View this email in your browser Volunteer Opportunities: The Nature Conservancy in Virginia

Welcome spring with joyful enthusiasm

Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm. –John Muir



Can you feel it in the air? Flowers are emerging, birds are singing, and we hope you can take action and create change by volunteering with us or spending time outside at a TNC preserve near you. Continuing to spend time outdoors is a good way to alleviate stress, including anxiety around COVID-19.



Happy Trails,

Jen Dalke









Holly Lafferty

AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator, Volunteer Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy in Virginia jdalke@tnc.org or 540-335-1302 (c)Holly LaffertyAmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator, holly.lafferty@tnc.org Read more about volunteer opportunities, including independent and work from home opportunities, and COVID-19 precautions at workdays below.Happy Trails,Jen Dalke VOLUNTEER additional details below bullets & photos



We are monitoring COVID-19 developments and will make workday decisions as we learn more. Stay home if you are sick. If you need to cancel attending a workday, please let us know. There are opportunities to help independently outside or from home. We will continue to clean tool handles and other shared volunteer tools & equipment and practice social distancing. Please continue frequent hand washing.



March 3/12 (Charlottesville): Watershed Cleanup

3/14 (Woodlake, near Richmond): Tree Planting at Rock Harbor Park— partner work

partner work 3/21 (The Cedars NAP, St. Jonesville): Clean up day with Friends of the Cedars

3/22 (Richmond): Invasive Removal with TNC & JRPS Invasive Plant Task Force April 4/4 (Clifton Forge area, Bath County): Trail Clearing & Benching Workday with Allegheny Trail Club and USFS

with Allegheny Trail Club and USFS April 4, 5, & 11, 18: 5 th Annual Fairfax County Watershed Cleanup (Northern VA) 25+ Fairfax County Park cleanup locations: 1,000 volunteers needed . Registration opens March 16.

(Northern VA) 4/9 (Richmond): Invasive Removal with TNC & JRPS Invasive Plant Task Force

with TNC & JRPS Invasive Plant Task Force 4/11, 4/18 (Charlottesville): City Market Tabling Assistance

April 13, 15, 28, 30 (Nassawadox): Building Oyster Substrate

4/16: (Nassawadox): Brownsville Open Farm Day Prep

4/18 (Nassawadox): 5 th Annual Open Farm Day

4/19 (Charlottesville): Watershed Cleanup

4/24-4/27 (Northern Virginia, Richmond, Charlottesville): City Nature Challenge May 5/3: Rivanna RiverFest (Charlottesville)

(Charlottesville) May 12, 14, 26, 28 (Nassawadox): Building Oyster Substrate

Late-May: Seagrass Restoration (Eastern Shore) Sign up to get Updates! Collection possibly May 20-24. Note that May 25-29 tides are not good for collection and we will not have volunteers those days.

(Eastern Shore) Ongoing/Seasonal now--May: primary fire season: Burn Crew

Mid-March—September: Brownsville Landscape Gardening Help (Nassawadox)

(Nassawadox) Ongoing (Nassawadox): Brownsville Stewardship Crew for Preserve Workdays

April-August: Bluebird Box Monitoring , weekly (Nassawadox)

, weekly (Nassawadox) Now-May: Education Program Assistants (Nassawadox/ Barrier Islands)

(Nassawadox/ Barrier Islands) Preserve Volunteer Program Become a preserve community member , a preserve steward , or a preserve leader Cumberland Marsh—New Kent, VA Voorhees Preserve—Colonial Beach, VA Bottom Creek Gorge—Bent Mountain, VA Fraser Preserve—Great Falls, VA Falls Ridge Preserve—Blacksburg, VA Fortune’s Cove Preserve—Lovingston, VA Warm Springs Mountain Preserve—Warm Springs, VA

COMING SOON be looking for details about these upcoming volunteer needs over the next few months 5/18-27: Whimbrel Watch

Spring & Summer fun Wild Walks (various TNC preserves)—join a guided themed nature walk

(various TNC preserves)—join a guided themed nature walk 6/6: Clean the Bay Day (various locations around the state) Charlottesville & Rivanna River Watershed locations Riverview Park to Free Bridge Pollocks Branch at Elliott Ave, IX Park Eastern Shore

(various locations around the state) Monthly Watershed Clean-Up : Charlottesville Thursday, 3/12 from 1-3 p.m.

