2011 Volunteer Opportunities

Below is a list of projects and activities where Potomac Valley Master Naturalists will be this spring! You should plan to make sure you are involved in one or more of them! Remember the whole point of being a Master Naturalist is GIVING BACK to the community through volunteer time.

POTOMAC VALLEY MASTER NATURALISTS

Volunteer Opportunities-2011

PVAS Sponsored Events

Saturday April 2, PVAS is hosting an Open House at the NEW Flowing Springs Park in Ranson (near Home Depot). Many different activities are planned and we need volunteers to help with all of them! Activities include helping with tree plantings, leading bird/nature walks, stream sampling demonstrations, and possible invasive removal. There will also be a PVAS/PVMN contact table which will need volunteers to greet visitors, help providing refreshments, and talking about both organizations. Gloves, tools and refreshments will be provided to volunteers (and a t-shirt to thank you for all your hard work!) Hours are 11:00-4:00 p.m. and you can volunteer for all or part of that time. Contact Kristin Alexander to help: 304-274-0509.

Saturday, April 16, PVAS will be hosting a Wildflower Festival at the Yankauer Preserve
in northeast Berkeley County. We'll need some folks to help with children's activities, lead
walks, and lend a helping hand as required. Training in wildflowers is available before the big
day. The walks will be held on the hour from 11-3. Contact Kristin Alexander for more
information: 304-274-0509.

Sunday April 17, PVAS’s Annual Egg Hunt, 2-4 p.m. Help is needed in:
• putting out the eggs about 12:30 p.m.
• assisting with some of the activities (egg games, reading books, playing games, etc)
• baking cookies! We need several people to make 3 dozen cookies (your choice) and
drop them off at Yankauer Sunday morning. (The kids will be trading in their eggs for cookies and lemonade and there are lots of parents to feed.) Contact Ellen Murphy at 304-676-8739.

Saturday May 7, PVAS is participating in the Boonsboro GreenFest which is one of the best Earth Festivals in this area! Everything from solar energy systems to composting to fair trade products to heirloom tomato plants to special children's activities to recycling opportunities to clothing and children's book swaps will be featured throughout the park. We need volunteers to help with our contact booth. Time is 10:00-5:00 p.m. Contact Kristin Alexander to volunteer: 304-274-0509.


PVAS Educational Programs

Watershed Field Trips are scheduled for March and early April. All times are 8:30-1 p.m. We
need help with doing water quality testing, streambank assessment, and looking for critters in the water. We provide training, but this is not hard and it is fun!! Bring your own lunch. Contact Ellen Murphy at 304-676-8739

March 29 and March 31-Flowing Springs Park, Ranson WV
April 1-Mill Creek (across from Mountain Ridge Intermediate School), Inwood WV
April 5, 6, and 7-Cacapon River, near Great Cacapon WV
April 12 and 13-Back Creek (at Tomahawk Intermediate School), Hedgesville WV
April 8 and 14-Tuscarora Creek on E. John Street, Martinsburg WV
Watershed Planting Projects are the final service project for students in some watershed education programs. This year, we are planting at Mussleman, Martinsburg, and Jefferson
High Schools and in Berkeley Springs and Paw Paw! Contact Ellen Murphy: 304-676-8739.

April 14, Musselman High School Envirothon (7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.)
April 25, 26, 28 Warm Springs Intermediate School, Berkeley Springs (1:30-3:00 p.m. each day)
April 27, Paw Paw Schools (8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.)
May 6, Martinsburg High School (7:30-9:30 a.m.)
May 6, Jefferson High School (1:30-3:00 p.m.)

School Programs at Yankauer Programs are generally 8:30-1:30 p.m. We need 2 volunteers for EACH program. Contact Ellen Murphy: 304-676-8739.

Tuesday and Wednesday April 12 and 13, 2nd grade program (Plants vs. Animals)
Tuesday April 26, Kindergarten program (Insects)
Friday April 29, 1st grade program (Insects)
Thursday May, middle school hike, 2:00-3:30 p.m.


PVMN Sponsored Volunteer Opportunities

Saturday May 7; 10 a.m.-12 noon. Garlic Mustard Challenge at Yankauer You can be part of the Garlic Mustard Challenge sponsored by the US Forest Service. West Virginia is out to pull 20,000 pounds of the invasive weed. Contact Nan Johnson at gabbyvanv@frontier.com

Saturday June 4; 10 a.m.-12 noon. Mile-A-Minute Eradication (part 3) at Flowing Springs Park in Ranson Mile-A-Minute is a major invasive that we are trying to prevent from spreading. The new Flowing Springs Park is next to Home Depot in Ranson. Bring leather gloves and long pants as the weed is also called “Devil’s Tear-Thumb” for good reason! Contact Ellen Murphy at 304-676-8739.

