Huntley Meadows' 1,425 acres boasts of forests, meadows, wetlands, more than 200 species of birds, and wildlife including deer and beavers.
Welcome | Training | Membership | Events | Fall 2008 Basic Training | Contact Us
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 local residents with naturalist training, then connect them with important volunteer stewardship, citizen science, and education opportunities in parks and natural areas.
We are now accepting applications for the fall 2008 Basic Training course. Twenty-five candidates will be selected, with instruction to begin September 3, 2008. The process for becoming a certified Virginia Master Naturalist typically takes 6 to 12 months. Master Naturalist volunteers will be 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.
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.
Training
Download application for the Fairfax Chapter Fall 2008 Basic Training Course
Applications are due August 8, along with the $200 class fee.* You must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible to apply. About 25 applicants will be selected for the fall course. If you are not selected, your check will be returned (you will be notified of selection by August 25).
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. (The syllabus is detailed below.) 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.
The next Basic Training Course will begin September 3 and run through November 19. The weekly class will meet on Wednesdays 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, but only one missed session 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 chair. Applications for the Basic Training course are due August 8, along with the $200 class fee.* You must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible to apply. About 25 applicants will be selected for the fall course. If you are not selected, your check will be returned (you will be notified of selection by August 25).
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 activities must be approved by the Fairfax Chapter.
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.
Welcome | Training | Membership | Events | Fall 2008 Basic Training | Contact Us
Membership
Master Naturalist volunteers meet other people and help their community – all while enjoying the great outdoors. Photo by Joanna Cornell.
Membership in a local chapter and participation in chapter governance and activities are an important part of being a Virginia Master Naturalist. Fairfax Chapter meetings will offer stimulating speakers as well as a forum for exchanging environment-related information and ideas. To join the email list of people interested in the Fairfax Chapter, contact Karen Monroe at .
Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Fairfax Chapter has already begun to develop 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 that will be 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/WhatsNew/whatsnew.htm or call 703-256-6895.
Welcome | Training | Membership | Events | Fall 2008 Basic Training | Contact Us
Chapter Events
In addition to members-only activities, FMN hosts the following chapter events that are open to the public. We invite you to join us.
September Chapter Meeting -
Will Work for Pollen: Learn why we should care about pollinators from Deana Crumbling, USGS Bee Lab volunteer.
Date: Thursday September 4, 2008
Time: 7:30 - 9 PM
Location: Oakton High School, 2900 Sutton Road, Vienna
Park in the front lot (by the flag pole), enter door 2, and follow the signs.
Cost: Free
Public welcome.
No registration required.
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.
Welcome | Training | Membership | Events | Fall 2008 Basic Training | Contact Us
Fair fax Chapter
Planning for the Fall 2008 Basic Training Course is still underway. The draft syllabus for the class is listed below.
Download application for the Fairfax Chapter Fall 2008 Basic Training Course
Applications are due August 8, along with the $200 class fee.* You must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible to apply. About 25 applicants will be selected for the fall course. If you are not selected, your check will be returned (you will be notified of selection by August 25).
Note on residency: There is no longer a residency requirement to be eligible to apply for the Basic Training Course for the Fairfax Chapter. Please be aware that the Merrimac Farm chapter based in Prince William County and the Arlington Regional chapter based in Arlington County are now forming. See http://www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/chapters.html for contact info for these and other VMN chapters. You can only belong to one chapter and each chapter sets its own policies for accepting transfer applicants. In some cases you need to take additional training before becoming a transfer member. All volunteer work done as part of the Virginia Master Naturalist program must take place in Virginia.
Note on making up missed classes: A total of three classes may be missed, but only one missed session 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 chair.
Classes:
Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m.
Marshall High School, 7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church
Field Trips:
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Locations at local parks and natural areas, exact locations TBD.
*A limited number of need-based scholarships are available. Contact Karen Monroe at for more information on scholarships and to request a scholarship application.
Individuals with disabilities desiring accommodations in the application process should notify the Chapter Advisor, Jim McGlone at (703) 324-1480 (TDD number 1-800-828-1120) by the application deadline.
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Welcome | Training | Membership | Events | Fall 2008 Basic Training | Contact Us
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Thanks for taking the time to visit the web page of the Fairfax Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist Program. We will continue to update the page as new information and opportunities become available. To learn more about the Master Naturalist Program, visit www.virginiamasternaturalist.org or email Karen Monroe at
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