Virginia Master Naturalist - Pocahontas Chapter

Chapter Contacts:
Caroline Garmon
Park Ranger - Natural Resources
Pocahontas State Park
10301 State Park Road
Chesterfield, VA 23832
804-796-4472

Chesterfield County is the fourth fastest growing county in Virginia.  Situated between the James and Appomattox Rivers, Chesterfield's land area totals 446 square miles and is part of the Richmond-Petersburg MSA and is bounded by the cities of Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights.  Despite urban development and the proximity of several large towns and the capitol of Virginia, Chesterfield County is  rich in natural resources.  We have 1,300 miles of streams, 124 miles of riverfront, and hundreds of acres of reservoirs, ponds and lakes.  Pocahontas State Park is centrally located in Chesterfield County and is the largest of Virginia’s state parks with almost 8,000 acres.  It is this urban and residential sprawl that requires education and awareness to the public of the necessity to protect our natural resource communities.

One can see through encounters and observations of communities within Chesterfield County, that the county needs support in conserving its various natural resources.  The Pocahontas Master Naturalist chapter will provide a volunteer base highly educated in natural resources, trained in the skill sets necessary to work along side community organizations to increase education and awareness of the community’s natural resources. These volunteers will participate in a course specifically designed to meet the needs of Chesterfield and it’s surrounding environs. The volunteers would also be available to provide such services as environmental education, water monitoring services, wildlife data collections and habitat restorations.