Potomac Valley Master Naturalist Program

A Chapter of the West Virginia Master Naturalist Program

2008 WORKSHOPS


The Potomac Valley Master Naturalist Program, under the auspices of the Potomac Valley Audubon Society, will offer a series of nature workshops that have both classroom and field training. These workshops will count as “elective courses” for PVMN certified members and for PVMN members who have been accepted for the 2008 certification program. Unfilled spaces will be opened to members of the general public.

The mission of the West Virginia Master Naturalist Program, of which the Potomac Valley Master Naturalist (PVMN) Program is a member, is to train interested people in the fundamentals of natural history and nature interpretation and teaching, and to instill in them an appreciation of the importance of responsible environmental stewardship. The program also provides a corps of well-qualified volunteers to assist government agencies, schools, and non-government organizations concerned with research, outdoor recreation development, and environmental education and protection. Certified West Virginia Master naturalists promote responsible stewardship of West Virginia's natural resources.

There is a maximum enrollment of 20 students for each workshop. You may register for one or more workshops on one application.

Your complete application must be received no later than two weeks before the date of the workshop. Full payment for all workshops chosen must be included with the application. Applications received by the deadline will be approved on a first-come-first-served basis. Checks should be made payable to the Potomac Valley Audubon Society. A confirmation receipt will be sent. Refunds will not be made except when a course is cancelled. A fee paid for a cancelled workshop can be transferred to another workshop.

Students must make their own arrangements for snacks, drinks, and lunch. (For workshops at the National Conservation Training Center, the Commons cafeteria might not be open. There is a restaurant at Cacapon State Park.)

If you have questions, contact the Potomac Valley Audubon Society at 304-676-3397 or pvasmail@aol.com.





Potomac Valley Master Naturalist Program

Workshop Application



Workshops

Check those for which you are applying. Note that on most dates there is one workshop in the morning and another one in the afternoon at the same location.

 March 15 at Cacapon State Park: Nature Readings (9 - 11 a.m.) - Ellen Murphy, PVCMN (in the lounge area near the fire place of main lodge) Join a discussion of some of the best examples of environmental writing for the past 200 years. Included will be explorers such as Lewis and Clark and William Bartram, early women naturalists like Caroline Kirkland, and classic works from Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, Edward Abbey, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, and Annie Dillard. Participants will be given samples of writings to read in advance of the class.

 March 15 at Cacapon State Park: Eastern Box Turtles (1 - 3 p.m.) - Cheryl Jennings, PVCMN and Ellen Murphy, PVCMN. They carry their house with them and you can learn their age by counting the rings on the shell. What else do you know about these fascinating creatures? Learn more about the status of box turtles and what you can do to help protect their habitat.

 April 26 at Yankauer Pavilion: Birds of Prey (8:30 - 11:30 a.m.) - Suzie Taylor, PVCMN

Eagles, owls, and hawks are some of the most fascinating and beautiful birds. This session will examine the life history of each of these raptors through hands-on activities. Bring your birding field guide and binoculars if possible.

 April 26 at Yankauer Pavilion: Adaptation of Fish (12:30 - 3:30 p.m.) - Nancy Little, PVCMN. What makes a fish, a fish? Find out up close and personal in this hands-on exploration of some of the common species of fish in the area. Wear old clothes and bring a pair of rubber gloves.

 May 10 at NCTC: Speed Sketching - An Additional Tool to Aid in Field IDs (8:30 - 11:30 a.m.) - Susan Brookreson, PVMN Candidate. The course is all about learning a very quick, short hand way to sketch something in the field seen only fleetingly (i.e. a butterfly or bird that leaves the scene too quickly to ID). Learn a way to do this so you can take these very rough sketches home and key the animal, insect etc. out in a field guide. No journal is needed, scrap paper will do. The course is as much about improving powers of observation in the field as it is about sketching, probably more.

 May 10 at NCTC: Using Dichotomous Keys (12:30 - 3:30 p.m.) - Wanda Miller, PVCMN.

How do you identify woody plants without flipping through every page of the field guide? Learning to use a woody plant key (provided for class use) will give you the techniques and knowledge to distinguish trees from their leaf design.

 August 23 at Cacapon State Park (Evening Program): Singing Insects (6 - 10 p.m.) - Wil Hershberger. Join Wil Hersburger for an evening learning and listening to singing insects like cicadas, katydids, and crickets. We'll be hearing male insects (since females don't usually sing), but everyone is invited to this special program.

 September 6 at Cacapon State Park (Evening Program): Astronomy with Binoculars (7 - 11 p.m.) - Don Henry, PVMN Candidate. This program will begin in the classroom, but we'll soon move outside and scan the skies. Bring your binoculars and learn more about where to look and what to look for in the summer skies.




Fee per workshop (check your category)

 PVMN Certified and Honorary Members $5 per class

 PVMN Members accepted for 2008 Training $5 per class

 General Public $10 per class



_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Total number of classes ______________

Total amount submitted (check must be enclosed) ______________

 Checks should be made payable to Potomac Valley Audubon Society »

Once your application has been approved, refunds will be made only if the workshop has been cancelled.

Mail application and payment to:

Potomac Valley Audubon Society

ATTN: PVMN Registrar

P.O. Box 578

Shepherdstown, WV 25443