SAVE the DATE!

Plan to join us as we celebrate the conclusion of the 2023 BTC class. Yay!

Sunday, December 17, 2023
2:00-5:00 pm

St. John’s Episcopal Church
Warsaw, VA

Look for more information as we get closer to the event.

Mark your calendars. More info to come.

Public Volunteer Opportunity

International Coastal Cleanup/
Clean VA Waterways

We are looking for a few volunteers to pick up trash along trails and beach at Hughlett Point Natural Area Preserve located between Kilmarnock and Burgess on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

Next scheduled date for pickup is October 19th. We will meet at the parking area at 7:30 am. Bags will be provided. Please bring your own gloves, pickup tongs and bottled water.

If interested, please contact Bob Dunstan (734-904-1643 or robertwdunstan@yahoo.com)  Thanks!

Driving directions: From Kilmarnock, go north on VA 200 towards Burgess. Turn right onto VA 606. Turn right at the Shiloh schoolhouse onto VA 605. Follow VA 605 to the preserve.

For more information about HPNAP: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/pghughlett.pdf

CHAPTER & PUBLIC PROGRAM

The Anthropocene Naturalist

Please join us for an in-person program and conversation with Doug Dwoyer, the Anthropocene Naturalist.

You may have heard the word Anthropocene lately, referring to the proposed new age in geologic time. Doug, a Certified Master Naturalist from the Middle Peninsula Chapter, will share his view as a naturalist and what an Anthropocene age might mean to us. This program will also be available via Zoom.

Thursday, October 12 at 6-7:30 pm 

IN-PERSON

Lancaster Community Library
downstairs meeting room
16 Town Centre Drive
Kilmarnock, VA 22482  

Belle Isle will burst with fall activities, Saturday, October 7th. The day begins with a 5K Walk/Run and more. NNMN will host activities for naturalists of all ages

10:30 am - 12:30 pm at the Picnic Shelter: Northern Neck Master Naturalists will join other community organizations at the picnic shelter with activities for naturalists of all ages.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm at the Visitors Center: Monarch butterfly identification, migration & tagging will take place at the Visitors Center.

Belle Isle State Park, 1632 Belle Isle Rd., Lancaster, VA 22503.
Picnic Area

https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2022-09-08-10-31-40-628733-tdl

Annual George Washington Birthplace
FALL Butterfly Count

Jeff Wright, 703-801-0239
Compiler for the Northumberland-Lancaster, the George Washington Birthplace Butterfly Counts and Co-Compiler for the Dragon Run Butterfly Count

NNMN: Log your hours in Better Impact (BI): 
CS Wildlife COUNTING
Butterfly and Moth Count

NEW Count for 2023

First Annual Dragon Run
SUMMER Butterfly Count

Detailed information for each count and how to sign-up will be sent out at least six weeks in advance of the dates of the event. Check back.

Jeff Wright, 703-801-0239
Compiler for the Northumberland-Lancaster, the George Washington Birthplace Butterfly Counts and Co-Compiler for the Dragon Run Butterfly Count

NNMN: Log your hours in Better Impact (BI): 
CS Wildlife COUNTING
Butterfly and Moth Count

Annual Northumberland-Lancaster
SUMMER Butterfly Count

Detailed information for each count and how to sign-up will be sent out at least six weeks in advance of the dates of the event. Check back.

Jeff Wright, 703-801-0239
Compiler for the Northumberland-Lancaster, the George Washington Birthplace Butterfly Counts and Co-Compiler for the Dragon Run Butterfly Count

NNMN: Log your hours in Better Impact (BI): 
CS Wildlife COUNTING
Butterfly and Moth Count

Annual George Washington Birthplace
SUMMER Butterfly Count

Detailed information for each count and how to sign-up will be sent out at least six weeks in advance of the dates of the event. Check back.

Jeff Wright, 703-801-0239
Compiler for the Northumberland-Lancaster, the George Washington Birthplace Butterfly Counts and Co-Compiler for the Dragon Run Butterfly Count

NNMN: Log your hours in Better Impact (BI): 
CS Wildlife COUNTING
Butterfly and Moth Count

Finding Butterflies and Skippers and the
Host Plants They Need and Love

Tuesday 13 June, 7:00PM to 8:30PM via Zoom

We will be conducting the Butterfly ID workshop via a Video Conference using Zoom.

Facilitators for the workshop are Betsy Washington and Jeff Wright. The workshop will attempt to upgrade all of our knowledge about both Butterfly IDs, Skipper IDs, and Plant IDs.

The workshop will cover field identification of butterflies and skippers and the host plants and habitats they need and love.

The material has been upgraded and expanded from what was used in previous Workshop.

Participation in the workshop will be limited to 75 folks.  Please let Jeff Wright know if you are interested and he will make sure you are on the invitation to the Zoom event on 13 June.

