Gallery

Master Naturalists in Action

Getting ready for new residents at Holly Point Nature Park at the Deltaville Maritime Museum February 12, 2022

Ten bluebird nest boxes were installed at the Deltaville Maritime Museum at Holly Point Nature Park. On February 12, volunteers with Virginia Master Naturalists – Middle Peninsula Chapter placed poles in the ground and mounted baffles and nest boxes to each. The population of bluebirds dropped as much as 90% decades ago due to habitat loss. Citizens everywhere have been putting up boxes to help their numbers bounce back.

Materials for some of the boxes were donated by Roland Anderson and the Deltaville Maritime Museum Boat Shop. Others were donated by Ed Pels along with much of the hardware needed. Participants were Pat Anderson (project captain), Luann Johnson, Mike Grose, Chris Conley, Miles Wong, and Patty Campbell.

The nest boxes on the trail will be monitored by trained members of the Master Naturalists through the spring and summer. We ask that visitors watch from a wide distance and give the new families some peace. The babies may be sleeping.

Master Naturalists from left: Mike Grose, Patty Campbell, Luann Johnson, Pat Anderson, and Chris Conley. Photo by Miles Wong

NABA Summer Butterfly Count June 24, 2021

Essex County, Sector E of the George Washington’s Birthplace count:

Thought we had a new species but, alas, it is an aberrant Summer Azure identified by an Azure expert friend of Adrienne Frank.

From left, Sherri Rollins, Edie Bradbury

From left, Sherri Rollins, Susan Crockett, Terry Skinner, Edie Bradbury

Sherri Rollins

From left, Susan Crockett, Sherri Rollins, Terry Skinner

Northumberland-Lancaster Butterfly Count May 25, 2021

Bill Blair in a field of Small’s Ragwort where we found many Little Wood Satyr butterflies – Lancaster County.

20210525 northumberland-lancaster butterfly count 1

20210525 northumberland-lancaster butterfly count 2

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Monitoring Training May 10, 2021

On Monday May 10 three new Water Quality Monitoring teams were added to our chapter’s existing six teams. Sophie Stern, RiverTrends coordinator for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, presented the 3-hour training.