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Tree Identification Project at Cooks Creek Arboretum
 The Headwaters Chapter's 2015 Basic Training class has taken on a tree identification and labeling project at Cooks Creek Arboretum in Bridegwater to work on their naturalist skills ... and maybe help make these 8+ acres feel more like an arboretum than a park.
With the help of Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent Adam Downing, and with the hopes of enhancing park users' overall outdoor experience, they are marking many of the trees with etched metal tags from Plants Map. The tags include the tree name and a QR code directing smart phone users to information about the tree species. In addition, the VMN state program has arranged with Plants Map for VMN chapters to have a VMN logo on Plants Map signs they develop.
 About that state logo: "...we thought this would be a great way to market our program while providing some great educational resources to the community." - Alycia Crall, Virginia Master Naturalist Program Coordinator
Read more about this project from 2015 Training Class members HERE.
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May snapshots
Clockwise from upper left:
- HMN 2015 training class field trip to Paul State Forest, May 5
- Ann Murray works the crowd at Waynesboro's Riverfest, May 2
- HMN training class receiving instruction from Adam Downing at Cooks Creek Arboretum, May 7
- Duke Dog making an appearance at the HMN outreach table for JMU Employee Appreciation Day, May 14
- Chris and Art at Purcell Park's Pollinator Site, May 13
- Judy Tammi at Kate Collins Middle School Riverfest, not actually in May but close: April 30
- Milkweed sprout at our Purcell Park Site, May 13
- Janet Joseph at Natural Chimneys Pollinator Waystation, May 15
- Kate and the spring look of the habitat garden at the Wildlife Center, May 29
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Wildflower Walks and (Bio) Diversity Dash Update!
 Spring has so many distractions!
Please forgive the delay in getting this information to you.
A summary of the (common names of the) wildflowers (and other plants) that each group saw on their walks on April 25th is HERE.
What a great day! There seemed to be a good wildflower representation despite the chill and rain. Thanks for all of your efforts to make the day a great one.
If you still want to share some of your photos, please visit our website for options.
Thanks again and we hope to see you next year!
- Chip Brown, Wildflower Walks Coordinator
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Wildlife Center of Virginia Habitat Garden One Year Later
Find more photos and learn about frog life at the habitat pond created as part of the HMN 2013/2014 Focus Project from Kate HERE.
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Events for HMNs this month ...
 Saturday, June 6, 8:30-10:30AM, Birds of the Burg, Hillandale Park, Harrisonburg. Guided bird walk with HMN Kathy Byers and others. More here.
 Monday, June 8, 12-1PM, Monarchs Change Form!, JMU Arboretum Pavilion, Harrisonburg. Program by HMN Gail Napora. More here.
 Tuesday, June 9, 1-2PM, Plants and Pollinators with Dr. Stephen Buchmann, webinar. More information and registration here.
 Thursday, June 11, 2PM, Cooks Creek Arboretum Project Celebration, Cooks Creek Arboretum, Weeping Willow Lane, Bridgewater. Hosted by the 2015 HMN Training Class. Contact Peggy Plass.
 Wednesday, June 24, 12-1PM, Summer Brown Bag Lecture Series at JMU Arboretum, Harrisonburg. This first installment of a mostly weekly, six lecture series features JMU planetarium director Shanil Virani on light pollution. More here.
 Saturday, June 27, 8AM-1PM, Harrisonburg Farmers Market, HMN Outreach event, contact Adrie.
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 Congratulations to
HMN Betty Forrest,
JMU Arborteum 2015 Volunteer of the Year!
Betty oversees the shale barren garden and helps with adding new wildflowers to the arboretum’s exhibit inventory. She has also traveled to out of state nurseries to acquire wildflowers and transport them to the arboretum for planting. Betty began volunteering with the arboretum’s first Director, Dr. Norlyn Bodkin, when the arboretum was in its beginning phase.
Betty is part of the Headwaters first class which was held in 2011 and subsequently formed our chapter.
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 Watering and Weeding
Most of the planting is done. Our M&M! sites are now being monitored for watering and weeding needs. Follow their progress through the individual site links found HERE.
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 VSO Annual Meeting Success
Chair of the organizing committee, John Spahr reports on the Virginia Society of Ornithology's Annual Meeting at Wintergreen May 8-10 HERE.
Guess who made a welcome appearance?
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Center for Coldwaters Restoration has big plans!
 In mid May, the Headwaters Master Naturalist training class was introduced to the Center for Coldwaters Restoration (CCR) exhibit show room for a sampling of what promises to be a world class facility in downtown Waynesboro.
Read more about this project from Sandi Rose, Cohort IV, HERE.
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The State of Virginia's Environment
 On May 21, 2015, Adrie and I spent the day at the Environmental Symposium organized by the Virginia Academy of Sciences at their annual meeting held this year at James Madison University in Harrisonburg.
Read more from Carl Droms, Cohort II, HERE.
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 Ready? ... Set, ... Go!
I know how tempting it is when you are super busy with Chapter volunteer work but too long a delay will make it increasingly difficult to catch up. So please, take some time to enter those hours.
- RoxAnna Theiss
Find RoxAnna's numbers HERE.
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2015 Dates to Note:
 Saturday, August 15
Monarchs & More! Migration Tour of our newly created pollinator sites. A members and partners-only bus tour around the valley to show off the results of our year long 2014/2015 focus project. Others will be invited to meet us at the sites. We'll have lunch and a short membership meeting at Natural Chimneys Park.
 Saturday, August 29
Central Region 2015 VMN Regional Conference, Holiday Lake 4H Center, Appomattox, VA. Four one-day regional continuing education conferences are replacing a single state-wide conference this year. Headwaters Chapter is one of 8 chapters comprising the Central Region.
 Stay Tuned!
HMN Annual Membership Meeting originally scheduled for Saturday, November 7 @ Buckhill Farm in Mt. Solon will likely be re-scheduled to January 2016 to accommodate proposed changes to our bylaws. Plan for a year in review, continuing education, and board elections.
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 Connect with the Virginia Master Naturalist state program!
Get emailed notices of interest to you including the quarterly state newsletter, The Pollinator, directly from the Virginia Master Naturalist state program.
If you haven't already done so, sign up for these communications! Find the sign up page by clicking on the image to the right.
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Headwaters Chapter Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, June 18, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
 @ Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Office
517 Lee Highway, Verona
Find directions through Google maps HERE.
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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