PVAS Committees Need Members

Earn Volunteer Hours!  Help PVAS Plan New Nature Programs, Work on Conservation Issues, or Assist in the Management of PVAS's Nature Preserves

PVAS has formed four new committees - Adult Services, Youth Services, Conservation and Land Management.  We would like to seek your help and tap into the talent and expertise of the Potomac Valley Master Naturalists in areas of your interest or expertise.  If you're not an expert then you can learn as you earn volunteer hours for your help.  

The Adult Services and Youth Services committees need PVMN alums who are willing to lead trips and/or serve as subject matter nature experts.  Here is a chance to use your knowledge of butterflies, dragonflies, wildflowers, trees and shrubs, reptiles, amphibians, birds or other natural resources for the benefit of PVAS.  Or, join one of these committees to help plan new activities.  For more information on Adult  Activities, contact Sandy Sagalkin at monsansagalkin@myactv.net or 240-291-6465.  For Youth Activities, contact Jim Jenkins at jenkinsjim@verizon.blackberry.net or 571-209-7350.  These two committees often work together in planning family activities.

The Conservation committee is looking for new members who are interested in protecting grassland birds, species whose populations are in serious decline; in promoting the availability of certified shade-grown coffee in our service area;  and in developing policies for PVAS's adoption of public advocacy positions.  For further information, contact Heather McSharry at heather_mcsharry@yahoo.com or 304-707-5758.

The Land Management committee is looking for members that want to assist in the management and development of Yankauer Nature Preserve, Eidolon, and the Stauffer's Marsh Nature Preserve. For further information, contact Lou Scavnicky at captainlou@comcast.net or 304-262-7496.

Eidolon Preserve Temporarily Closed

Starting September 13, the Eidolon Nature Preserve will be closed to visitors for about a month as federal contractors work to demolish the Federal Aviation Administration tower that is located on the property. Machinery will be moving up and down the preserve road during this period, and the property has been declared a work zone for safety reasons. Notice will be given when the preserve is reopened.

Need Some Elective Hours? Go Batty...

Be sure to join in next Tuesday, September 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. ET for this live distance learning adventure. Representatives from the USDA Forest Service, Bat Conservation International, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and San Antonio Zoo will be discussing bat basics, the importance of bats in the ecosystem, threats to bats, how to help bats, and of course the amazing emergence of millions of bats from Bracken Bat Cave. Watching and participating in the live program on September 18 is easy! Just click on the webcast link that will be on the homepage: http://BatsLIVE.pwnet.org. If you can’t watch the program live, it will be archived on the web site approximately a week later (on September 25) and available as streaming video.

Also as part of BatsLIVE, a webinar about cave and karst topography will be held on October 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation. The webinar is for teachers, non-formal educators, and others. For more information, go to http://batslive.pwnet.org/resource/webinars.php. 

Go To The Movies or a Conference!

On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. filmmaker Jeffrey Kimball will screen his new film: “Birders: The Central Park Effect.”  The presentation will be held in the Byrd Auditorium at the National Conservation Training Center, Shepherd Grade Road, Shepherdstown, WV 25443.  This film is co-sponsored by The American Conservation Film Festival.  It is free and open to the public. "The Central Park Effect" reveals the extraordinary array of wild birds who grace Manhattan’s celebrated patch of green and the equally colorful, full-of-attitude New Yorkers who schedule their lives around the rhythms of migration. Featuring spectacular wildlife footage capturing the changing seasons, this lyrical documentary transports the viewer to a dazzling world that goes all but unnoticed by the 38 million people who visit the park each year.   

For those of you who came to Scott Weidensaul's talk at NCTC back in May as part of International Migratory Bird Day, you heard about the importance of purchasing bird friendly coffee to protect migratory song bird habitat.  On September 15th at 6pm, Sustainable Shepherdstown and the American Conservation Film Festival will be presenting "BirdSong and Coffee: A Wakeup Call" at the Shepherdstown Opera House. The movie is free of charge.  It's not entirely about the bird conservation aspect of our coffee habit, but it's certainly touched on as part of the coffee plantation conundrum in the film.  PVAS is beginning to research ways for our members and friends to easily purchase bird friendly coffee to support the protection of migratory song birds such as the cerulean warblers we have nesting at Eidolon. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, enjoy the movie! 

