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Master naturalist program accepting applications
MILLBORO - Are you curious about nature, enjoy the outdoors, and want to be a part of natural resource stewardship in Virginia? Then you will want to take note of this new and exciting volunteer opportunity. The Virginia Master Naturalist program is statewide training that will impact natural resource education and conservation across Virginia.
The program's mission is to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
At the state level, the VMN program is sponsored jointly by Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Virginia Departments of Game and Inland Fisheries, Conservation and Recreation, Forestry, Environmental Quality and the Virginia Museum of Natural History. Douthat State Park is the local sponsor of the Alleghany Highlands Chapter with Beth Hawse, chief ranger of Interpretation and Education, serving as the chapter advisor.
The VMN program benefits the Highlands, Virginia's citizenry, its public lands and natural resources through the development of a dedicated volunteer corps. These volunteers will expand the capacity of natural resource agencies by providing a way for state, local, non-profit and other partners to work together and achieve common goals for conservation and education.
There is a network of VMN chapters across the state. Locally, the Alleghany Highlands chapter is responsible for recruiting and training volunteers and working with partners to create and coordinate volunteer service opportunities within the community. The training consists of a minimum of 40 hours classroom and field time covering a core set of curriculum objectives. The objectives focus on ecology, natural resource management, basic natural history of Virginia's animals and plants, along with skills for teaching and field research.
To become a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, each volunteer must also complete 40 hours of volunteer service and eight hours of advanced training annually. The service can be in the form of education, such as leading an interpretive program in a state park, or citizen science, such as collecting data on wildlife populations or bluebird monitoring, or stewardship, such as restoring a natural area or removing invasive species.
Currently, the Alleghany Highlands Chapter is seeking applications for the upcoming spring session, which begins on February 21 and continues every Thursday evening until mid-May, as well as three Saturday field trip sessions. A complete course outline, including dates and times, can be found at the Virginia Master Naturalist website at www.virginiamasternaturalist.org.
Through a generous mini-grant from the Virginia Hot Springs Preservation Trust, class organizers were able to keep the cost for the entire spring session to only $100. The fee for the class covers all instructional materials and meals during the Thursday evening classes.
Individuals interested in participating in the spring session can receive an application in two ways. First, visit the VMN website's Alleghany Highlands Chapter page. There you will find the pdf version of the application. For a paper copy contact Beth Hawse at (540) 862- 8100 or by e-mail at Beth.Hawse@dcr.virginia.gov.
The deadline for receipt of the application is Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. Applicants will be notified of their status on that day. Class size is limited to 25 participants.
If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, contact the Douthat State Park at (540) 862-8100 (TDD number 1-800-828-1120 during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.) to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.
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