Sunday, 4/19 time TBD Join The Nature Conservancy to clean up your watershed. This cleaning will remove plastic bottles, cans and other debris from a stretch of Pollock’s Branch, Meadow Creek, or other locations in Charlottesville, preventing the trash from reaching the nation’s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay. We are looking for 10-20 volunteers . The workday will be led by volunteer, Donna Shaunesey and Holly Lafferty, AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator. Trash bags will be provided. To sign up contact Holly Lafferty, at holly.lafferty@tnc.org, 434-951-0542 (office).



Tree Planting at Rock Harbor Park

Woodlake (near Richmond) Saturday, 3/14 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The Virginia Department of Forestry and Chesapeake Bay Trust have provided 200 native plants to help restore the riparian buffer and minimize erosion at Rock Harbor Park, located in the Richmond suburb Woodlake. Around 40 volunteers are needed to help dig holes, mix soils, and plant. Interested volunteers should contact Allan Heasty at ah10998@yahoo.com or 804-916-0992.



Friends of the Cedars Clean Up Day

Meet at Daniel Boone Soil and Water Conservation District Office: 32637 Main St. Jonesville, VA 24263 Saturday, March 21st Come meet the Friends of the Cedars volunteer organization and help them clean up The Cedars Natural Area Preserve in Lee County VA! Their group supports the Department of Conservation and Recreation efforts with service projects on the preserve and field trips/activities to provide more public outreach and access. Volunteers will work to clear roadways of litter and remove some sites that were historically used to dump trash. Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes for hiking around the preserves and clothing suitable for the weather conditions of the day. This is a great opportunity to see some of The Cedars Natural Area Preserve, get some volunteer hours, or give back to your community on a Saturday with a great group of people. If you have any questions please contact Laura Young, Southwest Region Steward for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, at laura.young@dcr.virginia.gov or 276-274-0173.



Invasive Removal with James River Park System’s Invasive Task Force Tuesday, 3/22 at 1 p.m.

Thursday, 4/9 at 1 p.m. The Nature Conservancy and James River Park System’s Invasive Plant Task Force are partnering to hold an invasive plant removal workday. The workday will take place along the James River in Richmond, along the Buttermilk Trail. Volunteers will be removing vines and other invasives that can crowd out natives, increase tree mortality, alter soil composition and reduce habitat. We are in need of 20 volunteers to help. To sign up contact Holly Lafferty, AmeriCorps volunteer coordinator, at holly.lafferty@tnc.org, 434-951-0542 (office).



Trail Clearing & Benching Workday

Bath County near Clifton Forge off Route 606/Dry Run area Saturday, April 4 from 9:30-3ish Our partners at Allegheny Trail Club are in need of 20+ volunteers to help with trail maintenance, clearing and benching (side-hilling) on April 4th which will take place on US Forest Service property near Clifton Forge off route 606/Dry Run area. Volunteers will be carrying hand tools to cut overgrown vegetation, clear the trail coordinator and work to improve the trail tread. Trail tread work includes digging into the side of the hill to move dirt and rocks from the upper side to the lower side, widening and flattening the trail. This is labor intensive work. Several physically fit volunteers are also needed to carry and use power brush-cutters to clear vegetation. Volunteers will be working on a 5 mile stretch of the trail. To sign up contact Holly Lafferty, AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator at holly.lafferty@tnc.org. A confirmation email with further details will be sent to volunteers who sign up with things like directions, what to bring, wear, etc.



5th Annual Fairfax County Watershed Cleanup

25+ park cleanup locations in Fairfax County

Online Registration available March 16: 1,000 volunteers needed



Join The Nature Conservancy and Fairfax County Park Authority to clean up your watershed. This spring cleaning will remove tires, plastic bottles, cans and other debris from local waterways, preventing trash from reaching the nation’s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay. The volunteer effort provides a healthy checkup for local waterways and Fairfax County and, by recording what you remove, you’ll be helping scientists, ecologists and environmental organizations in their efforts to improve our environment. Snacks, give-a-ways and other free, fun stuff like historic house tours and educational opportunities, will take place at the work sites. This project is ideal for families, service groups, Scouts and individuals. Online Registration available March 16. If you have questions now, email Jen Dalke, volunteer program manager, at jdalke@tnc.org or 540-335-1302 (cell, text available). 4/4/20 Hidden Pond Nature Center, Springfield Lake Fairfax Park, Reston Merrybrook Run Stream Valley Park, Fairfax Ossian Hall Park, Annandale McLean Central Park, McLean