The West Virgina Science Teachers Association (WVSTA) will be having its 2012 meeting in Martinsburg, November 1-3.  There will be some great speakers, topics, and workshops that can count for elective or recertification hours--especially Project Wild Aquatic.  You can register for the entire conference or just Saturday.  www.wvsta.org

Master Naturalist Annual Meeting

Our local Potomac Valley Master Naturalist Annual Meeting will be held November 10, 2012 from 11-2 p.m. at Orchard House, 4599 Shepherdstown Pike, Shepherdstown WV 25443.  This is a fun time of seeing old friends and meeting new ones from other Master Naturalist classes.  We eat well (you provide the pot luck lunch) and bid on Silent Auction items (that you donate).  Proceeds from the silent auction fund scholarships for the next year's class.

Plan also to attend the state West Virginia Master Naturalist Annual Meeting in Elkins WV, June 7-9, 2013.  Details will be posted in the future at mnofwv.org, but you can put it on your calendar now!

Volunteer Projects

Are you in need of volunteer hours?  PVAS is partnering with the Potomac Conservancy to hold a Growing Native seed-collection event at the Society's Yankauker Nature Preserve in Berkeley County on Saturday, September 22, from 10-12 noon.  It's rain or shine and is a very family friendly event!   Seed collection bags will be available and WV State Forester Herb Peddicord will be there to help with viable seed identification.  (Not every nut or seed is suitable.)  The Potomac Conservancy collects seeds of native hardwoods and shrubs and delivers them to state nurseries where they are nurtured into small seedlings.  The seedlings are then planted along rivers and streams in the Potomac watershed to help restore forests and filter pollution and run-off. 

The Jefferson County 6th Grade Science Olympiad is scheduled for September 24, 25, 26 and October 3, 4, and 5 at For Love Of Children (FLOC) Outdoor Education Center.  This is a chance for every 6th grade student in Jefferson County to spend a day outside, learning about natural topics.  They are seeking volunteers who would present a 30 minute program to small groups of students on natural history topics.  Tree ID walks, Bird programs, anything nature is a great way to share what you have learned as a Master Naturalist!  Groups are well chaperoned.  Each day has 4 groups of students who rotate among the many topics and activities offered.  You lead a different group each time, have lunch, and are done by 1 p.m.   If you would be willing to help, contact Judith Cain at jscain5@hotmail.com

 The Berkeley Springs Fall Birding Festival is scheduled for Friday September 28 through Sunday September 30.  The festival always needs volunteers to help as meeting hosts, manning booths, selling tickets, leading birding hikes, providing directions, and more!  If you could help for even a few hours, contact Master Naturalist Helen Herlocker at hherlocker@gmail.com

Paw Paw School Science Fair - Volunteer Opportunity

Those of you in Morgan County should seriously consider helping Carol Coryea with the Paw Paw Science Fair. This is an important support to students to help them in their education.  If you have never judged a science fair, it is fun!  You do not have to know anything about the subject--just ask the students about their project, listen to their answers, and decide if they have done a good, scientific project and seem to know what they are talking about.
You can contact Carol about helping at ccoryea@access.k12.wv.us.

Ellen

I am writing to see if anyone is interested in judging our school science fair on Friday December 16th, ( Snow date Jan 6th 2012). If you are available, if you would contact me at ccoryea@access.k12.wv.us to confirm that would be great.  We would ask if judges would arrive at the school at 12:30 PM.  We anticipate the fair to be approximately 2 hours.

A copy of the rubric for judges will be sent to you if you are interested.

It is a fun way to see what our students are doing in the County.  If you are not able to judge and know someone who might be able to help, please feel free to send this massage along.

The grades involved are as follows:  4-6   7-8   9-12

There are a range of topics and team projects this year. I hope you can join us for this fun activity.

Sincerely,

Carol Coryea