meetings. Thank you for your interest.
Due to the small size of our chapter, CBR is normally only able to hold a Basic Training course every other year. The 2024 course is full, and applications are no longer being accepted. However, we maintain a list of people who are interested in becoming a VMN volunteer, and if you would like to be added to our list, send your name and email address to the Virginia Extension Office in Lovingston, phone 434-263-7180 or email [email protected]. We will contact you as soon as we schedule the next course. You might also consider inquiring about training courses with some of the other chapters that serve the general area.
The majority of our members live in Nelson County, but we also have members who live in Albemarle, Amherst, Augusta, Buckingham, and Rockbridge counties and the city of Charlottesville. Our meeting schedule for 2024 is below, and you are welcome to attend any of the meetings. Thank you for your interest.
Bi-monthly Chapter Meetings
Our regular meetings are held on the first Thursday of every other month in the conference room at the Nelson Center, which is located at 8445 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston. The Center is on the west side of U.S. 29, just south of the traffic light in Lovingston. Turn west at the sign to the County Library and Tourism Office. The Nelson Center is on the south side of the parking lot. Use the entrance door with the covered canopy.
Our 2024 meetings are scheduled for February 1, April 4, June 6, August 1, October 3, and December 5. Meetings are open to non-members, and each meeting begins at 7 p.m. and ends by 9 p.m. A guest speaker is featured during the first half of each meeting, and presentations include a variety of nature topics that are of interest in Virginia. On rare occasions, a meeting date must be changed due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstance. Please contact our chapter advisor or administrative assistant (emails listed below) to ascertain that the upcoming meeting is still being held as scheduled.
Our regular meetings are held on the first Thursday of every other month in the conference room at the Nelson Center, which is located at 8445 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston. The Center is on the west side of U.S. 29, just south of the traffic light in Lovingston. Turn west at the sign to the County Library and Tourism Office. The Nelson Center is on the south side of the parking lot. Use the entrance door with the covered canopy.
Our 2024 meetings are scheduled for February 1, April 4, June 6, August 1, October 3, and December 5. Meetings are open to non-members, and each meeting begins at 7 p.m. and ends by 9 p.m. A guest speaker is featured during the first half of each meeting, and presentations include a variety of nature topics that are of interest in Virginia. On rare occasions, a meeting date must be changed due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstance. Please contact our chapter advisor or administrative assistant (emails listed below) to ascertain that the upcoming meeting is still being held as scheduled.
Chapter Projects
CBR members volunteer in a wide variety of projects with state agencies that sponsor the VMN program, local partner organizations, and a number of other environmental organizations. On-going projects include Bluebird trails, docent staffing at the Rockfish Valley Foundation Museum, an annual butterfly count, monitoring and maintenance on public trail systems, work in a new county park, assistance at two area wildlife rehabilitation sanctuaries, stream monitoring, and leading walks on nature trails at both public and private locations throughout the area. If you have information about volunteer projects or continuing education opportunities that may be of interest to CBR members, please contact our chapter advisor.
Volunteer Project Opportunities
To make it easier for volunteers, especially new VMNs, to find volunteer projects to get involved with, we have created a volunteer opportunity list. Clicking on this link will download a PDF with web links and descriptions of all the opportunities we are aware of. If you discover an opportunity that is not listed in this document, please send a link and a description of the volunteer project to Bruce Slater ([email protected]). Conversely, if you have a problem using the document, please contact Bruce.
CBR members volunteer in a wide variety of projects with state agencies that sponsor the VMN program, local partner organizations, and a number of other environmental organizations. On-going projects include Bluebird trails, docent staffing at the Rockfish Valley Foundation Museum, an annual butterfly count, monitoring and maintenance on public trail systems, work in a new county park, assistance at two area wildlife rehabilitation sanctuaries, stream monitoring, and leading walks on nature trails at both public and private locations throughout the area. If you have information about volunteer projects or continuing education opportunities that may be of interest to CBR members, please contact our chapter advisor.
Volunteer Project Opportunities
To make it easier for volunteers, especially new VMNs, to find volunteer projects to get involved with, we have created a volunteer opportunity list. Clicking on this link will download a PDF with web links and descriptions of all the opportunities we are aware of. If you discover an opportunity that is not listed in this document, please send a link and a description of the volunteer project to Bruce Slater ([email protected]). Conversely, if you have a problem using the document, please contact Bruce.
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Chapter Advisor
Chapter Advisor: Justin Barnes [email protected] Phone 804-489-4952 Virginia Department of Forestry Headquarters Fontaine Research Park 900 Natural Resources Drive Suite 800 Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 VA Extension Office Administrative Assistant: Cindy MacRae Email: [email protected] Phone: (434) 263-7180 Nelson Extension Office Located in the Nelson Center on U.S. 29, Lovingston PO Box 298 Lovingston, VA 22949 |
Guided nature hike at Fortune's Cove Preserve
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2024 Officers
President - Lena Kroll
Vice President – Bette Dzamba
Secretary – Linda Hughes
Treasurer – Cynthia Elkey
IT Chair - Bruce Slater
Membership Chair - Anne Slotwinski
Chapter Host - Libby Carmines
Chapter Historian - Susan McSwain
Better Impact Administrator - Bruce Slater, Susan McSwain, Lena Kroll
At Large Officers - Wendy Kendrick and Stephen Cassola
Immediate Past President - Bernice Thieblot
President - Lena Kroll
Vice President – Bette Dzamba
Secretary – Linda Hughes
Treasurer – Cynthia Elkey
IT Chair - Bruce Slater
Membership Chair - Anne Slotwinski
Chapter Host - Libby Carmines
Chapter Historian - Susan McSwain
Better Impact Administrator - Bruce Slater, Susan McSwain, Lena Kroll
At Large Officers - Wendy Kendrick and Stephen Cassola
Immediate Past President - Bernice Thieblot
Department of Forestry Riparian Buffer Workshop
Annual Count Day with the North American Butterfly Association
Looking to the future
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Dept. of Conservation and Recreation Earth Day Event
Central Blue Ridge Chapter table at Farmer's Market
Our state flower
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Central Blue Ridge Basic Training Classes include field trips that are both educational and fun.
Come join us and allow the Virginia Master Naturalist Program to help you discover ways that you can give back to our community.