January2021 Headwaters Master Naturalists Newsletter

IMPORTANT New VMN Website IMPORTANT

Dear wonderful VMN volunteers,
You may have already gotten this reminder from your Boards. As you may already know, the VMN Program will be transitioning to a new Volunteer Management System (the VMS, where you report your volunteer hours) in the first few months of 2021.

To facilitate the VMS changeover, we will need for you to do the following:

1. Please update your profile information if you haven't already.

2. Make sure to ENTER YOUR 2020 HOURS BY DECEMBER 31, 2020 (both Volunteer Service and Continuing Ed)
-- Any edits to those 2020 hours and to volunteer profiles can be made up until January 7. These will be moved to the new VMS system. Any added after January 7 will not be moved.

3. Please do NOT enter any 2021 hours. You will want to keep a log for your own use until the new system is launched. At that time, you can enter your 2021 hours.

4. Everyone can continue to use the old VMS through at least March for OTHER purposes, such as communications, accessing project information and documents, running personal reports, downloading, etc. But remember, any hours entered for 2021 in the old VMS will not be transferred.

Please be assured that we are diligently working on doing as much of the groundwork and logistical preparations as possible to make the transition for chapters and volunteers as easy as possible. We will be giving everyone training on the new system (Better Impact-Volunteer Impact if you want to Google it) nearer to launch time (expected around March).

We at the state office are still in the early stages of configuring the new system so we won't have answers to the many questions you may have, just yet.

** Your Board members will be able to answer questions as we relay any new information to them. Please refrain from emailing VMS questions to the state office if possible. **

Have a peaceful, healthy, and happy holiday season!
Terri

Terri Keffert
Volunteer Coordinator, Virginia Master Naturalist Program

Volunteer Opportunity

Virginia Master Naturalist Diversity & Inclusion Team

Deadline January 8

About
Having more inclusive programming that engages more diverse audiences is an important goal for the Virginia Master Naturalist program. As part of a grant project funded by the Virginia Environmental Endowment and by matching funds from donations, we are creating a Virginia Master Naturalist Diversity & Inclusion Team.

We have three roles on the Diversity & Inclusion Team: Working Group Members, Feedback Group Members, and Chapter Champions. A description of each role is provided below. We invite volunteers to join the team, and we also have the opportunity to include representatives from our sponsoring agencies, local partners, and other individuals who have a stake in our program. Volunteers who serve as Working Group Members may choose to receive a $200 honorarium, in recognition of the work and time associated with that role. We want to create a team that itself is diverse and inclusive, and we ask that individuals interested in being on the team please complete an online survey so that we can learn about you and assemble a strong team.

To indicate your interest and willingness to serve in any of these roles, please fill out our online survey by January 8. If the link does not work for you, cut and paste this URL into your web browser: https://vce.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d5oTtjK3J7YjRNX.

Team Roles

Diversity & Inclusion Working Group Member

Responsibilities of the Working Group

Develop specific strategies and initiatives related to diversity and inclusion that we will implement over the short term (1 year) and long term (5 years).
Develop a list of actionable items that will increase VMN volunteers’ abilities to engage underrepresented populations and people of different races, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds in natural resource education programs, including the VMN program itself and the outreach programs for both youth and adults that VMN volunteers provide in their communities.

What You’ll Need to Do or Provide

Actively participate in meetings via Zoom approximately twice a month for 1-2 hours, January through the summer. We will try to choose meeting times that work for all committee members.
Possibly attend 1-3 in-person meetings, if COVID conditions allow and if we find that face-to-face time is needed.
Gather and share information between meetings with individuals on the Diversity & Inclusion Feedback Team. • Contribute to shared documents that outline our diversity and inclusion commitments and actionable items.
Internet access for participation in Zoom sessions.
Interest and passion for engaging diverse audiences in environmental education
Understanding of the mission and structure of the Virginia Master Naturalist program

What We’ll Provide

For volunteers, a $200 honorarium in recognition for your contributions
Collaboration tools, such as Zoom meeting hosting, shared online files and documents
The opportunity to earn volunteer service hours
Our assurance to you that we will follow through at the state level and with our chapter champions so that your work leads to positive change (not a report on a shelf.)

Who We Are Seeking
We are seeking any and all of the following:

Current VMN volunteers who self-identify with underrepresented groups, such as (but not limited to) Black, Indigenous, people of color, and English language learners.
VMN volunteers in leadership roles who can implement change in their chapters
Representatives from our sponsoring agencies and partners

The working group will be 15-20 people, maximum.

Diversity & Inclusion Feedback Group Member

Responsibilities of the Feedback Team
Provide feedback to the Diversity & Inclusion Committee on an ad-hoc basis via email or phone call. This feedback may include sharing your own personal, lived experience in the VMN or other natural resource programs or providing feedback on ideas and potential action items of the committee.

