Category: NAP

  • CCNAP Stewardship Report

    CCNAP Stewardship Report

    March 22, 2025 Master naturalists perform stewardship duties at the Eastern Shore Natural Area Preserves that are open to the public. Volunteer Bob Suppa reports on his recent spring stewardship walk at the Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve. It was Saturday and a perfect third day of spring as the sun was shining, a few…

  • Magothy Bay NAP Annual Trail Maintenance Day

    Magothy Bay NAP Annual Trail Maintenance Day

    Each spring, ESMN volunteers from the Eastern Shore Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists work alongside DCR Natural Heritage Stewardship staff to trim back vegetation encroaching on the trail through an area of the preserve that was restored by planting thousands of native shrubs in 2009 and 2010. On June 4, four DCR DNH staff…

  • ESMN and DCR Lead Interpretative Walks

    ESMN and DCR Lead Interpretative Walks

    For the second consecutive spring, Eastern Shore Master Naturalists and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation National Heritage Stewardship staff led interpretative walks at local nature preserves in collaboration with the Academy for Lifetime Learning (ALL). ALL is an all-volunteer organization of individuals who share their interests and life experiences to provide a rich and…

  • Planting Natives at Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve

    Planting Natives at Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve

    On Wednesday, April 10th, eight ESMN volunteers and four DCR Coastal Region stewardship staff planted an assortment of 163 native forbs, ferns, and shrubs and 48 plugs of American Beachgrass Calamagrostis breviligulata at Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve. Three weeks previously, invasive species were removed for threeconsecutive days, and this area was the focus of…

  • Planting Beachgrass at Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area Preserve

    Planting Beachgrass at Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area Preserve

    With 24 flats of American Beachgrass (Calamagrostis breviligulata) to plant we formed a circle as our leader Eastern Shore Master Naturalist Chapter Advisor and Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Coastal Region Steward and Regional Supervisor, Shannon Alexander, had us briefly introduce ourselves and described both the best beachgrass planting techniques as well as why we were all there in the first place. Our goal was to help with dune restoration…