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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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…
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Laurels for Martina Coker
In 2019, Eastern Shore Master Naturalist Martina Coker joined with a small group to establish the Edward S. Brinkley Nature Preserve, on land once slated to become a golf course. Since then she has been instrumental in developing the preserve into a rich and varied habitat that is visitor friendly for humans and wildlife alike.…
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ESMNs Training to be Flora of Virginia Ambassadors
The Flora of Virginia (FOV) and the Flora App, developed based on research by the Virginia Division of Natural Heritage and the Virginia Botanical Associates, are the definitive botanical catalogs and reference manuals for the state’s native, naturalized, and invasive plants. Virginia Master Naturalists and other organizations have partnered with the Flora Board on an …
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Fern Seep Observations
Fern Seep is located on Occohannock Creek where the creek’s brackish salinity continues to freshen as it bears north towards its origin close to the Virginia Tech Extension office in Painter. Seeps are an unusual hydrological feature that support a variety of ferns and other water-loving species. The seeps attract plant life that thrives in…
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ESMN Education and Outreach Committee Supports Earth and Arbor Day Events
The Eastern Shore Master Naturalist’s Education and Outreach Team has been out and about during the month of April. They set up tables at the Exmore: Return to Our Roots festival and the ANEC’s Arbor Day and customer celebration. Chapter members volunteered at the Plant Eastern Shore Natives, Eastern Shore Bird Club, and ESMN tables. All conveyed the importance…
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Chapter in the News
The fall Basic Training Course has been announced in the Cape Charles Mirror and on p. 19 of this week’s Eastern Shore Post .
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The ESMN 2024 Basic Training Course will soon be filled. Apply now if you are interested.
The ESMN Basic Training Course (BTC) is the first step in becoming a master naturalist with our chapter and covers the background knowledge and skills to prepare you for your VMN volunteer service. This includes a wide range of topics such as botany, ecology, and mammalogy, with an emphasis on the nature and natural resources…
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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…
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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…
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ESMN Adds 21 Members
Twenty one students graduated as Eastern Shore of Virginia Master Naturalists after completing the Basic Training Course on November 9th. The course combined classroom instruction and field work throughout the Eastern Shore. Diverse topics were taught by leading experts and including subjects such as barrier island and coastal ecology, botany, mammalogy and others. Class venues…