Eastern Shore Master Naturalists were busy in 2024. Motivated by a desire to protect our natural resources via stewardship, support scientific inquiry, and educate our community, it is a privilege to be a part of this select group, and to have the knowledge and opportunity to serve as we do.
Because our efforts require specialized training, we are not a large organization. Yet we are mighty! Last year, 98 of our volunteers logged 8,777 hours their time and effort all along the shore, including 1,514 hours supporting our sponsoring agencies.
Our chapter has 27 partners on the Eastern Shore. Chapter partners include non-profits, educational, government, research institutions, and related organizations. Master naturalists provided support to these organizations in many different areas, allowing them to continue offering or even expanding their programs and services in ways that would not have been otherwise possible.
We showed up in a big way for our largest partner; dedicating 2,902 hours to volunteer efforts at the national wildlife refuges in our region. That’s the equivalent of one and a half highly skilled full time staff members!
Master Naturalists’ efforts fall into three major categories: Community Education and Outreach, Science, and Stewardship.
Last year, ESMN’s volunteered 3,209 hours for Education and Outreach. This includes staffing tables at numerous Eastern Shore events, offering their knowledge at the Academy of Lifetime Learning, assisting or leading school and group tours, and welcoming visitors to our public lands. Master naturalists enjoyed interacting with both adults and children to help raise awareness on important issues.
We did lot to support science in 2024, contributing 2,284 hours to counting, measuring, identifying, and tracking our natural world. We counted mammals, surveyed birds, recorded precipitation, assessed turtle numbers, flagged for ticks, and more! These activities provide precious data, allowing us to better understand our natural world and how it is changing.
ESMN’s spend a lot of time outside, working to preserve and enhance our public lands and Eastern Shore habitat. We dedicated 2,231 hours to these stewardship activities. Performing services like removing invasive species, restoring habitat with native plants, sea grass restoration, and maintaining public use trails.
On top of our front-line efforts, we also spent 1,053 hours on chapter leadership and administration activities. These activities go on “behind the scenes” but are so important to a successful organization. These efforts included serving as a board or committee member, effecting chapter communications and publicity, and all the work behind the annual Basic Training Class. Eighteen new master naturalists graduated this year, adding to the ESMN volunteer resource.
It’s 2025 and master naturalists are already busy volunteering in the new year. But it’s important to take a moment, look back, and celebrate the efforts that master naturalists have made, and continue to make, here on the Eastern Shore. We can all be very proud of what we accomplished, and thankful to have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference.
ESMN 2024 At A Glance:
- 98 Active volunteers
- 8,777 Volunteer hours, total, comprising:
- 3,209 Education and Outreach hours
- 2,284 Science and citizen science hours
- 2,231 Stewardship hours
- 1,053 Leadership and management hours