Volunteer at Yankauer Nature Preserve or Eidolon Nature Preserve: There are always "self scheduled" projects as an option such as pulling invasives at Yankauer or Eidolon, adopting a flower garden at Yankauer, trimming trails, etc. Once you’re “up and running” with knowing what to do (and where), you can do projects as often as you li.ke to suit your own schedule
At Yankauer contact Tim Murphy at timurf@comcast.net for projects at Yankauer.
For Eidolon projects, contact Joe Gentile at 304-258-3197.
Kristin Alexander at pvasmail@aol.com can also answer questions.


West Virginia Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer at the Peter Burr Farm near Bardane/Kearneysville Volunteers are needed to: Conduct a plant species inventory; Identify invasive species; Remove invasive species; Develop a plan to introduce native species to be added over time to increase plant diversity; Remove some old fencing and piles of debris; Construct wire fence along Warm Springs Rd; Developing a plan and creating a nature trail. Regular work days are scheduled. Contact Nan Johnson at
gabbyvanv@frontier.com

Volunteer at the Cacapon State Park Nature Center Kelly Smith, Park Naturalist can use help doing everything from manning the nature center to feeding the snakes and turtles to leading hikes to helping with other projects that are going on. You can arrange a specific time during the week or on weekends, year round. Kelly can be reached at CacaponNaturalist@wvdnr.gov or by calling her at 304-258-1022 x5209.

WV Raptor Rehabilitation Centers: West Virginia’s two raptor rehabilitation centers in the
state occasionally need help working at their facilities constructing flight cages and performing
other tasks. If any MN student would like to earn more volunteer hours, he or she should
contact these centers.
West Virginia Raptor Rehabilitation Center, P.O. Box 333, Morgantown, WV 26507. Phone 1-800-540-6390, (304)-366-2867, Fax (304) 592-1482, email: raptor@wvrrc.org . Website: www.wvrrc.org .
Three Rivers Avian Center, HC 74 Box 279, Brooks, WV 25951, (304) 466-4683, email: ron@tracwv.org. Website: www.tracwv.org . Both raptor centers would appreciate any volunteer service you could provide.

Crayfishes in WV: Zach Loughman, Natural History Research Specialist at West Liberty State College, is running a statewide survey of the Crayfishes found in WV and would appreciate any help in collecting. Contact him at: Zachary J. Loughman, Natural History Research Specialist, Campus Service Center Box 139, West Liberty State College, West Liberty, WV, 26704, Phone: (304) 336-8923, Fax: (304) 336-8266, zloughman@westliberty.edu .

WVDNR Research Projects: Contact Keiran O’Malley at Romney and ask if he needs help on any surveys or other projects. (He teaches the PVMN Reptiles and Amphibian Class.) Contact him at kieranomalley@wv.gov

Bird Banding: Contact Bob Dean who bands locally and volunteer to help him. Contact Bob
at 304-754-3042 or BobDean52@gmail.com .

Fish Research Projects: Contact Vicki Blazer at the USGS National Fish Health Research Lab in Kearneysville WV. You’ll start out recording notes during research field work, but as you gain knowledge and experience, you can do more. Contact Vicki at fishdoc322@frontiernet.net .


Working With Children Volunteer Opportunities

Science Olympiad in Loudoun County VA: This event will take place in the school yard, classrooms, hallways, gymnasium and offices of Mountain View School (Purcellville VA) on June 7, 2011, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Students attending the programs will be fourth and fifth graders. Presenters are asked to conduct four 50-minute, hands-on/active learning sessions. A gourmet lunch will be provided by the PTA. Contact Jim Jenkins at jenkinsjim@att.blackberry.net. (Although this opportunity does not qualify for Volunteer Hours for WV Master Naturalists, it is an important even. Jim Jenkins is a Certified WVMN and a member of PVMN, so volunteer to help just to be nice!)

Tigers on the Trail at Harpers Ferry: This program with students at Harpers Ferry Middle School is designed to get the students outside and physically active by using the trails around Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. Volunteers lead the hikes and can choose the trail, theme, and the date. The park will find a classroom that matches your availability, trail difficulty level, and theme. Themes can be anything from physical fitness to history to natural history to recreation. The focus is not content, but to get the kids outdoors, get students active, introduce them to the resources in their backyard, and give them a positive experience in nature. Of course Master Naturalists will have LOTS to share along the way, and for your volunteer hours, some sort of natural history theme would be appropriate. For more information about the program, contact Amber Kraft, Education Specialist at Amber_Kraft@nps.gov or 304-535-6293.

Opequon Creek Project workshop for MN Credits

If any of you did not attend this workshop last year when Laura presented it as a MN elective, you can still get class credit for the presentation this year. It's really interesting!


The Opequon Creek Project Team is pleased to announce our guest speaker for Wednesday, March 2, 2011, will be Laura from the Outfitter at Harpers Ferry and The Outfitter's General Store. Her presentation will be, "The History of the Beaver in WV". WV beavers were responsible for creating wetlands that provided natural habitat and helped capture, filter and clean water before it entered the Chesapeake Bay.

The Opequon Creek Project Team general meeting is held the first Wednesday of each month, except July and August, at 6:00 p.m. at the P.S.S.D. facility on District Way, off Edwin Miller Blvd. in Martinsburg. General meetings are open to the public and attendance is encouraged by members.

