What is a Master Naturalist?

Virginia Master Naturalists are trained and certified volunteer educators, citizen scientists, and stewards helping to conserve and manage natural resources and public lands in Virginia. Check out this wonderful video on what it means to be a VMN volunteer from Sonny Bowers (Historic Rivers Chapter).

Members of the Arlington Regional Master Naturalist (ARMN) chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist Program:

  • provide, promote, and facilitate volunteer service to sustain natural areas in our communities using sound natural resource management and conservation practices,
  • offer and support environmental education and outreach to encourage understanding and respect for our natural environment, and
  • engage in a wide range of citizen science activities that contribute to greater knowledge of local streams, plants, animals, and local habitat.

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The application period for the Arlington Regional Master Naturalists’
Fall 2018 Volunteer Training is now CLOSED.
To learn more about the training and when to sign up, click HERE.
And stay up-to date with ARMN Blog. Sign up to receive it now!

 

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2018 Arlington BioBlitz is September 15th!

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Arlington will be conducting its second Bioblitz, and this year it will take place at only one site: Glencarlyn Park. This is a wonderful opportunity for individuals to participate in a valuable citizen science inventory of plants, wildlife, and other living organisms in the community.

What is a BioBlitz?

It is a (usually) 24-hour survey to find and identify as many species as possible in a specific area. The information collected will help the County to update its Natural Resources Management Plan. Last year’s BioBlitz was a wonderful success. (See event summary at: 2017 armn.org blog.) This year the team decided to conduct surveys in only one park instead of several throughout the county.

Why would you want to participate in the BioBlitz?

Because it is a great way to find and learn about the wildlife, plants and other living things in Arlington. Participants will be teamed with experts to help find, identify, and catalog what they find, using a free application called iNaturalist. While you do not need any experience to partake in the event, individuals with expertise in plants, wildlife, or other living organisms are encouraged to participate.

Photo of a Carolina Chickadee bird on a tree trunk. THe bird has a black topped head followed by a white strip and a grey body. The tree trunk is light brown streaked with dark brown and has a flaky bark.

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) at Glencarlyn Park. Photo courtesy of Steve Young.

Photo of the plant Virginia Sweetspire. The sweetspire has obovate shaped, alternate green leaves with long stalks of small white flowers.

Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) at Tuckahoe Park. Photo courtesy of Christine Campe-Price.

When, Where, and Who

The inventories will begin as early at 7:30 am and run as late as 8:30 pm in a variety of focus teams: birds, botany, herps (amphibians and reptiles), fish, fungi, insects, trees, butterflies and dragonflies, streams, insects and nocturnals, and groups that will look at various taxa. Here are the relevant details:

Date: September 15, 2018

Time: Varied. Click on Sign-up Genius to pick your event and time

Meeting location: Glencarlyn Park Picnic Pavilion #1, 401 S Harrison St., Arlington, VA 22204

Who can participate: Anyone 13 years and older

Cost: FREE

For questions, please contact: Alonso Abugattas at 703-228-7742 or email NaturalResources@arlingtonva.us.

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