Eastern Shore Master Naturalists
Managing and preserving the Eastern Shore of Virginia’s natural resources and natural areas through education, outreach, citizen science, and stewardship.
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What’s that Bird?
“Where? I don’t see it.” “In the reeds there. Behind the egret.” “Which egret? All I see are white ibis” “To the far right. It’s very dark, blends in.” “It’s a white-faced ibis! No, maybe it’s a glossy ibis?” “At this time of year?” In the shallow freshwater pools on Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, November 22, a huddle of white ibis were probing the…
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New Brinkley Stewards
We have five new stewards at Brinkley! We met last week for orientation and introductions and a walk around the preserve. They all Knew each other as they are Class of 2025 graduates. Lots of Cananda Geese on the pond along with a few buffleheads, hooded mergansers, and a black duck or two. Sparrows…
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Magothy Bay NAP Workday
Excerpted from Frank Renshaw’s report to DCR. Four MBNAP stewards and two VCR staff members participated in a Japanese Honeysuckle Pull session at the Preserve on Nov. 17th. Removal was limited to the main trail near the Preserve entrance. The removed debris was loaded in a DCR pickup and hauled to the Northampton County Landfill…
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Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area Preserve Stewardship Work Day
On Monday November 3rd, volunteers (ESMNS Jim McDaniel, Rose-Marie Roessler, and Tom Young and James Roessler) joined DCR staff (Will Mears and Jennifer Madden) to manually remove invasive species at Savage Neck Dunes NAP. English Ivy was snipped around the bases of affected trees, with large vines cut and treated with herbicide by DCR staff.…
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ESMNs Support Project Horizons
On October 22, Abby Gale, Amy Lines, Barb O’Hare, and Nancy Biegel volunteered with a unique field trip experience called A Day at the Lab. It was the second year that the University of Virginia’s Center for Coastal Research hosted 21 local youth to showcase potential careers in environmental sciences and coastal ecology research. Students…
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ESMNs Recognized for Service Achievements
At the September 17th chapter meeting members Kathy Augustine, Debra Baxter, Jeanne Black, Greg Felthousen, and Melissa Rollosson were recognized by the state program office for achieving their initial certification. These members performed at least 40 hours of volunteer service and completed at least 8 hours of continuing education within a year of completing the…
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ESMNs Support STEAM Event
The Education Outreach Committee has completed the first fair of the Autumn season. We attended the STEAM (Science, Technology. Engineering, Agriculture, and Math) event hosted by the Mary N. Smith Alumni Association. The focus of the STEAM fair was a day of discovery and innovation. The ESMN committee created tree ring necklaces and “spinners”…
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ESMNs Count Butterflies for Science!
On August 3, ESMNs and others gathered to participate in the North American Butterfly Association’s (NABA) annual count for North Northampton County. Established a few years ago by member Carolyn McGavock, this count is conducted in a 15-mile radius in the northern part of Northampton County. Participants count at various locations in the specified area.…
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Magothy Bay and Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area Preserves Maintenance and Clean-up
Each spring, chapter members 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. This year, on Thursday May 22nd, four DNH staff and seven volunteers were able to ensure safe traverse of the…
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ESMNs and DCR Host A.L.L. Trips
For the third consecutive spring, as part of a course organized by the Academy for Lifetime Learning (A.LL.), interpretive walks were held at preserves in the DCR Coastal Region during the month of May. This year we collaborated on five interpretive walks. With the addition of Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve, all four of the…