Directions:

From I-81 - take exit 16 East onto Edwin Miller Blvd (Rt 9). Turn left just past Sheetz on District Way (between Daily Grind and United Bank). PSSD building is on the left at end of street, a PSSD sign is on front door. The conference room is the door to your immediate left upon entering lobby.

Earth Day Volunteer Opportunity

If you are interested in a fun VH opportunity, there are a couple of Earth Day events coming up that PVMN have been involved in, in past years. One is the ArtBerkeley Festival at War Memorial Park on April 16 from 10-4 p.m.

The other is the Earth Day Festival at Morgan Grove Park in Shepherdstown, April 23 from 12 noon-8 p.m.

In the past, we have had children’s activities, but we can do just a Master Naturalist contact booth as well. If you are interested, you can let me know and I can make sure you have access to the displays.


Those who are interested would be responsible for set up, manning the booth/activity, and taking stuff down. You could certainly share duties and time commitments. We would put all in touch with those who volunteer.

Peter Burr Farm Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteers needed for PVAS MN Burr Farm projects
Kickoff Date: February 26, 2011 at 10 AM
Contact: Nan Johnson, gabbyvanv@frontier.com
Location: Burr Farm, Kearneysville off Rt 9, Edmond Rd to Peter Burr Street (near Shamrock Lighting)

MN help is requested to assist at Burr Farm. Volunteers are needed to:
    Conduct a plant species inventory
    Identify invasive species
    Remove invasive species
    Develop a plan to introduce native species to be added over time to increase plant diversity
    Remove some old fencing and piles of debris
    Construct wire fence along Warm Springs Rd
    Developing a plan and creating a nature trail


Please let Nan Johnson know if you are interested in volunteering for any of these projects at Burr Farm

Background: PVAS was approached by Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission to assist with improvements at  Peter Burr Farm in Bardane.   The group is interested in developing a nature trail on the property that highlights its natural features which include wetland, grassland, and others.  PVAS has been invited to hold a summer camp on the property this summer as well as host bird walks and other nature oriented activities.

Burr Farm history:  http://jeffersoncountyhlc.org/peterburrhouse.html

Become a Project Wild Facilitator

If any of you are interested in becoming Project Wild facilitators (where you present the training to others), there is information about a free training below.

On behalf of the WV Wildlife Resources Section, I’d like to invite you to become a part of the Project WILD family. As the new state Project WILD Coordinator, I am recruiting and training a core of Project WILD facilitators from around the state to help lead workshops in their local area. This is a great opportunity for you to share your enthusiasm for learning about wildlife. The fun facilitator training is free and includes an overnight stay at Jackson’s Mill, complete with lodging and meals. The dates for the training are May 21-22, 2011. It will begin with dinner on Saturday and end after lunch on Sunday. You would need to provide transportation to and from Jackson’s Mill, located eight miles off I-79 near Weston.

You have been invited because of your interest in teaching people about wildlife. The workshop will consist of training in facilitator skills, review of the curriculum materials, and conducting hands-on activities. We will be working mostly with original Project WILD K-12 and Growing Up WILD for ages 3-7 this year. If it has been a while since you worked with the project WILD family, check out: www.projectwild.org and www.projectwild.org/GrowingUpWILD.htm . As a facilitator, you will be expected to lead one workshop a year (or more if you would like). This is a very flexible volunteer opportunity, so you can volunteer when it works best for you.

I need to confirm my tentative reservations soon, so I’m asking you to consider the invitation and call or email me within the next two weeks. I look forward to hearing from you and hope you decide to be a part of the West Virginia WILD family.


Karen McClure
WVDNR Wildlife Resources
4300 First Avenue, Suite 100
Nitro, WV 25143
Voice: 304-759-070
Fax: 304-759-0705

WV Environmental Education Association Conference

If you have not been to the WV Environmental Education Association Conference, you should think about it! Visit http://www.wveea.org/ for complete information. In particular, you may want to note that both Flying Wild and Growing Up Wild seminars will be offered. Each of these is 6 hours of class time and neither of them is in the immediate future for PVMN to offer. (Other sessions, while shorter, also count for recertification hours.) In addition, Wanda Miller will be presenting the graphic results of our “Body Farm” at Yankauer during last summer’s camp. Several other MN from our chapter will be going and if you are looking for a ride, let us know. We might be able to connect you with someone.


Stay tuned for information on PVMN’s participation in the Great Garlic Mustard Eradication Challenge, coming to Yankauer this spring!!

Ellen and Wanda

Leave No Trace Training for MN credits

As promised, Leave No Trace Training will be offered through Jefferson County Adult Education this spring. The class date is March 22 with the overnight to be announced at that time. Clark Dixon will be leading the session.

To register, go to the Jefferson County school website for Adult and Community Ed. On the left margin there are links to the Winter Catalog. That will bring up the entire booklet. The training is listed on page 11. There is a registration form in the booklet.

You can also find the booklet around the Jefferson County area, particularly in the schools.

If you have any questions about this course, email Clark Dixonconsultants@aol.com