Rockbridge Master Naturalists is a newly chartered chapter of the Virginia Maser Naturalist Program. Our chapter is sponsored locally by the Rockbridge Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Department of Forestry/Western Region. Our meetings and first training course will take place in Munger Lodge at Boxerwood Nature Center in Lexington beginning in February 2010.
About the Virginia Master Naturalist Program
Virginia Master Naturalists form a corps of well-informed volunteers who participate in education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities.
To be certified as a Virginia Master Naturalist, volunteers must complete a basic training course that includes a minimum of 40 hours of combined classroom and field experiences. Within a year of graduating, they must also complete an additional eight hours of Advanced Training and a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service for chapter-approved environmental projects.
To maintain certification, Master Naturalists must complete an additional 8 hours of Advanced Training and 40 service hours annually.
About the Rockbridge Master Naturalist Chapter
Rockbridge County is geographically unique. Wedged between the Allegheny on the west and the Blue Ridge on the east, we are the only county east of the Mississippi with a virtually self-contained watershed—the Maury River. The Maury is also a headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, so our local environmental knowledge and practices have an impact throughout the region.
Our Rockbridge chapter has been formed to provide opportunities for local citizens to:
- Increase their general understanding of the natural world
- Become more knowledgeable about Virginia’s biogeography and most specifically, the ecology of the Maury River Watershed
- Learn naturalist skills that will enable them to be effective stewards of local lands and natural resources.
In its very forming, Rockbridge Master Naturalists has also served to foster collaboration and partnership among organizations and institutions in our environmental community. Serving on our local Coordinating Committee are volunteers representing the Rockbridge Cooperative Extension, Virginia Department of Forestry, Rockbridge Area Conservation Council, Virginia Save Our Streams, Virginia Ornithological Society, Boxerwood Nature Center, Nature Camp, and the faculty of Washington and Lee University.
Rockbridge Master Naturalist Training
The Rockbridge Chapter's first training course started on February 24 and is scheduled to run most Wednesday evenings through mid-October 2010, with a summer interlude. An MS Word version of the schedule is available here. Sessions will take place at Boxerwood Nature Center, with occasional Saturday field studies at natural sites around the county. Training is limited to approximately 20 participants (the first class is full) and will be offered annually or bi-annually thereafter.
The Rockbridge course is organized around four thematic modules--Foundations, Connections, Adaptations and Inter-relationships--with focuses appropriate to each season. An MS Word version of the syllabus is available here. The course is designed to support development of naturalist competencies that have a natural and culminating order and align with our seasonal approach.
While it is understandable that participants may need to miss one or two sessions, these sessions must be made up within 12 months of completion of training in order to meet the certification requirements. Chapter organizers will assist individuals in finding alternative training to make up sessions on topics they have missed.
The Rockbridge Master Naturalists course application is available for downloading at RMN Volunteer and Enrollment Form. If you would like to receive information about our training course, or would like additional information about the Rockbridge Master Naturalists, please contact our chapter Facilitator or Advisor
Elise Sheffield, RMN Facilitator
Boxerwood Nature Center
963 Ross Road
Lexington, VA 24450
(540)463-2697
Karen Stanley, RMN Advisor
Virginia Department of Forestry
312 South Main Street
Lexington, Virginia 24450
(540) 463-5253
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. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
Rockbridge Service Projects
Rockbridge Chapter Volunteer Projects (MS Word)
The following projects have been approved as volunteer service opportunities for Rockbridge Master Naturalists:
Project Type: Education/Outreach
Boxerwood Nature Center & Woodland Garden: Volunteers will assist with or lead small-group interpretive experiences in the natural world under the supervision of Boxerwood personnel. Opportunities vary and include chaperoning school groups on site, assisting with lesson development or implementation, and teaching. Location: Boxerwood in Lexington as well as local schools and creeks.
Contact: Elise Sheffield education@boxerwood.net 540/463-2697
Fairfield Elementary Nature Trail: Project needs include installing signs for tree species along the trail, invasive species eradication, laying out timbers along the trail edge for safety and trail delineation, and possible tree planting. Location: In the wooded area around Fairfield Elementary School
Contact: Karen Stanley karen.stanley@dof.virginia.gov 540-463-5253
Project Type: Stewardship
McCormick Farm Marl Creek Trail: This project involves periodic maintenance of a short loop trail across the road from the historic mill on McCormick farm. Activities include weeding, invasive species removal, limited herbicide applications when needed, and litter pickup. At other times there will be larger day projects for activities such as tree planting or building benches. Location: McCormick Farm Agricultural Research Extension Center off I-81 in Raphine Contact: Karen Stanley karen.stanley@dof.virginia.gov 540-463-5253
Woods Creek Rain Garden Creation: RMN’s will join other volunteers to establish a large rain garden and riparian buffer along a tributary of Woods Creek that will act to slow down rainwater before it enters the creek and filter out contaminants. Location: Near Woods Creek Grocery in Lexington
Contact: Wendy Richards richardsw@wlu.edu 540-463-5214
Woods Creek Rain Garden Maintenance: RMN’s will maintain established riparian buffer zones by eradicating invasive weeds, pruning back native vegetation, removing natural debris that may be blocking drainage and removing litter. Location: Along Woods Creek in Lexington
Contact: Wendy Richards richardsw@wlu.edu 540-463-5214
Project Type: Citizen Science/Monitoring
Citizen Water Quality Monitoring: Participants will be trained to take a net into a river or stream and collect a sample of aquatic macro-invertebrates. By identifying and counting what life is found, a water quality score will be determined and then input into a statewide computer database. Participants are needed to hold the net and help sort and count what is found. A certified water monitor must be present. Location: Along local streams and rivers Contact: Wendy Richards richardsw@wlu.edu 540-463-5214
Project Feeder Watch: This project involves a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. Count birds that appear in your count site and report data to the Lab of Ornithology electronically or by mail. Location: Can be in your own backyard
Contact: Cornell Lab of Ornithology email only: www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
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