2015 Master Naturalists of Canaan Valley Schedule
and Other Great Events
To preregister contact Andrea Dalton ADalton2000@yahoo.com 304-866-7037
Saturday, March 14th – 9:00 - 1:00 Nature in Winter with PJ Harmon
Meet at CVNWR Visitor’s Center. This class will be ½ time indoors and ½ time
outdoors, so bring clothing and boots/snowshoes for snow/wet ground. If you
would like to rent snowshoes, that is possible. Please let me know at least a
week in advance and I will get them from White Grass (I will let you know the
cost and snow conditions before renting). If you prefer to only wear
snowboots, that may also be fine. I will let you know a couple of days in
advance if conditions merit boots and/or snowshoes. Pack a lunch or eat at
White Grass. Charge for class - $10 (does not include cost of snowshoes or
lunch)
If anyone would like to go for a snowshoe walk/cross country ski on fairly flat
land after the class and lunch for an hour or so, let’s do it (probably in CV
State Park).
Please pre-register. Let me know if you are coming to PJ’s class, if you
might need snowshoes and if you want to stay after and go for a walk or ski
(that is 3 different things)
Saturday, March 21st – 9:00 – 1:00 Tracking with Ken Dzaack Meet at CVNWR Visitor’s Center. This class will primarily be in the field.
Ken did it for us previously and it was wonderful. Bring shoes/boots that can
get wet/snowy/muddy. If snowshoes are needed, I will let you know. Some
walking will be involved. Charge for class - $10 a person. Please preregister.
Again, if you would like to go on a short hike/snowshoe walk (depending on
conditions) after lunch (pack your own or we could eat at a restaurant); please
let me know in advance.
Saturday, April 18th – 8:00 to 5:00 or a little later Tour of Forest Service Properties –
Andy Stump
Meet at CVNWR Visitor’s Center. Andy Stump is retired from the US Forest Service.
He will take us to see a variety of Forest Service management projects. This will be a
loop tour starting in Thomas/Parsons, going through Fernow Experimental Forest,
then Queens Wetland (will need boots), then Stuart Drive, using the river road from
Parsons along Shavers Fork up to Coberly Sods grazing area where the rare Goldenwinged Warblers nest. We may also go to a deer exclosure and a burn/fire area if time
permits. These projects focus on early successional habitat and managed woodlands
which includes some clearcutting and cattle grazing. We will carpool, so bring extra
money to help pay for gas. Cost $5.00. Andy Stump is counting this as volunteer
hours. Please preregister.
Saturday, May 2nd – 9:00 to 1:00 Brook Trout class and field trip – Pete Kepner
Meet at CVNWR Visitor’s Center. Class will involve some class work and a field trip to
find our brookies in their native environment. Pete is a fisherman with a passion for
brook trout. Cost $5.00. Pete is counting this as volunteer hours. Please preregister.
Friday, June 12 – Sunday, June 14 – WV State Master Naturalist Conference – Elkins,
WV
This is a MN activity. Come and meet MN from across the state and take incredible
classes led by top instructors. To register and for more information go to the MN
State Advisory Committee website www.mnofwv.org. Classes are not final yet. Look for
the information to be up in the middle of March.
Saturday, July 11 – 9:00 – 12:00ish Mussels - Doug Wood
1:00 – 4:00ish Edible & Medicinal Plants – Diane Anestis
Location: to be announced. Doug told me he wanted to teach a mussels class using the
mussels at Blackwater Falls a long while ago and I have been thinking about it ever since
(never thought about mussels in the Blackwater). If Doug says it is a cool topic, it is;
Doug and Diane are great. We will spend an hour or so in the classroom and an hour or
so in the Blackwater River looking at/for mussels. Wear water shoes or boots. Pack a
lunch or eat at Blackwater Falls.
After lunch we will take a walk with Diane and learn about Edible and Medicinal Plants.
Cost: one class $10, 2 classes $15. Please preregister.
Saturday, August 15th – High Elevation Communities – Ashton Berdine WV Land Trust
Ashton taught this class at Gaudineer Knob for the MN State Conference last year (and
will again this year) and it was fabulous and very popular. Can’t figure out for sure
where to go here (there are so many good places), but possibly Canaan Loop Road. Please
preregister.
