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A Community-Based Natural Resources Volunteer Program

Virginia Master Naturalists are volunteer educators, citizen scientists, and stewards helping Virginia conserve and manage natural resources and public lands.

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The Numbers Are In: 2015 Program Statistics

1/29/2016

 
PictureVirginia Master Naturalists not only do impressive work, they have fun doing it! Lisa Bright and Alan Ford laugh as they separate Carex plants as part of the habitat restoration work going on at Marie Butler Leven Preserve in Mclean. 11/15 Photo by s.dingwell from Arlington Regional Chapter photo database.
Each January, Virginia Master Naturalists scramble to compile their reports of volunteer activities from the previous year.  We appreciate their diligence and quick turn-arounds, because we use the numbers and stories from these reports in many ways.  We share them with our sponsoring agencies to illustrate the excellent return on investment this program provides.  We use them to give feedback and support to chapters to help them accomplish their goals.  We use them to gauge how we're doing in relation to our mission and to make changes to continue improving the program.

Next quarter, we'll share some stories of special projects and local impacts, but for now, we would like to share 2015's very impressive numbers.  Our program continues to grow in numbers of volunteers, hours of service, and educational contacts made. 

In 2015, 1,679 volunteers reported more than 120, 000 hours of service, more than 21,000 hours of continuing education, and more than 104,000 face-to-face exchanges of educational information about natural resources.  Their service in 2015 is valued at nearly $3 million, based on the value of a volunteer hour in Virginia as calculated by IndependentSector.org. 

 
2013
2014
2015
New VMN trainees
560
485
529
 VMN members
2,382
2,594
2790
Active volunteers (reported service in 2015)
1,385
1,467
1,679
Certified Virginia Master Naturalists
905
1,022
1,078
Continuing Education hours
18,544
20,868
21,831
Service hours: Education
24,581
26,355
27,934
Service hours: Citizen Science
29,265
35,092
35,751
Service hours: Stewardship
23,377
25,047
26,532
Service hours: Administration and Travel
20,013 (*travel data not reported in 2013)
32,822
30,111
Total Service Hours
97,237
119,317
120,328
Monetary Value of Service
$2,381,334
$2,970,993
$2,996,165
Educational Contacts
107,177
102,951
104,279

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Virginia Master Naturalist Program | 460 Stagecoach Road, Suite E201 | Charlottesville, VA  22902 | Phone: 434-872-4587 | Fax: 434-872-4578

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