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Basic Training

Virginia Biogeography
and Natural Communities

This page contains numerous curriculum resources that may be used flexibly by Virginia Master Naturalist chapters and trainees to meet their learning needs.  These resources also are available to other volunteer programs and the public for their use, but please note that watching or reading these materials cannot substitute for enrolling in and completing a basic training course with a VMN chapter in order to become a Virginia Master Naturalist volunteer.

Thank you to the numerous people who contributed to the creation of these materials.  In particular, Gary Fleming kindly provided most of the text and images for the presentation PowerPoint and videos.  Some volunteers have been fortunate to see Gary’s presentation on Virginia’s Natural Communities in person. The text and photos we provide here match what he uses in-person, so that more volunteers can learn from his expertise and view his beautiful photographs of Virginia landscapes.

Michelle Prysby, VMN Program Director, served as the project coordinator for the development of this curriculum, with support from a generous donation from an anonymous donor.

woman with ponytail and sling bag pointing out over a rocky cliff towards the forested mountains in the distance
Looking out at Virginia's Blue Ridge from Big Pinnacle at Grayson Highlands State Park in Mouth of Wilson, VA. Photo by Michelle Prysby.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the Virginia Master Naturalist basic training course, participants will be able to:

  • Identify and differentiate the features of Virginia’s physiographic provinces, including the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateaus.
  • Understand that the features and biodiversity of the physiographic provinces and ecological communities are influenced by geology, topography, soils, and human influences
  • Identify common and unique ecological communities and species occurring in each province, with a focus on the province in which the volunteer is located
  • Be familiar with parks, natural areas, and other public and publicly accessible lands in Virginia where a VMN might volunteer, with a focus on the local community in which the volunteer is located
  • Understand the role of Virginia’s state agencies, such as VDCR-Natural Heritage, in protecting biodiversity and Virginia’s natural communities.

Introductory Videos

What: Short videos to introduce volunteers to the topic of Virginia Biogeography.

Possible uses:

  • Have trainees watch before class as preparation
  • Watch as part of class
  • Have trainees watch after class as review or supplementary material
  • Have existing members watch as a refresher on this topic

Former director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Clyde Cristman, talks about the Virginia Natural Heritage Program and Virginia’s Natural Area Preserve System. Video by the Virginia Department of Conservation. 

Presentation Videos

What: A six-part set of online videos of PowerPoint presentations with narration by Michelle Prysby. Combined, they are approximately one hour long. Gary Fleming (VDCR Natural Heritage Program) provided most of the images and text for these videos.

Possible uses:

  • Have trainees watch before class as preparation
  • Watch as part of class, combined with hands-on activities
  • Have trainees watch after class as review
  • Share with instructor to give him/her an idea of the type of material to cover
  • Have trainees watch as a make-up for a missed class on the same topic
  • Have existing members watch as a refresher on this topic

User Notes: Please note that you can make the video full-screen and toggle the closed captioning on and off.  You can also watch these videos at video.vt.edu: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6. Please also note that these videos are intended to be used in conjunction with the handout provided below.

Note for Basic Training Chairs and Course Instructors: Instructors and basic training chairs for VMN chapters may contact the state office for access to the full PowerPoint file. Both the PowerPoint and the script may be used and adapted for your courses. Please pay attention to the image license restrictions listed in the notes section for each slide in the PowerPoint file.

Part 1

Watch on Website

Part 2

Watch on Website

Part 3

Watch on Website

Part 4

Watch on Website

Part 5

Watch on Website

Part 6

Watch on Website

Presentation Handout

What: A three-page handout that matches up with the presentation.  It is best printed in color, but black and white is acceptable.

Possible uses:  The handout is meant to accompany the PowerPoint presentation or the videos, so if an instructor is using the presentation in class, he/she should distribute the handout in lieu of a handout containing all the slides.  It is not recommended that you print the slides for a handout, as they are almost entirely image-based and would not make good reference material.

Note: Chapters may wish to add an extra page to the handout in order to add additional local information.

Download PDF

Assessment Questions

What: A set of possible assessment questions on this topic for VMN trainees.

Possible uses: Incorporate these questions into written or practical assessments during the course.

Written Assessment Questions

  1. List Virginia’s physiographic provinces.  For each one, list at least one natural community that occurs there.
  2. Virginia is relatively biologically diverse.  What are three environmental factors that contribute to this diversity?
  3. What do the rapids of the James River in Richmond, Great Falls in the Potomac River, and the rapids of the Rappahannock River west of Fredericksburg all have in common?
  4. Approximately 12,500-15,000 years ago, Virginia was dominated by pine-spruce and boreal forests.  Today, spruce trees are uncommon in Virginia, occurring in abundance at only the highest elevations.  Why did this change occur?

Practical Assessment Questions/Activities

  1. Use the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Virginia Conservation Lands Map to identify managed conservation lands in the vicinity of your VMN chapter.  Name at least one that has public access.
  2. Give a 2-minute informal talk about any aspect of Virginia’s biogeography (e.g., five physiographic provinces, a specific natural community, ways that climate varies across the state, etc.)