What You’ll Need to Do or Provide

No special technology or regular meetings needed! One or more committee members will reach out to you via phone or email as needed, particularly in 2021. Or, if you find you have something to share, we’ll let you know how to reach out to the committee at any time you wish.

What We’ll Provide

The opportunity to earn volunteer service hours
Our assurance to you that we will follow through at the state level and with our chapter champions so that your contributions lead to positive change (not a report on a shelf.)

Who We Are Seeking
We are seeking any and all of the following:

Current VMN volunteers who self-identify with underrepresented groups, such as (but not limited to) Black, Indigenous, people of color, and English language learners.
VMN volunteers in leadership roles who can implement change in their chapters
Representatives from our sponsoring agencies and partners
Other individuals, such as from local partners, who may have a stake in the VMN program or in natural resource education

There is no limit on the number of feedback team members, but we will try to build a group that is diverse in many ways (demographics, chapters, regions, etc.).

Diversity & Inclusion Chapter Champion

Responsibilities

Take actionable items from the Diversity & Inclusion committee and help to promote and implement them in your chapter, starting in fall 2021.

What You’ll Need to Do or Provide

Know who the various leaders and committees in your chapter are so that you can talk to the right people to make changes.
Be willing to be a champion for implementing new ideas, even if they represent a change from how your chapter has operated in the past.

What We’ll Provide

The opportunity to earn volunteer service hours

Who We Are Seeking

Current VMN volunteers with interest and passion for engaging diverse audiences in natural resource education and who are willing and able to help implement new initiatives in their chapters

Ideally, each chapter would have at least two champions, but more is acceptable as well.

Photo from ualr.edu

Continuing Education Opportunity

Virginia Association for Environmental Education
Virtual Mini-Conferences

Following this month's theme of learning (more) about a topic, the Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) is offering a virtual mini-conference series! You may attend one or all of the sessions. Each day will highlight one of Virginia’s different regions, seasonal changes, and the educators that work within that area.

February 20 - Winter in the West
July 17 - Summer on the Shore
October 23 - Fall in the Piedmont

Registration Information

Conference Bundle* (All three dates) $95/$100/ $50 (Member/Non-Member/Student)

Single Day Registration (per date) $35/$40/$20 (Member/Non-Member/Student)

All registrations will include invitations to our May 22, Inaugural VAEE Spring Symposium, Social & Silent Auction. Additional details will be made available as they emerge.

*The full conference bundle will also include access to recordings of all concurrent sessions & keynotes for one year after the final conference date. Recordings will not be available for single-day registrants.*

The 2021 VAEE Conference Registration Packet has more information including a draft schedule at a glance.

Registration is currently open for Full Conference Registration & the Feb 20 Conference Date Only.

VAEE is now also accepting proposals for presentations, so if you would like to lead a session or workshop, submit your proposal. Many VMN volunteers have had great presentations at past conferences.

Please see the VAEE website for all the details you need on both registration and submitting a proposal.

Rufous Hummingbird: Rare Winter Visitor to Swoope, VA

A friend had an interesting experience with a Rufous hummingbird. I asked them to write about it and include some pictures.
Jason Hallacher, HMN Advisor

Maybe laziness can occasionally have its rewards? Our hummingbird feeder was frequented by bees after the departure of the Ruby-throated hummingbirds in October, so we decided to leave it hanging there for a while. Then I just didn’t notice it anymore. . . . .

Until November 17 when it took center stage. Out of the blue, there was a hummingbird drinking heartily. I scarcely believed my eyes Within minutes I replenished the thoroughly scoured feeder with fresh sugar water and the bird returned immediately. Aware of the approaching cold, we bought a couple of heat lamps to warm the feeders.

Photo from Carol Taylor

With the help of Allen Larner, who keeps the records at the Augusta Bird Club, we decided it was a male Rufous hummingbird, a rare winter visitor in Augusta County. The hummingbird became a constant delight and on December 8 we had a licensed bander from Delaware give him a leg band #J45254.

Photo from Carol Taylor

He also made the following observations:

Weight: 3.98 grams including about 1 gram of fat
Wing length 47.25 mm; Tail length 26 mm; Bill length 17.52 mm
Grooving on bill 80% (indicating the bird was born this year)

Photo from Carol Taylor

Amazingly, on November 13 another hummingbird joined the scene and stayed for a couple of days, but after considerable zooming and posturing, the first one chased him (her?) off. Christmas Day was memorable for its frigid temperatures necessitating bringing the feeders inside from time to time to thaw them.

The Rufous is still with us on December 29 In such crazed times, this tiny being has brought us so much joy. It feels like a harbinger of good things to come in 2021! It may also suggest that keeping feeders up through at least the beginning of winter could save a life.

by Carol Taylor

HMN Annual Meeting & Board Meeting

Saturday, January 23, 3 pm via Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7375337585

Meeting ID: 737 533 7585

+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

All members are welcome and encouraged to attend Chapter Board meetings. Contact Brian Lux for a meeting link. Questions? Contact Board President Brian Lux.