4/5/20 Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria

4/11/20 Lake Accotink Park, Springfield (4 meet-up locations) Trail entrance Ellet and Inverchapel Lake Accotink Marina Trail entrance end of Danbury Forrest/Lonsdale Dr. Trail entrance at Queensbury and Hatteras

4/18/20 Cub Run Stream Valley (7 meet-up locations) Cub Run RECenter, Chantilly (center flag pole) London Towne, Centreville (London Towne Elementary School) Sully Station I (sully station and Glen Meadow Dr.) Sully Station II (Linden Creek Court cul-de-sac) Isaac Walton (Compton Road entrance) Virginia Run (Snowhill Lane) Chalet Woods (tennis courts) Ellanor C. Lawrence, Chantilly Riverbend Park, Great Falls Roundtree Park, Falls Church Scott's Run Nature Preserve, McLean Sully Historic Site, Chantilly Arrowbrook Park, Herndon Royal Lake Park, Fairfax Bren Mar Park, Alexandria Chandon Park, Herndon Lee District Park, Franconia Lillian Carey Park, Falls Church



Charlottesville City Market Tabling Assistance for City Nature Challenge

Charlottesville Saturday 4/11 from 8 am – 12 pm

Saturday 4/18 from 8 am – 12 pm We are looking for volunteers to help spread the word about the City Nature Challenge at the Charlottesville City Market. We will be handing out fliers and answering questions about the Challenge in order to get people excited about the event. The market lasts from 8-12, but please feel free to pick a one or two-hour timeframe to help. To sign up contact Holly Lafferty (holly.lafferty@tnc.org, 434-951-0542).



Oyster Substrate Building

April & May Dates from 10 a.m.—2 p.m. (Nassawadox, VA)

The Nature Conservancy is looking for help building oyster substrate that will be used to build functional oyster habitat capable of keeping up with sea level rise. We need 8 volunteers each day to mix concrete and roll burlap through the concrete. This is labor intensive work that requires volunteers to spend most of the day bending over and lifting 10-15 lbs. Wear old clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. The work will take place at the Brownsville Shop near the office in Nassawadox.



We need 8 volunteers on: April 13

April 15

April 28

April 30

May 12

May 14

May 26

May 28 If interested please contact Brittany Gonzales, Marine Restoration Specialist, at b.n.gonzales@tnc.org or 907-209-1448. A confirmation email with additional details like directions, what to wear/bring, cancellation policy, etc. will be sent to those who sign-up.



5th Annual Brownsville Open Farm Day Help Needed

Brownsville Preserve, Nassawadox

Sat, April 18, 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.



The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Coast Reserve will hold our 5th Annual Brownsville Open Farm Day on Saturday, April 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This event will be free and open to the public and will include guided nature tours, self-guided walks, wagon rides, family activities, and a picnic lunch. This is an all hands event for our staff, and we are looking for quite a few volunteers to help make it a great day! The first four years of this event have been a great success thanks to the army of volunteers who came out to help, and this year we’re excited to be celebrating 50 Years of The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Coast Reserve! Last year, over 300 people attended. Materials and training will be provided in advance of the event. Shifts and scheduling info coming soon. In the meantime, please contact Virginia Coast Reserve outreach & education coordinator, Margaret Van Clief at mvanclief@tnc.org or (757) 414-9227 with any questions.



City Nature Challenge

Northern Virginia, Richmond, Charlottesville & other Virginia locations

April 24-27



How does our nature stack up against the rest of the world? Take part in the City Nature Challenge April 24-27,2020, and let’s find out together! If you live in Northern Virginia, Charlottesville or Albemarle County, Richmond and surrounding Counties, you’re invited to participate in this fun, friendly competition. Communities will contribute to a global citizen-science project, discovering and documenting the ecological diversity sharing their urban spaces.



How can you participate?

To start, you will need to download iNaturalist (available for free from your app store). Then, during the four-day challenge window, simply take pictures of the wild plants and animals you find and upload them to the iNaturalist app.



