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Wildflower Walks and Diversity Dash 2015
 Saturday, April 25
2 walks at 10 am
2 walks at 1 pm
Free sign-up at headwatersmn.org
After a long winter, what better way to celebrate warmer days than to hit the trails in search of spring wild flowers. And really there is no better place to start your search than the trails of Shenandoah Mountain. Have you ever seen the fringe on the fringed polygala? Smelled the foul flower of wild ginger? Admired the slim stalks and blue beauty of the bluets? These are just a few of the wildflowers you might encounter on the naturalist-led walks hosted by the Headwaters Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists.
On April 25th, the Headwaters Master Naturalists will host several wildflower walks on Shenandoah Mountain in the George Washington National Forest. Choose from several trails that vary in difficulty and habitat. All of the walks will be led by a Master Naturalist and accompanied by knowledgeable individuals familiar with the wildflowers and trails.
Bring your camera so you can capture the fleeting beauty for our Diversity Dash. Which trail shows the most diversity and unique plants? What image can you capture that best represents the diverse and unique habitats of Shenandoah Mountain? No prizes, but all photos will be displayed on the Headwaters Master Naturalist photo website. And don’t worry, no need to run to participate in the Diversity Dash! Just bring your enthusiasm for finding as many wildflowers as you can in a short amount of time!
 These guided walks are free, but registration is required. Please visit the Headwaters Master Naturalist web site, headwatersmn.org, to choose a walk and to register.
If you are a Master Naturalist and are interested in volunteering for the hikes, sign up on the VMN-VMS website or contact Chip Brown (cbrown2001@gmail.com)
This event is supported by the Virginia Native Plant Society - Shenandoah Chapter, the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at James Madison University, and Friends of Shenandoah Mountain.
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Trainees (in Waiting) Take Trip to the National Natural History Museum
 Tuesday, March 24, 2015, was – for most people just another day. But I had been looking forward to it for months. It was the day when the Headwaters Chapter Trainees-in-Waiting (TiW) were taking a special field trip to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. One of the TiW, Byron Hukee, had made arrangements with an old friend of his to get us behind the scenes in the Divisions of Mammals and Birds. ...
Find photos and read more about this trip from Elaine Smith HERE.
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 Headwaters Starts Its Fourth Cohort!
On April 2nd the class of 2015 got its official start. ...
Read RoxAnna's perspective of the day HERE.
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Clockwise from top left: Ann C., Ann M. and Chris at Project Grows site; Jerry and Dwayne along Marl Creek Trail; Stick-a-Seed assembly at Gail's house; tree planting crew at Marl Creek Trail; Chip, Gretchen and Stephanie at the Wildflower Walk organizing meeting; Adopt-a-Hwy trash pick up crew; and Darrin Lunde treating Cohort IV and Judy to a look at Smithsonian archived specimens.
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Upcoming HMN events ...
We could use your volunteer help at any and all these events! Contact the contacts!
 Blacks Run Green Scene, chapter outreach
Saturday April 11, 9:00AM-12:00PM, Ralph Sampson Park,
431 E. Washington St., Harrisonburg. Contact Adrie Voors. ahvoors@gmail.com
 Earth Day Staunton, chapter outreach
Saturday April 18, 9:00AM-12:00PM, Byers St., Staunton. Contact Sandy Greene. greenes104@aol.com
 Kites and Critters Day on Poague Run, outreach and education Sunday, April 19, 12:00-5:00PM, Carolyn Ford Farm off Bells Lane, Staunton. Contact Sandy Greene.
 Riverfest Kate Collins Middle School Field Trip
Tuesday, April 21, 8:00AM-2:30PM, Constitution Park, downtown Waynesboro. Contact Sandy Greene.
 Wildflower Walks and Diversity Dash 2015
Saturday, April 25, 10:00AM and 1:00PM, Shenandoah Mountain. Contact Chip Brown. cbrown2001@gmail.com Weblink here.
 Monday, April 27, Peak at the Bay Pond Study for Cub Run Elementary, after school program for students grades 4 and 5. Contact Sandy Greene.
 Wednesday, April 29, Peak at the Bay Macroinvertebrate Study, after school program for students grades 4 and 5. Contact Sandy Greene.
 Saturday May 2, 9AM-5PM, Riverfest, Constitution Park, Waynesboro. Contact Sandy Greene.