— Jeff Wright, 703-801-0239,
Compiler for the Northumberland-Lancaster, the George Washington Birthplace Butterfly Counts and Co-Compiler for the Dragon Run Butterfly Count

Approved for Continuing Education

SAVE THE DATES

• 30 May 2023 (Tuesday)
  Annual Northumberland-Lancaster
  Spring Butterfly Count

• 13 June 2023 (Tuesday) 7:00PM to 8:30PM -
  BUTTERFLY IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOP via ZOOM

• 27 June 2023 (Tuesday)
  Annual George Washington Birthplace
  Summer Butterfly Count

• 25 July 2023  (Tuesday)
  Annual Northumberland-Lancaster
  Summer Butterfly Count

• 22 August 2023 (Tuesday)
  First Annual Dragon Run
  Summer Butterfly Count - New Count for 2023

• 26 September 2023 (Tuesday)
  Annual George Washington Birthplace
  Fall Butterfly Count

Detailed information for each count and how to sign-up will be sent out at least six weeks in advance of the dates of the event.

— Jeff Wright, 703-801-0239, Compiler for the Northumberland-Lancaster, the George Washington Birthplace Butterfly Counts and Co-Compiler for the Dragon Run Butterfly Count

Log your volunteer hours and travel time in Better Impact.
CS Wildlife Counting, Butterfly and Moth Count

*******************

Additional Count Opportunities: In addition to these counts on Tuesdays there will also be counts on the weekends such as the Annual Middle-Peninsula Butterfly Count and the Annual Williamsburg Butterfly Count.  There are also many other counts throughout Virginia. The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) website has information and contact info for many of the counts in Virginia and nation-wide https://naba.org/butter_counts.html

Annual Northumberland-Lancaster
SPRING Butterfly Count

Detailed information for each count and how to sign-up will be sent out at least six weeks in advance of the dates of the event. Check back.

Jeff Wright, 703-801-0239
Compiler for the Northumberland-Lancaster, the George Washington Birthplace Butterfly Counts and Co-Compiler for the Dragon Run Butterfly Count

NNMN: Log your hours in Better Impact (BI): 
CS Wildlife COUNTING
Butterfly and Moth Count

Workshop RSVP: In preparation for the waterfowl count there will be a 75 minute workshop on 30 January at 7:00PM.  The ZOOM session will cover a series of identification tips for some of the most challenging waterfowl and water birds we might see.  Please let me know if you would like to participate in the workshop.

Jeff

Jeff Wright
Compiler for the Winter Waterfowl Count

pec11908@mac.com

Approved for Master Naturalist CE credit

Volunteer Opportunity

Join the Christmas Bird Count and add to a century of citizen science

Every year from mid-December to early January, tens of thousands of volunteers across the country brave the weather to take part in the Christmas Bird Count. This tradition started on Christmas Day in 1900, and this year’s count is the 123rd. The National Audubon Society oversees the Count and collects the data for use by conservation biologists, wildlife agencies and other interested persons to study the health of bird populations across North America.

When: Sunday, December 18, 7:00 AM
(Don't let the early morning start keep you away, you are welcome to join and leave as you please)

What: Be a part of the George Washington Birthplace circle of the national Christmas Bird Count here on Rappahannock River Valley NWR.

Where: On the Wilna Unit, meet at the office building (336 Wilna Road, Warsaw, VA 22572)

Requirements: Whether you have birding experience or are a novice interested in learning more about this fun past time, all are welcome!

What to Bring: warm clothes, water/snacks/lunch for yourself, and binoculars (we have a limited amount to lend for the day if you do not own a pair).

RSVP: Contact Melissa Gross at MelissaGross@outlook.com or call 301-980-2717 if you are interested!

Volunteer Opportunity

Hickory Hollow Natural Area Preserve is owned by the Northern Neck Chapter of the National Audubon Society, the oldest Audubon Chapter in Virginia. As most of you know, it is part of the Virginia’s Division of Natural Heritage Natural Area Preserve System.

Every so often NN Audubon holds a cleanup day in which we ask for help with oversight by walking trails and identifying any issues, collecting any litter, trimming small branches along a trail, identifying areas with nonnative invasive plants, ensuring all trails are properly marked and such. The most important thing is easy – people to walk the trails and make notes of anything they see that needs attention.

On Wednesday, December 7th, at 1 pm we will meet in the parking lot at Hickory Hollow, off Regina Road, in Lancaster and spend a few minutes assigning folks to trails. If you wish to bring clippers, that would be great but coming and just walking, making notes of issues is the first priority. We will have maps, notepads, and such. 

This will count toward NNMN volunteer stewardship hours.

We plan to spend a maximum of two hours and, if anyone is interested, maybe take another hour for a guided nature walk in the Preserve. This cleanup is in preparation for a New Year’s Day public walk to see Virginia’s earliest blooming plant – Skunk Cabbage. More on that later. 

Questions – comments – or just let us know you plan to come - please email NNAudubon@gmail.com. 

Kevin Howe
President, Northern Neck Chapter of Virginia, National Audubon Society
Certified Northern Neck Master Naturalist

Come walk the perimeter of the property and help mark new trails.. Supplies will be provided. Dress for the field. Let me know if you will be joining us. We’ll add you to the event update distribution list.

This is an approved Activity. Post your travel and volunteer time under Stewardship

-Anne Clewell, anne.clewell@gmail.com, 410.456.6960 (leave a message)