September 5th – Visiting the Bird Banding Station on Dolly Sods.
Meet at the CVNWR Visitor’s Center at 6:30AM (yes, so sorry, we need to get there
early). Rain date, Sept 6th. Please preregister.
October 4th– Fall Color Hike.
More info later. Rain date October 11th. Please preregister.
Other Wonderful Events – Not Master Naturalist Sponsored, but GREAT
April 24 – 26 WV Native Plant Society Field Trip and Meeting
The West Virginia Native Plant Society will conduct a field trip to Panther Wildlife Management
Area, in McDowell County during the weekend of April 24-26, 2015. The area consists of a very
old second growth hardwood forest dominated with hemlock. Spring wildflowers such as FernLeaf Phacelia, Large Yellow Lady’s Slipper, Long-Flowered Alumroot, Showy Orchis, Mandarin,
Galax, Whorled Pogonia, and Recurved Fetterbush should be near their peak in this southern tip
of West Virginia. A board meeting will be held at the Group Camp Lodge on 4/25/15 from 6:00
to 8:00 pm.
Location: Panther is located in the rugged mountains near the southern border of West Virginia,
Virginia, and Kentucky. From Route 52, one mile north of Iaegar, turn at the sign to Panther. At
the Panther Post Office, turn left at the sign and follow the road approximately 3.5 miles to
the area entrance. The Group Camp Lodge is approximately two miles south of the entrance on
the right.
Lodging: Group Camp Lodge. Large bunk area for $20.00 for one night or $30.00 for two nights
payable to Judi White, WVNPS Treasurer, 148 Wellesley Dr., Washington, WV 26181. Bring
your own bedding or sleeping bag, towels, etc. A commercial kitchen is also available in the lodge
to prepare your own meals. If there is interest, we could provide food for a dinner Saturday
night for those who register for the trip. The food cost would be in addition to the costs for
lodging.
The nearest hotels are located in Bluefield and Princeton, WV a one and one half hour drive to
Panther WMA.
Camping: Six sites are available at $14.00 per night, payable to Panther WMA.
Field trips: We will be car caravanning or hiking from the Group Camp Lodge starting at
9:00 am to various points in the WMA Saturday morning and afternoon April 25. Lunch, as are
all meals, will be on your own.
There will be a board meeting from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the Group Camp Lodge.
We may continue exploring areas in Panther on Sunday morning 9:00 am, April 26 or venture on
to Berwind Wildlife Management area located south of War, WV.
For further details contact:
Kevin Campbell for directions, schedule, facilities descriptions e-mail- hazwaste@hotmail.com
Judi White to make reservations and pay for lodging e-mail judiwhite@suddenlink.net
On the WEB http://www.wvnps.org
May 8th-10th- Wildflower Pilgrimage This is an incredible experience. It often fills
up. Register early. Look on the Blackwater Falls State Park website for more information
(www.blackwaterfalls.com)
Monday, May 11th–15th – Birding Trip to Magee Marsh – This is not technically a Master
Naturalist activity, just a group of friends and friends of friends, going together to one of the
premier warbler migration sites in the country. We are going with the MN from Parkersburg
area (Emily Grafton’s group). So far 21 people are going. We can take a few more. One of the
Parkersburg MNs, Michael Williams and his birding friend Dave will lead us. Michael was the
photographer for Ohio DNR and is a wonderful birder who has been to Magee and surrounding
areas a zillion times. It will be back to back birders (it is not a secret place), but if Mother
Nature cooperates, it will be awesome.
Thursday, June 4 – June 7th – Canaan Valley Birding Festival - This is not a Master
Naturalist activity (but is sponsored by the MN of CV – we supply many of the volunteers and
some of the leaders), but I coordinate it and I would love to see a bunch of people
attend. Tours are led by some of the best birders in the state. See the Canaan Valley Resort
summer website (www.canaanresort.com) for more information (should be up by March 1st). Look
under the events pull-down menu. For more information, give me a call. I will need volunteers to
assist (don’t have to be a birder).
July 25th – WV Mushroom Foray – Dry Fork, WV (near Canaan Valley). More information to
follow.