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VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY An equal opportunity, affirmative action institution Invent the Future Virginia Master Naturalist Program Virginia Cooperative Extension-Charlottesville/Albemarle 460 Stagecoach Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902 434-872-4587 Fax: 434-872-4578 Email: [email protected] www.virginiamasternaturalist.org 17 February 2017 Dear VMN Steering Committee, Executive Committee, and Chapter Advisor representatives from VIMS-CCRM, Thank you for your support of the Virginia Master Naturalist program in 2016! With your support, we continued to grow our program and make positive impacts for the Commonwealth’s natural resources. Your monetary contribution supports two part-time staff members, Tiffany Brown and Terri Keffert, who are vital for program and volunteer coordination. It also supports volunteer recognition items and other program supplies, program communications tools, staff travel to teach and meet with volunteers, training events, and other important functions of the statewide program. Your in-kind contribution of staff time for training volunteers, leading projects, advising chapters, and serving on our committees is also a critical part of our program. In 2016, VMN volunteers reported 164 service hours leading educational programs at VIMS and assisting at VIMS facilities. They also reported 1,107 hours on oyster restoration projects, including oyster shell recycling, oyster reef balls, and oyster gardening. They reported 308 hours on submerged aquatic vegetation restoration projects, such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s ‘Grasses for the Masses’ effort, and 280 hours on living shoreline projects. In addition, they reported 2,000 hours of water quality monitoring in streams and rivers in Virginia’s coastal zone. In total, these 3,859 hours equate to $100,681 in service, using the value of a volunteer hour in Virginia for 2015 published by IndependentSector.org, the industry standard (the 2016 value is not yet available, but is likely to be higher.) As you can see, you’ve made an excellent return on your investment in our program! Below, I have included the program-wide 2016 statistics. These statistics reflect many more hours that were not directly with VIMS, but that align with your agency mission. For example, volunteers in several chapters are educating people about coastal natural resources, monitoring wildlife populations in the coastal zone, conducting beach and waterway cleanups, and promoting the use of native plants for landscaping. Virginia Master Naturalist Program 2016 Statistics New VMN volunteers graduated from basic training 382 Active volunteers reporting service in 2016 1,743 (1,206 Certified VMN volunteers) Continuing Education hours completed 24,190 Service hours contributed: Education 35,432 Service hours contributed: Citizen Science 43,517 Service hours contributed: Stewardship 29,852 Service hours contributed: Administration & Travel 37,195 Total service hours contributed 145,996 (21% increase over 2015!) Monetary value of service $3,809,035 (source: IndependentSector.org) Educational contacts made 106,460

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V I R G I N I A P O L Y T E C H N I C I N S T I T U T E A N D S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y An eq ua l o p po r t un i t y , a f f i rma t i v e a c t i o n i ns t i t u t i o n

InventtheFuture

VirginiaMasterNaturalistProgramVirginiaCooperativeExtension-Charlottesville/Albemarle460StagecoachRoad,Charlottesville,VA22902434-872-4587Fax:434-872-4578Email:[email protected]

17February2017DearVMNSteeringCommittee,ExecutiveCommittee,andChapterAdvisorrepresentativesfromVIMS-CCRM,ThankyouforyoursupportoftheVirginiaMasterNaturalistprogramin2016!Withyoursupport,wecontinuedtogrowourprogramandmakepositiveimpactsfortheCommonwealth’snaturalresources.Yourmonetarycontributionsupportstwopart-timestaffmembers,TiffanyBrownandTerriKeffert,whoarevitalforprogramandvolunteercoordination.Italsosupportsvolunteerrecognitionitemsandotherprogramsupplies,programcommunicationstools,stafftraveltoteachandmeetwithvolunteers,trainingevents,andotherimportantfunctionsofthestatewideprogram.Yourin-kindcontributionofstafftimefortrainingvolunteers,leadingprojects,advisingchapters,andservingonourcommitteesisalsoacriticalpartofourprogram.In2016,VMNvolunteersreported164servicehoursleadingeducationalprogramsatVIMSandassistingatVIMSfacilities.Theyalsoreported1,107hoursonoysterrestorationprojects,includingoystershellrecycling,oysterreefballs,andoystergardening.Theyreported308hoursonsubmergedaquaticvegetationrestorationprojects,suchastheChesapeakeBayFoundation’s‘GrassesfortheMasses’effort,and280hoursonlivingshorelineprojects.Inaddition,theyreported2,000hoursofwaterqualitymonitoringinstreamsandriversinVirginia’scoastalzone.Intotal,these3,859hoursequateto$100,681inservice,usingthevalueofavolunteerhourinVirginiafor2015publishedbyIndependentSector.org,theindustrystandard(the2016valueisnotyetavailable,butislikelytobehigher.)Asyoucansee,you’vemadeanexcellentreturnonyourinvestmentinourprogram!Below,Ihaveincludedtheprogram-wide2016statistics.ThesestatisticsreflectmanymorehoursthatwerenotdirectlywithVIMS,butthatalignwithyouragencymission.Forexample,volunteersinseveralchaptersareeducatingpeopleaboutcoastalnaturalresources,monitoringwildlifepopulationsinthecoastalzone,conductingbeachandwaterwaycleanups,andpromotingtheuseofnativeplantsforlandscaping.VirginiaMasterNaturalistProgram2016StatisticsNewVMNvolunteersgraduatedfrombasictraining 382Activevolunteersreportingservicein2016 1,743(1,206CertifiedVMNvolunteers)ContinuingEducationhourscompleted 24,190Servicehourscontributed:Education 35,432Servicehourscontributed:CitizenScience 43,517Servicehourscontributed:Stewardship 29,852Servicehourscontributed:Administration&Travel 37,195Totalservicehourscontributed 145,996(21%increaseover2015!)Monetaryvalueofservice $3,809,035(source:IndependentSector.org)Educationalcontactsmade 106,460

Page 2: Invent the Future - Virginia Master Naturalists - Home · Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation mprysby@vt.edu 434-872-4571 Virginia Master Naturalists

V I R G I N I A P O L Y T E C H N I C I N S T I T U T E A N D S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y

An eq ua l o p po r t un i t y , a f f i rma t i v e a c t i o n i ns t i t u t i o n

Again,Ithankyouforbothyourmonetaryandin-kindsupport.Pleaseletmeknowifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthisreportorourvolunteeractivities,ifyouwouldlikemetoprovideyouwithanyothermaterials,orifyouwouldliketodiscussadditionalopportunitiesforcollaboration.Thankyou,

MichellePrysbyDirector,VirginiaMasterNaturalistprogramVirginiaTechDepartmentofForestResourcesandEnvironmentalConservationmprysby@vt.edu434-872-4571

VirginiaMasterNaturalistscontributed1,107hoursinprojectsrelatingtooysterrestoration,includingoystershellrecycling,buildingoysterreefballs,andoystergardening.Thisimageshowsa2016deliveryof80bushelsofoystershellscollectedbyvolunteersfromCharlottesville-arearestaurants.ToddJaneski,directoroftheVirginiaOysterShellRecyclingProgram,stated,“TheVMNsarethebackboneoftheVAOysterShellRecyclingProgram.ThesuccessofthisProgramisduetothededicationandinvestmentofeffortfromyourwonderfulvolunteers.Wecouldnotbehappiertoworkwithyou.“