VMN Southwest Piedmont Chapter Annual Meeting and Potluck Dinner, March 10, 2022

 

 

The annual meeting of the Southwest Piedmont Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists was held on Thursday evening, March 10^th, 2022 in the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville. The meeting was preceded by a potluck dinner. Approximately twenty members and guests attended in- person, and the proceedings were also made available virtually to participants via Zoom.

 

L-R: Chad Rhoads, Ashby Pritchett, Noel Boaz, Elizabeth Bailey, Ivan Hiett, Randee Brown, Bob Becker, Linda Drage, Lynn Pritchett, Eric Tichay, Ed Coleman, Christie Deatherage, Joe May, Ellen Jessee. Not pictured: Gael Chaney and Christine Boran (attending virtually).

 Co-President Noel Boaz presented a review of the year 2021 compiled by Secretary Kathy Fell. Active chapter membership now stands at 35, down 20% from the beginning of 2021, which we attribute to the detrimental effects of the COVID pandemic, including the inability to offer regular Basic Training classes and bring in new members. Nevertheless , the chapter remained active, with 20 volunteers certifying this past year (with at least 20 volunteer and 4 continuing education hours). These were: Christine Boran, Gael Chaney, Ed Coleman, Jessica Driver, Kathy Fell, Mary Foster, Dottie Haley, Ivan Hiett, Lee Jarrett, Ellen Jessee, Joe May, Chad Rhoads, Eric Tichay, and Janice Walker (40+8), and Kevin Bezy, Noel Boaz, Christy Deatherage, Brian Phillips, Jessica Phillips, and Dennis Reeves (20+4). This year’s colorful recertification pin was entitled “We All Live in a Watershed.”

The 2021 VMN Re-Certification Pin

 

Past President Ivan Hiett and Chapter Advisor Christy Deatherage presented the pins to recipients. Milestones were noted for Ed Coleman, Christy Deatherage, Lee Jarrett, and Dennis Reeves, who have all completed 250 volunteer service hours. Kathy Fell contributed an astounding total of 576 hours of service in 2021. Volunteers worked in 15 different Citizen Science projects, 9 Education and Outreach projects, 3 stewardship projects, and for chapter administration during the past year.

Committee chairs each spoke about their committees’ activities and opportunities for the coming year: Lynn Pritchett (History), Elizabeth Bailey (Outreach and Basic Training), Gael Chaney (Continuing Education), and Ed Coleman (Volunteer Service). Randee Brown introduced a new upcoming Volunteer Service project in Danville, stewardship and reforestation of Ballou Park.