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Spring Basic Training Class Ready to Go!
The Headwaters Chapter Training Committee, led by RoxAnna Theiss, has been busy working out the many details for this year's basic training class. RoxAnna has been fielding applications, and reports that we have a stellar group of 13 trainees to welcome to our HMN family!
 Classes are currently scheduled to start on Thursday, April 2. The spring session will finish up on June 11. The class will reconvene after a summer break to meet again from September 3 through November 11, 2015.
We'll hope to recruit a class member or two to provide regular insights (and photos!) on the class's progress for the benefit of our extended chapter.
Many thanks to the members of the Training Committee for their dedication, long hours and ongoing efforts!
Above photo is from our first basic training class, Cohort I, held in the fall of 2011.
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Birds of the Burg
 Upcoming trainee Kathy Byers is helping to organize and lead a series of family-friendly guided bird walks through Hillandale Park in Harrisonburg as a joint project of the Rockingham Bird Club and Shenandoah Group of the Sierra Club. How cool is that?!
The first walk is scheduled for this Saturday morning, March 7 at 8:30AM. More HERE. Please consider participating and sharing. Check our area events calendar or with Kathy for schedule changes should weather be an issue.
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Monarchs and More! Funding and Work Party
 Our Chapter Board recently voted to increase funding for our 2014/2015 Focus Project. We now have close to $1200 to spread over five HMN pollinator sites and two partner sites towards signage, plants, fencing, and plant name plates. This money will also help fund the tour of our sites planned for August 15 to show off our work. These funds will even cover the purchase of materials to assemble 1000 milkweed seed sticks to distribute as part of our educational and outreach efforts.
Gail Napora has designed a clever way to encourage milkweed plantings through use of plant-able sticks with attached milkweed seeds and a bit of fertilizer to feed their growth. She is scheduling a work party to assemble these plant-able sticks en masse to supply our outreach and education needs for the year. Join this effort on Sunday afternoon, March 22 at Gail's house in Broadway. Contact Gail for details.
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Upcoming this month ...
 Wildflower Tournament 2015 Organizing Meeting and Continuing Education Opportunity, Monday, March 16, 6:15-8:00PM, Room 106, Building E, Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave. Contact Chip Brown.
 Chapter Awards Ceremony will precede the Wildflower Tournament 2015 Organizing Meeting above, 6:00PM, same location. To acknowledge volunteers for their achievements toward certification, re-certification and milestone hours.
 McCormick Farm's Marl Creek Trail Tree Planting with Charlie Huppuch, Tuesday, March 17, 10:00AM-2:00PM, McCormick Farm, Raphine. Contact Sandy Greene.
 Monarchs and More! Seed Stick Assembly Party, Sunday, March 22, 2:00PM. Broadway. Contact Gail Napora.
 HMN Adopt-a-Highway Trash Pick Up, Wednesday, March 25, 9:30-11:30AM. Please note this is a change of date from March 18. Bluestone Vineyards, 4828 Spring Creek Rd., Bridgewater. Contact Adrie Voors.
 Starry Nights Shenandoah Education Event, Saturday, March 28, 7:00-10:00PM, Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, James Madison University, 780 University Blvd., Harrisonburg. Contact Chip Brown. See more below.
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Watershed Hero!
 Headwaters Master Naturalists Chapter Adviser Paul Bugas was recently awarded the honor of Watershed Hero for 2014 by the Shenandoah Valley Pure Water Forum. Paul has many years of experience as a fisheries biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Among numerous other activities, he has been instrumental in organizing clean ups along the South River and last December's Shenandoah Summit. His enthusiasm for and dedication to the Headwaters Chapter of the VA Master Naturalists have been significant to our chapter's growth and strength.
Paul's award was accompanied by $200 which he has generously donated to the 2015 HMN Focus Project, Monarchs and More!
Not the first time his commitment to Virginia's natural resources has been recognized, Paul received Trout Unlimited's Conservationist of the Year Award in 2009.
Congratulations Paul! We are grateful for your leadership and award donation.
