Virginia Master Naturalist Statewide Conference and Volunteer Training 2021
What's new on this page as of August 4, 2020?
2021 Conference dates announced!
The Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront will be our home base for the 2020 VMN Confernece (Photo credit: Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront.)
Overview
When
The 2021 Virginia Master Naturalist Statewide Conference and Training will be Friday, October 1 through Sunday, October 3. Pre-conference field trips and activities will take place during the day on Friday, and the main event will run Friday evening through Sunday mid-day.
COVID-19 - Important Note
We are crossing our fingers and toes that we will be able to host a 2021 VMN Statewide Conference. However! These 2021 dates and our 2021 event are subject to the state of the world next year. No one can know what 2021 will bring in regards to COVID and so we must understand that these dates are subject to change. The VMN State Program Office will continue to make informed decisions about holding events based on guidance from the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Governor, Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech. Above all, our decisions will be based on keeping our attendees SAFE! If we can do that at a Statewide Conference then we will be together! But if we feel we cannot keep you safe then we will have to rethink our plans. We will continue to send out updates all along the way.
Where
Our Tidewater and Historic Southside Chapters welcome VMN volunteers from across Virginia to the coast. We will be based at the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront hotel, just down the road from First Landing State Park.
What
The Virginia Master Naturalist Statewide Conference and Volunteer Training is an opportunity for VMN volunteers to share ideas and learn from each other, to participate in high-quality continuing education sessions, and to learn about a region of Virginia that may be different from their home communities. It's a time and place to recognize and reward volunteers and chapters for all their efforts.
Each year, one or more of our local VMN chapters serve as the host chapter(s) for the conference, helping to choose programming that showcases their local natural areas, presenters, and style. The programming includes both on-site sessions and off-site field trips to visit natural resource highlights of the area. We emphasize hands-on learning and skill-building, trying to choose sessions that relate to the education, citizen science, and stewardship volunteer work that VMN volunteers do.
Who
Due to the nature and limited space of our VMN conference, only certified VMNs, VMN members, VMN trainees, and partners from our state agency sponsors (including chapter advisors) may attend.
When
The 2021 Virginia Master Naturalist Statewide Conference and Training will be Friday, October 1 through Sunday, October 3. Pre-conference field trips and activities will take place during the day on Friday, and the main event will run Friday evening through Sunday mid-day.
COVID-19 - Important Note
We are crossing our fingers and toes that we will be able to host a 2021 VMN Statewide Conference. However! These 2021 dates and our 2021 event are subject to the state of the world next year. No one can know what 2021 will bring in regards to COVID and so we must understand that these dates are subject to change. The VMN State Program Office will continue to make informed decisions about holding events based on guidance from the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Governor, Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech. Above all, our decisions will be based on keeping our attendees SAFE! If we can do that at a Statewide Conference then we will be together! But if we feel we cannot keep you safe then we will have to rethink our plans. We will continue to send out updates all along the way.
Where
Our Tidewater and Historic Southside Chapters welcome VMN volunteers from across Virginia to the coast. We will be based at the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront hotel, just down the road from First Landing State Park.
What
The Virginia Master Naturalist Statewide Conference and Volunteer Training is an opportunity for VMN volunteers to share ideas and learn from each other, to participate in high-quality continuing education sessions, and to learn about a region of Virginia that may be different from their home communities. It's a time and place to recognize and reward volunteers and chapters for all their efforts.
Each year, one or more of our local VMN chapters serve as the host chapter(s) for the conference, helping to choose programming that showcases their local natural areas, presenters, and style. The programming includes both on-site sessions and off-site field trips to visit natural resource highlights of the area. We emphasize hands-on learning and skill-building, trying to choose sessions that relate to the education, citizen science, and stewardship volunteer work that VMN volunteers do.
Who
Due to the nature and limited space of our VMN conference, only certified VMNs, VMN members, VMN trainees, and partners from our state agency sponsors (including chapter advisors) may attend.
Lodging Information
Lodging information will be posted here in February 2021.
Lodging information will be posted here in February 2021.
Registration
Registration timeline with dates will be posted here in March 2021.
Registration fee information will be posted here in June 2021.
Registration timeline with dates will be posted here in March 2021.
Registration fee information will be posted here in June 2021.
Travel Information
We recommend that if your travel plans include arriving in Virginia Beach on Friday afternoon, that you time your trip to arrive at the hotel by 3:00pm. The Tidewater area is known to get very congested and Friday afternoons can be especially difficult. Plan accordingly if possible!
We know that traffic may cause delays for attendees and so we will have Conference Registration open from 4:00pm all the way through dinner. We will also make sure that dinner is available until 8:00pm. If you were to miss that window, you would be on your own for dinner. There is a restaurant in the hotel and many other choices a short drive away.
We recommend that if your travel plans include arriving in Virginia Beach on Friday afternoon, that you time your trip to arrive at the hotel by 3:00pm. The Tidewater area is known to get very congested and Friday afternoons can be especially difficult. Plan accordingly if possible!
We know that traffic may cause delays for attendees and so we will have Conference Registration open from 4:00pm all the way through dinner. We will also make sure that dinner is available until 8:00pm. If you were to miss that window, you would be on your own for dinner. There is a restaurant in the hotel and many other choices a short drive away.
Volunteering at the Conference
Conference volunteer slots will be available to our host and partner chapters first. If additional help is needed, we will open sign ups to the rest of the state. Information on how VMNs can register to volunteer at the conference will be sent out in March 2021 by our Conference Volunteer Coordinator, Terri Keffert, to the host chapter liaisons, who will share it with their membership.
Conference volunteer slots will be available to our host and partner chapters first. If additional help is needed, we will open sign ups to the rest of the state. Information on how VMNs can register to volunteer at the conference will be sent out in March 2021 by our Conference Volunteer Coordinator, Terri Keffert, to the host chapter liaisons, who will share it with their membership.