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Sandy says:
 "We need as many people to sign up as possible for these days, to divide up the display time, to interact with the public. Headwaters Master Naturalists need to be out there for conservation stewardship, education and citizen science in April; this is what we were created to do!
Every member should choose at least one of these events, dust off your name tag, proudly wear your t-shirt and fulfill our promises! The Pollinator Waystation /Monarchs and More display and seedstick handouts will be fun and popular, and it's a chance to talk to interested people about all the concepts and places we love! Thanks so much! "
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Chapter Awards and Certifications
 The Wildflower Walks Organizational meeting at the Blue Ridge Community College on Monday evening, March 16th afforded the chapter the opportunity to formally recognize some of our volunteer members' accomplishments and hand out signed certifications, re-certification pins and milestone awards.
Paul Bugas recognized the following members for the following accomplishments:
Initial certification/signed certificate:
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Bob Forrest
Janet James
Eric Jones
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Janet Joseph
Gail Napora
Kathy Romig
Andy Sale
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Chip Brown
Chris Bowlen (2nd)
Carl Droms
Betty Forrest
Betty Gatewood
Kate Guenther
Sandy Greene (2nd)
Jerry Hopkins
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Dwayne Martin
Pat Martin
Ann Murray
Stephanie Gardner (2nd)
Judy Tammi
RoxAnna Theiss (2nd )
Adrie Voors
Penny Warren (2nd)
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Milestone awards:
Kate Guenther - 500 hours
Dwayne Martin - 250 hours
Ann Murray - 250 hours
RoxAnna Theiss - 500 hours + 1000 hours
Penny Warren - 500 hours
The rest of the our time was spent on learning and organizing for our 3rd Annual Wildflower Walk happening on Saturday, April 25th.
- RoxAnna
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Bell's Birds
 Augusta Bird Club President and HMN Penny Warren will lead a series of morning birding walks beginning late April and through mid May on Bell's Lane in Staunton (entrance off of Rt.11, near the VDOT headquarters) to check out spring migrants, warblers being the main focus in May, returning grassland birds and summer residents.
The first two walks that are scheduled will be on Monday, April 27th and Friday, May 1st from 8-10AM.You can always look on the Augusta Bird Club website for scheduled field trips.
Augusta Bird Club Meeting
Monday, April 13th, 7:00 PM
Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2001 N. Coalter Street, Staunton
Guest Speaker: Steve Rannels, Naturalist and Photographer
Topic: Birding Ethiopia
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Quixote's Column
 Did you know our Bylaws are actually quite an interesting document? It’s a document with a history, some intrigue and the potential to be a boon or a bomb! Spoiler alert: there is a bonus at the bottom of the column.
For instance, did you know that the governance of the chapter provided for in our Bylaws rests with the Chapter membership? It’s true . . . no joke!
Find all of April's Quixote's Column from RoxAnna HERE.
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 Ready? ... Set, ... Go!
RoxAnna is continuing to track our VMN-VMS logging activity. Please take the time to log all your hours: volunteer service, administrative work, and continuing education hours!
Find the 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-only bus tour around the valley to show off the results of our year long 2014/2015 focus project. We'll have lunch and a short membership meeting at Natural Chimneys.
 Saturday, August 29
Central Region 2015 VMN Reguional 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.
 Saturday, November 7
HMN Annual Membership Meeting @ Buckhill Farm in Mt. Solon. Plan for a year in review, continuing education, and board elections.
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More Chapter outreach events this year:
 Thursday, May 14, JMU Employee Appreciation Day Community Service Fair, JMU Festival Center, Harrisonburg. 11AM-2PM
Saturdays, June 27 and July 25, Harrisonburg Farmers Market, Turner Pavilion, 8AM-1PM
Saturday, September 26, International Fest, Hillandale Park, Harrisonburg, 12PM - 6PM
Plan to join us! Contact Adrie or Jerry.
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A Way With Words
 Pondering the populace's propensity to inappropriately plant personal property, we picked up plentiful pieces, when the Port-A-Potty people pulled up, then passed, perfectly placed to appear in the picture.
- Josie Kinkade, pickup crew
photo by Carl Droms, March 25
HMN Adopt-a-Hwy trash pickup with Kate Guenther and Mary Adkins
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Headwaters Chapter Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, April, 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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