Mission Statement
The Virginia Master Naturalist Program is a statewide corps of volunteers providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities. The Northern Neck Master Naturalist chapter was established to support a centuries long tradition of appreciation and utilization of the natural resources of the Northern Neck of Virginia. The mission of the Northern Neck Master Naturalist Chapter is to provide leadership, knowledge, volunteers and assistance to the professionals who serve as stewards of our natural heritage..
Details
Overall, Northern Neck Master Naturalist Chapter goals are to improve wildlife management, habitat and flyway protection and preservation; to provide education assistance to interested groups, particularly those which are youth oriented; to advocate for clean water resources, with emphasis on protection of submerged aquatic vegetation; and to support open space preservation. These goals are achieved through volunteer activities in the disciplines of “Citizen Science,” “Education,” and “Stewardship.” In 2015 Northern Neck Master Naturalists recorded almost 1,900 hands on volunteer hours in support of Virginia State and non-profit environmental programs in the areas such as wildlife trail maintenance and reportable counts for birds and other wildlife for Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF), reportable water quality testing for Virginia Department of Conservation and Resources (DCR), and native plant gardens at state parks. Over 650 of those hours were conservation education and outreach programs at schools, special events and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
Materials Available by Theme
Urban and Developed Systems
- video/ Impacts of Urbanization on Wildlife Habitat Virginia Master Naturalist Program
- video/ VMN Urban and Developed and Systems Ecology & Management Part 1 (Urbanization of Virginia in a broad sense)
- video/ VMN Urban and Developed and Systems Ecology & Management Part 2 (Ways urbanization and development impact characteristics and functioning of ecosystems)
- video/ VMN Urban and Developed and Systems Ecology & Management Part 3 (Management practices that can help mitigate the negative impacts of development)
- pdf/ Decreasing Runoff and Increasing Stormwater Infiltration (Residential Stormwater: Put in Its Place)
- pdf/ Urban_systems_presentation_handout.pdf (Ecological characteristics of urban and developed areas)
- pdf/ Habitat-at-Home (Planning your garden to make your yard more attractive to wildlife)
- pdf/ Bird Feeding Basics (tips and techniques for responsible bird feeding)
- pdf/ Water for Wildlife (Ways of providing water sources for wildlife)
- pdf/ When Wildlife Overstays its Welcome (Dealing with nuisance animals)
- pdf/ Wildlife Laws for Educators (Virginia wildlife laws)
Basic Ecological Concepts
- ppt/ Ecology, David Mellor, PhD (Ecology basics)
- pdf/ Natural Communities of Virginia (Listing of the Ecological Groups and Communities of Virginia)
- pdf/ 12 Invasive Species of Virginia (Invasive plants, animals and insects in Virginia)
Forest Ecology and Management
- video/ VMN Forest Ecology and Management Presentation Part 1 (Forest benefits and forest ecology basics)
- video/ VMN Forest Ecology and Management Part 2 (Distribution and types of forests in Virginia)
- video/ VMN Forest Ecology and Management Part 3 (Threats to Virginia’s forests and forest management)
- pdf/ A Guide for Virginia Forest Landowners (Suggestions for starting or continuing active management of forest lands)
- pdf/ Native Trees of Virginia (Tree ID book with Key)
- pdf/ Forest Ecology and Management in Virginia (An overview of forest ecology and management)
- pdf/ Overview of the Physiography and Vegetation of Virginia (A “broad brush” look to assist in understanding major vegetation patterns in Virginia)
- pdf/ www.dof.virginia.gov/infopubs/_sof/SOF-2015_pub.pdf (Information and data about the health and vitality of Virginia’s nearly 16 million acres of forestland)
Wetlands Ecology and Management
- pdf/ Virginia Cooperative Extension series Sustaining America’s Aquatic Biodiversity (12 papers that address aquatic biodiversity in general and several specific examples)
- pdf/ Wetlands 101 (A citizen’s toolkit for restoring Virginia’s Wetlands).
- pdf/ Wetlands Ecology (The fundamental aspects of wetlands ecology)
- pdf/ Wetland Plants-Dicots (Wetlands plants of the Northern Neck – Dicots)
- pdf/ Wetland Plants-Monocots (Wetlands plants of the Northern Neck – Monocots)
- pdf/ Wetlands Functions and Values
- video/ Living Shorelines (Vegetative stabilization for erosion prevention)
Botany
- pdf/ Basic training course Botany Introductory Version
- pdf/ Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States (Basic reference of the plant biota of South Eastern US). See http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/ [This publication currently has a Facebook page, containing the following contact info: Call 919-962-0578 (UNC).]
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pdf/ Rare Plants of Virginia (Lists all plants believed to be sufficiently rare or threatened to merit an inventory of their status and locations).
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pdf/ Trees and Shrubs of the Northern Neck
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pdf/ Ferns, Club Mosses, and Allies of the Northern Neck
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pdf/ Nonnative Invasive Plants of the Southern Forests ( A field guide for identification and control of invasive plants) May be ordered, currently at no charge, at http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/gtr/gtr_srs062/
Aquatic Ecology and Management
- pdf/ Virginia Cooperative Extension series Sustaining America’s Aquatic Biodiversity (12 papers that address aquatic biodiversity in general and several specific examples). See also https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/420/420-520/420-520.html
- pdf/ Riparian Forest Handbook, Austin (Appreciating and evaluating stream side forests)
- pdf/ Stream Processes, Austin (Introduction to understanding features of natural stream systems and human intervention)
- pdf/ Vernal Pools (Discussion of the ecology of vernal pools)
Entomology
- pdf/ Aquatic Insect Biodiversity and Conservation
- pdf/ Creating a Butterfly Garden (Guidance for plant selection to attract butterflies)
- ppt/ Insect Orders Master Naturalist (Identification and adaptations of insects)
- pdf/ Native Bees (Discusses using solitary or native bees as pollinators)
- pdf/ Pantry Pests (Identification and control of food pests)
Coastal and Estuarine Ecology
- video/ Living Shorelines (Vegetative stabilization for erosion prevention)
- pdf/ Better Backyards (A Citizens’ Resource Guide to Beneficial Landscaping and Habitat Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed)
- pdf/ Chesapeake Bay: Introduction to an Ecosystem (Describes the complex relationships that exist among the living resources of the Bay watershed and those living around it)
- pdf/ Coastal Resources Management in Virginia (Introduces the reader to the various environmental programs which influence resource management in Virginia’s coastal plain)
Contact
www.virginiamasternaturalist.org