Organize a walk or hike

If you are interested in leading small groups of people for a walk or hike in Albemarle County/Charlottesville to make observations of plants and animals please reach out to Holly Lafferty, AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator at holly.lafferty@tnc.org.



Get your Organization, Business, School, or Family Involved

Walks and other events are being planned. More information coming soon. If you’re interested in organizing your own outing and would like to have a naturalist expert/enthusiast to help, please reach out to Holly Lafferty, AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator at holly.lafferty@tnc.org.



Event Assistance: Rivanna RiverFest 5/3: Charlottesville Rivanna Conservation Alliance and partners invite you to join us and enjoy the Rivanna River on Sunday, May 3. This family-friendly event will connect everyone to the Rivanna River and Charlottesville environment. We will have water sports, a run through the park, art activities, music, monitoring demonstrations, and more! Confirmed events and registration can be found here. Volunteer help is needed. Please contact Holly Lafferty, AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator at holly.lafferty@tnc.org.



Seagrass Restoration: Eelgrass Seed Collection —Eastern Shore

Dates TBD: likely dates are May 20-24: Snorkelers Needed



The Nature Conservancy, along with several partners in the Seaside Seagrass Community Restoration Program, is once again gearing up for the largest seagrass restoration project in the world! We are looking for local (preferred) volunteer snorkelers and water lovers to collect millions of eelgrass seeds offshore of Oyster, VA on the Eastern Shore.



2020 schedule is not yet available. Look for the schedule available in early May— must sign up to get updates on dates as they are very weather dependent.



To get on the list to receive more information as it becomes available call or email Jen Dalke, volunteer program manager, at jdalke@tnc.org or 434-951-0572 (w) or 540-335-1302 (c). A tentative schedule is listed below with a wide range of dates. Low tides during dates we typically collect seeds aren’t good for warmth, visibility or travel time. At this point, it’s likely most of our collecting will occur between May 20-24.

DATE MEET AT OYSTER BOAT RAMP LOW TIDE 18-May Mon 10:15 AM 11:48 AM 19-May Tues 11:00 AM 12:26 PM 20-May Wed 11:30 AM 1:04 PM 21-May Thurs 12:00 PM 1:41 PM 22-May Fri 12:45 PM 2:19 PM 23-May Sat 1:30 PM 2:57 PM 24-May Sun 2:00 PM 3:37 PM 25-May Mon No Volunteers 26-May Tues No Volunteers 27-May Wed No Volunteers 28-May Thurs No Volunteers 29-May Fri No Volunteers 30-May Sat 7:15 AM 8:48 AM 31-May Sun 8:15 AM 9:43 AM 1-Jun Mon 9:00 AM 10:37 AM 2-Jun Tues 10:00 AM 11:30 AM 3-Jun Wed 11:00 AM 12:22 PM 4-Jun Thurs 11:45 AM 1:13 PM 5-Jun Fri 12:30 PM 2:02 PM 6-Jun Sat 1:15 PM 2:50 PM

Prescribed Fire Volunteers

Burn Crew - Southeast Virginia and Western Mountains of Virginia



Are you interested in coming out to help with prescribed fires in 2020? Do you have the right qualifications? Conservancy volunteer burn crew members must meet the same standards as the Conservancy staff burn crew. Specifically, you must be a NWCG Type II Fire Fighter. This means you must possess a valid red card, or have taken courses S-130 and S-190, and be able to furnish signed task books and course certificate and have completed the arduous physical test, which entails walking 3 miles in 45 minutes carrying a 45-pound pack. You also have to complete IS-700 and provide your course certificate.



Interested in becoming a volunteer burn crew member, but don’t yet meet the requirements? Becoming a Type II Fire Fighter in Virginia might be easier than you think. You can take the courses online (a field component will be needed) https://onlinetraining.nwcg.gov/node/177 or check out the Virginia Department of Forestry at http://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/fighting/wildland-firefighting.htm.



Gardening and Landscape Help

now—September (flexible schedule): Brownsville Preserve



We are in need of 2-3 volunteers to work from mid-March—September in the garden and surrounding landscaping at the Brownsville house. This will mostly consist of weeding the kitchen garden at the house and the other few flower beds. Besides weeding, the volunteers will need to trim vegetation away from the house and mulch with pine needles, also remove invasive Italian arum. We are looking for volunteers available 1-3 hours a week. We will set up an initial meeting for training, but after that the schedule is flexible (weekdays) depending on when the house will be used for meetings or visitors. Tools provided on-site. If interested please contact Jen Dalke, volunteer program manager, at jdalke@tnc.org or 540-335-1302 (c).

