Fairfax Master Naturalists receive hands-on instruction in the Basic Training Course. Photo by Doreen Peters.
The next Basic Training Course is expected to begin in early September 2010, applications should be available in mid-July 2010. Day, time, and location are being determined, please check back in July.
Chapter members participate in a variety of service projects, such as the Dragonfly Survey at Riverbend Park. Photo by Doreen Peters.
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Welcome to the Fairfax Chapter web page!
If you love being outside, are curious about nature and want to make a difference in your community, consider becoming part of our dedicated volunteer corps. We provide basic training in natural resource topics and perform service projects in the areas of stewardship, citizen science, and education at parks and natural areas.
The process for becoming a certified Virginia Master Naturalist typically takes 6 to 12 months. Master Naturalist volunteers are a vital part of Fairfax County's natural resources management community, providing much-needed support to the many environmental organizations striving to protect natural resources in a rapidly growing urban area.
Training
The next Basic Training Course is expected to begin in early September 2010, applications should be available in mid-July 2010. Day, time, and location are being determined, please check back in July.
The certification process starts with the 60-hour Basic Training Course. A combination of classes and field work, this course roots participants in natural history and forest and aquatic ecology. A sample training syllabus is provided below.
| SPRING 2010 BASIC TRAINING COURSE SCHEDULE | ||
| Class/Field Trip # | Date | Topics |
| 1 | 3-Mar | Introduction, Risk Management |
| 2 | 10-Mar | Geology and Soils |
| Field Trip 1 | 13-Mar | Geology and Soils, Stream Monitoring |
| 3 | 17-Mar | Ecological Concepts |
| Aquatic/Estuarine/Coastal Ecology & Management | ||
| 4 | 24-Mar | Forest Ecology |
| Watershed Dynamics | ||
| 31-Mar | No Class - Spring Break | |
| 5 | 7-Apr | Botany |
| Nature of Naming & Introduction to Dichotomous Keys | ||
| Field Trip 2 | 10-Apr | Botany, Ichthyology |
| 6 | 14-Apr | Interpretation/Teaching Skills |
| Weather and Climate | ||
| 7 | 21-Apr | Herpetology |
| Citizen Science and Research Skills | ||
| 8 | 28-Apr | Wetlands Ecology & Management |
| Dendrology | ||
| Field Trip 3 | 1-May | Dendrology and Wetlands |
| 9 | 5-May | Ornithology |
| 10 | 12-May | Entomology |
| Mammalogy | ||
| Field Trip 4 | 15-May | Ornithology, Entomology, Herpetology |
| 11 | 19-May | Virginia Biogeography |
| Land Use in Virginia | ||
| Urban/Suburban Systems | ||
| 12 | 26-May | Student Presentations |
| Graduation | 29-May | Graduation and Chapter Meeting |
| To Schedule a Make Up Class or Field Trip: (Note: limited space is available for students making up classes and field trips.) |
||
| FMN Students - contact the FMN Training Chair via the FMN email address to request a class or field trip make up and obtain time and location details. | ||
| Other VMN Chapter Students - have your chapter Training Chair approve the make up class via email and then forward the email to the FMN Training Chair, via the FMN email address, to request a class or field trip make up and obtain time and location details. | ||
Scotts Run Nature Preserve is one of only two preserves in Fairfax County, and it is being degraded by urban pollution. Photo by Don Sweeney.
Our highly qualified faculty consists of about 20 recognized environmental and scientific experts from organizations such as the Fairfax County Park Authority, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, the Virginia Department of Forestry, Virginia Tech, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Applications are typically due in late January (for the Spring class) or in late July (for the Fall class), along with the $200 class fee. You must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible to apply. About 20 applicants will be selected for each basic training course. If you are not selected, your check will be returned.
Basic Training Courses begin in March and September. The weekly class will meet on a weekday evening from 7-10 p.m. and will include four Saturday field trips from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. A total of three classes may be missed if they are made up within a year of the class graduation date, but only one missed/made up class may be a field trip. Any missed class must be made up either in a subsequent Basic Training Course or with equivalent training. Equivalent training is subject to the approval of the training committee chairs.
Initial Master Naturalist certification, as well as annual recertification, also requires 8 hours of advanced training and 40 hours of volunteer service. The advanced training and service projects must be approved by the Fairfax Chapter.
Contact the Community Outreach Chair at to join the Fairfax Master Naturalist email list and receive news on Basic Training Courses.
Virginia Master Naturalist programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. VMN is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
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Service Projects
Master Naturalist volunteers meet other people and help their community – all while enjoying the great outdoors. Photo by Diana Handy.
Participation in service projects is an important part of being a Fairfax Master Naturalist.
Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Fairfax Chapter has developed partnerships with local agencies and organizations that need help with education, citizen science and environmental stewardship activities. The volunteer opportunities listed below offer a sample of typical Master Naturalist service projects available to members and trainees seeking certification, but they are also available now, to people who are eager to be active in the community. Until training begins, however, these activities will not count toward the 40 hours of volunteer service required for Master Naturalist certification; participants can't start accruing volunteer hours until after their training begins.
- Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. If you'd like to monitor the health of our streams or mark storm drains to discourage dumping litter into them, please call 703-324-1425 (monitoring) or 703-234-1423 (marking) or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/ for more information and email forms.
- Audubon Society of Northern Virginia. Help rescue native plants, assist with wildlife counts and surveys, or lead a nature walk at your favorite local park or refuge. For more information visit http://www.audubonva.org or call 703-256-6895.
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Chapter Events
Contact the Community Outreach Chair at to join the Fairfax Master Naturalist email list and receive news on Chapter meetings/events that are open to the public.If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact the Chapter Advisor, Jim McGlone at (703) 324-1480 (TDD number 1-800-828-1120) during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.
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Thanks for your interest in the Fairfax Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist Program. To learn more about the Virginia Master Naturalist Program, visit www.virginiamasternaturalist.org.
Contact the Community Outreach Chair at if you have questions or to join the Fairfax Master Naturalist email list and receive news on Basic Training Courses and Chapter meetings/events that are open to the public.