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Starry Nights Shenandoah
Event at Edith J Carrier Arboretum at JMU, March 28th
 Volunteer hours 7:00-10:00 PM
Event hours 7:30-9:45 PM
Starry Nights Shenandoah (formerly Starry Nights Harrisonburg) seeks 8 HMN volunteers to help to develop and run education stations focused on the importance of night skies free of light pollution, March 28th at 7:30 PM at the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at JMU.
Chip Brown will provide training and support for station development. This is the final event of a week of activities and talks highlighting the impacts of light pollution and the benefits of darkness and starry nights. The evening will also include story telling, poetry readings, celebration of Earth Hour, and, weather permitting, viewing the night sky through telescopes.
Sign up as a volunteer on the VMN-VMS website or contact Chip Brown (cbrown2001@gmail.com).
Photo credit Bryce Bradford, Flickr Creative Commons
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Chapter Outreach Events Schedule
Find an event near you and plan to join us!
Last fall, RoxAnna and Janet James developed an informational display about our chapter to use at tabling events. In addition to spreading the word on what we are all about, we have our Focus Project's Monarch and Pollinator message to deliver. We are looking forward to doing this through participation in several events over the year:
Saturday, April 11, Blacks Run Clean Up and Green Scene, Ralph Simpson Park, Harrisonburg, 9:00AM - 12:00PM,
Saturday, April 18, Earth Day Staunton, Byers St., Staunton, 9:00AM - 12:00PM
Sunday, April 19, Kites & Critters Day, Bells Lane, Staunton, 1:00-5:00PM
 Saturday, May 2, Riverfest, Constitution Park, Waynesboro,10:00AM- 4:30PM
Saturdays, June 27 and July 25, Harrisonburg Farmers Market, Turner Pavilion, 8:00AM-1:00PM
Saturday, September 26, International Fest, Hillandale Park, Harrisonburg, 12:00PM - 6:00PM
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WANTED: Display Board Donation
 Our chapter is in search of a tri-folding permanent display board on which to mount our lovely informational graphics for upcoming tabling events. Malcolm and Lynn Cameron have been generously allowing us use of their display board but we would like to own one. If anyone has one to donate to our chapter please contact RoxAnna or Adrie. THANK YOU!
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Quixote's Column
 Headwaters is a growing and evolving chapter. We are about to start our fourth basic training cohort this April. Should all thirteen trainees graduate, our chapter size could be fifty-three. We may be ready to move toward a more member centric governance as an interpretation of our current Bylaws prescribes. This column seeks to start a conversation about that possibility.
More on visions for our Chapter through our bylaws from RoxAnna HERE.
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 Resolutions Resolved! (cont'd):
Ready? ... Set, ... Go!
More on recording and tracking hours in the VMN Volunteer Management System from RoxAnna HERE.
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Save the Date!
 Wildflower Tournament 2015
Saturday, April 25th
note the new date, changed from May 9!
This is our annual, signature event to get everyone into the national forest on Shenandoah Mountain and see firsthand the natural treasures in our backyard.
See the results of last year's Tournament HERE.
Please contact Chip, cbrown2001@gmail.com, to sign up to volunteer!
Organizing meeting at BRCC on Monday evening, March 16 ... with Continuing Education!
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Mark these 2015 dates ...
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Saturday, August 15, 2015
Monarchs & More! Migration Tour of pollinator sites. Bus tour around the valley to show off the results of our year long 2014/2015 focus project. Nectar included!
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Saturday, November 7, 2015
HMN Annual Membership Meeting @ Buckhill Farm in Mt. Solon. Plan for a year in review, continuing education, and board elections.
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Headwaters Chapter Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, March 19, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
 @ North River Library
118 Mt. Crawford Avenue
Bridgewater
Find directions through Google maps HERE.
Note this location change! Normally held at the DGIF offices in Verona, the board will meet in Bridgewater for this month only.
All members welcome!
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 Wind your way HERE to view our calendar of Naturalist-related events in our area. Contact Adrie if you know of events to add to the calendar.
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