Soldiers2Scientists Rise to the City Nature Challenge at Chinn Ridge

By Terri McPalmer

On a chilly Saturday morning in late April, I joined a small group of master naturalists in the Manassas National Battlefield Park to assist Soldiers2Scientists (S2S) as they took part in a City Nature Challenge (CNC) event, an annual four-day global bioblitz. S2S is a non-profit organization that facilitates the participation of active duty military, veterans and their families in outdoor citizen science projects. My affiliation with S2S started last year when a member of S2S invited me to join the group because I am a member of Arlington Regional Master Naturalists (ARMN) as well as a Navy veteran. Once exposed to the great work S2S does in citizen science projects in national parks, and in educating youth, I was hooked.    

The CNC was part of an 8-module field experience for military-affiliated youth at the park. The youth field experience, funded by a grant from the National Park Foundation, aims to “grow” citizen scientists, if not actual scientists. In their first module on April 11, the cohort of nine participating children was introduced to citizen science and field methodology by way of nature journaling. The children were given blank journals and colored pencils and taught how to record their observations through an “analog” bioblitz. In the second module a week later, the kids learned birding basics from ARMN’s own Nick Nichols and Colt Gregory, including binocular use and how to identify birds through sight and sound. They also practiced several bird calls—so you could say it was a hoot! The kids collected observation data, used reference guides to confirm IDs, and sketched their findings in their journals. (We were amazed by the artistic talents of the young artists!) The next step in the cohort’s observe-and-record training was participating in the City Nature Challenge, this time with a scavenger hunt form and access to adults’ cell phones with the iNaturalist and Seek apps.  

The role of master naturalists in the CNC adventure was to guide S2S families through the woods at the park’s Chinn Ridge, ensuring their charges were familiar with iNaturalist or Seek, pointing out species of interest, and ensuring the safety of participants and wildlife. 

After an initial introduction on how to identify poison ivy and what to do if we encountered a bear, the intrepid explorers ventured into the woods with scavenger hunt forms. These forms greatly helped the children focus on finding specific species. S2S has different scavenger hunt forms for each of the program’s modules and this one included a broad range of flora and fauna specifically for the CNC. 

The children learned and practiced important field techniques, including how to identify promising habitats, carefully check under logs, and—just as importantly—gently return everything to its original position to preserve moisture and protect the ecosystem.   

The cool weather kept away the many Eastern box turtles I saw during last year’s CNC at Chinn Ridge, as well as the many pollinators we were hoping to see. However, other wonders made themselves known: frogs, toads, snakes (and shed snake skins), salamanders, hundreds of tadpoles, migrating warblers, insects, fungi, and spring ephemerals. 

Some of us were treated to the sight of several turkeys gathered in a nearby field as we were wrapping up our hike through the woods. 

Master naturalists happily shared their expertise with the children and their parents. Kent Anderson, the bird expert, had us looking up high in the trees for migrating warblers. Toni Genberg taught a couple of kids how to identify a white oak tree. Heidi BruMar, a master-naturalist-in-training, found and identified a snake. So, we all contributed to the cause.    

The S2S participants in this year’s CNC contributed over 166 observations of 95 distinct species. If you measure success by the joy and awe of exploring our natural world, the day’s CNC event was hugely successful. Mike Cohn, executive director of S2S, and an enthusiastic mentor, described his own feelings about the day: “It’s hard to put into words how rewarding it is to share these moments of excitement and discovery with this group. Watching curiosity turn into confidence is what this program is all about.”  It was indeed a rewarding day.