Brownsville Stewardship Crew Ongoing: Brownsville Preserve Workdays (Nassawadox, VA) The Nature Conservancy's Virginia Coast Reserve Program typically holds stewardship workdays 1-2 times a month to complete projects such as trail maintenance, cutting and hauling limbs, building/repairing boardwalks, cutting brush and overgrown vegetation, etc. These workdays will now be organized and supervised by volunteer leaders. If you are interested in being part of this team of volunteers and receiving notifications on dates and times of Brownsville Preserve Workdays, please contact Jen Dalke, volunteer program manager, at jdalke@tnc.org, 540-335-1302 (c). We'll create a list of interested volunteers which will be shared with the volunteer leaders who will organize the workdays.



Bluebird Box Monitoring : Brownsville Preserve

April—August (weekly)



We are looking for a couple of volunteers to check bluebird boxes, fill out data sheets, and take photos as part of our bluebird monitoring at Brownsville Preserve. The volunteers will work as a team (monitoring individually) in order to ensure bluebird boxes are monitored once a week (preferably the same day each week), starting the first week of April. It typically takes 2 hours each visit. If interested please contact Jen Dalke, volunteer program manager, at jdalke@tnc.org or 540-335-1302 (c).



Education Program Assistants —hiking, kayaking, scavenger hunts

Brownsville Preserve & Parramore Island (Eastern Shore) 3-trip commitment, trips run through the school year

Youth Safety Training Required The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Coast Reserve is seeking volunteer assistance with outdoor field experiences for 5th, 7th, and 10th grade classes during the school year (September-May). Field experiences will take place at Brownsville Preserve in Nassawadox (5th and 7th grades) and on Parramore Island out of Wachapreague (10th grade). We are seeking 4-5 dedicated volunteers to assist with class field trips during the spring and fall (field trips typically run from 8:30 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. on weekdays). Prior environmental education experience is preferred but not required. It is essential that applicants are comfortable and capable of working with and leading youth groups in an outdoor environment with the help of Conservancy staff. Applicants will be required to undergo a background check (requires SSN) and Nature Conservancy Youth Safety Qualifications prior to volunteering which will take 1.5-2 hours of time. Volunteers will be trained on field activities, and all necessary equipment will be provided. You must be able to commit to helping on at least three field trips. Spring season field trips will start in mid-February and run through May the fall season trips will pick up in September. Field trip activities include hiking, kayaking, crabbing, nature scavenger hunts, species observations, water quality assessments, and other fun, outdoor scientific investigations. If you’re interested in helping please call, text or email Jen Dalke, volunteer program manager, at jdalke@tnc.org or 434-951-0572 (w) or 540-335-1302 (c).



Preserve Volunteer Program (formally Trail Monitors)

Public Access Preserves Across Virginia various levels of commitment The Nature Conservancy is reworking our trail monitoring program into the Preserve Volunteer Community Program. We are looking for: Community Members —become involved with a preserve without committing time to stewardship work. Receive periodic updates about the preserve and special events.

—become involved with a preserve without committing time to stewardship work. Receive periodic updates about the preserve and special events. Preserve Stewards —visit a preserve at least 4 times a year to assess trail and preserve conditions and perform basic trail maintenance by removing fallen branches and overgrown vegetation.

—visit a preserve at least 4 times a year to assess trail and preserve conditions and perform basic trail maintenance by removing fallen branches and overgrown vegetation. Preserve Leaders—demonstrated commitment to the preserve and willingness to take on additional responsibilities like managing communication & scheduling, leading workdays, guiding naturalist hikes. Locations include: Alexander Berger Preserve (Fredericksburg)

Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve (Bent Mountain)

Cumberland Marsh Preserve (New Kent)

Falls Ridge Preserve (Blacksburg)

Fortune's Cove Preserve (Lovingston)

Fraser Preserve (Great Falls)

Warm Springs Mountain Preserve (Warm Springs) If interested, contact Jen Dalke, volunteer program manager, at jdalke@tnc.org, 540-335-1302 (c) for more information. We are in the process of transitioning to this new program by updating position descriptions and training handbooks. Thanks for your patience in this process.