UPCOMING CLASS

The Basic Training Course: if you would like to receive information about the next class, please send an email to Ann Quigley annq.esmn@gmail.com

MISSION: The mission of the Virginia Master Naturalist (VMN) Program is to develop 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 Eastern Shore Chapter sponsors and supports dozens of projects, providing a wide range of volunteer service opportunities to its members throughout Accomack and Northampton Counties. Members work with various groups, including government agencies and non-profit organizations, in diverse settings such as wildlife refuges, parks, and nature preserves to carry out the VMN mission on the Eastern Shore. Service may involve a series of short, unrelated volunteer experiences or a long-term commitment to a single project.

Please keep the VMN mission in mind as you consider applying for the basic training. If this sounds like what you are looking for please join us!

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS: You must complete the Eastern Shore Chapter Basic Training Course.

BASIC TRAINING: The ESMN Basic Training Course covers the background knowledge and skills to prepare you for your VMN Volunteer service. This includes a wide range of topics such as botany, ecology, mammalogy, with an emphasis on the nature and natural resources of the Eastern Shore.

The course is scheduled for ten (10) consecutive Thursdays beginning the Thursday after Labor Day, including both classroom instruction and field trips. You will be given a syllabus including designated field trip locations and dates on the first day of class. Trainees are expected to attend all classroom sessions and field trips. In the event you are unable to attend a given session you may need to complete make-up activities to finish the course.

Any updates regarding the training will be available here: https://masternaturalistesva.com/training/

You may find the following links of interest:

Eastern Shore Chapter Web Site: https://masternaturalistesva.org

Eastern Shore Chapter Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/esmasternaturalist/

Virginia Master Naturalist (VMN) Program Website: http://www.virginiamasternaturalist.org

Here is a more detailed sample curriculum from a prior class:

Ecological Principles. The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.
Protected Lands. Protected lands of the Eastern Shore and non-profit organizations responsible for them.
Barrier Island Processes.
Oyster Restoration. Oyster reef restoration is rebuilding or restoring oyster reefs on the Eastern Shore. Over time, oysters have been negatively affected by the environment, population, etc.
Eastern Shore Forestry
Ornithology. A look of Virginia’s bird life
Herps and Insects. It’s not a typo–herps are snakes, toads, frogs, turtles
Botany. The scientific study of plants
Coastal Geology. Study the geology of Virginia and the Eastern Shore
Monarch Butterflies. The Eastern Shore is a migratory route for the Monarch Butterfly. Study the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly
Ichthyology. The science of studying fishes, their habitats and population
Seagrass Ecology
Mammalogy. The study of mammals can be exciting to everyone, and knowledge about mammals should be important to land managers and developers and others who often do not understand the importance of habitats and the species contained therein. |Virginia Tech, 2013 Publication 165.314|
Invasive Species. The impact of invasive species to the Eastern Shore.
Taxonomy. Scientific classification, nomenclature and identification