Community Events

2 Master Naturalists at Eggstravaganza outreach booth

Photo: R. Reilly

Bee Mine

To celebrate Valentine's Day and the age-old love affair between bees and flowers, JRMN, along with Pocahontas Master Naturalists and the Xerces Society, presented educational displays and crafts on native bees at the Great Big Greenhouse.

Little boy examining life cycle toy at outreach table on bees

2 children making bee craft at outreach table

Photos: R. Reilly

Earth Day

JRMN's table at a recent Powhatan County Earth Day provided educational displays and crafts on why bird abundance and diversity depend on native plants. Even seed eating birds must feed their young soft-bodied insects, and most of these insects feed on native plant leaves.

Visitor making craft at an Earth Day outreach table

Photos: R. Reilly

Farmers' Markets

JRMN participates in farmers' markets in Goochland, Powhatan, and Louisa counties, exhibiting a variety of educational themes and materials.

Visitors talking to a Master Naturalist at a Farmers' Market outreach table on birds

Native plants displayed on outreach table at Farmers' Market event

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed at a Farmers' Market outreach table

Photos: J. Golden

Who doesn't love to watch a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar chowing down on Swamp Milkweed!

Goochland-Powhatan Master Gardeners Spring Fest & Plant Sale

Visitors talking to a Master Naturalist at a Spring Fest outreach table

Visitors talking to Master Naturalists at a Spring Fest outreach table

A big annual event in Goochland County, the GPMG's Spring Fest draws many gardeners & home landscapers. JRMN's tables urge gardeners to add more native plants each year and to do what they can to remove invasive species.

Photos: R. Reilly

Juneteenth

At Powhatan County's Juneteenth celebration, and in keeping with the event's theme, JRMN hosted a table at the Pocahontas Landmark Center honoring Powhatan teachers by offering to assist with environmental learning activities and demonstrating a few of our educational children's crafts.

Visitors talking to a Master Naturalist at a Juneteenth outreach table

Photo: B. Behringer

"Nature: From the Ground Up" - at the Powhatan Public Library

Photos: E. Smyth

Visitors browsing outreach tables at library event

Master Naturalist teaching visitors about bird calls in an outdoor amphitheater

JRMN volunteers provided a program at Powhatan County Library as part of their "Maker Monday" series. We hosted 7 stations—some indoors and some outdoors. About 50 happy children learned about insects, trees, healthy soil, bird songs, earthworms, plants, and animal pelts.

Boy examining close up of an insect on a computer screen

Children digging in pan of dirt for composting worms

Children learn best when their imaginations are stimulated, whether by hearing a gifted storyteller explain why birds sing, by making a popsicle stick dragonfly, by creating a one-of-a-kind fan from natural materials, or by seeing the amazing complexity of a beetle's leg magnified 100x! And the lucky bonus of working with children is that their parents are exposed to the conservation message as well!

The JRMN "Living with Black Bears" Team

JRMN participates in a black bear awareness campaign sponsored by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources called Living with Black Bears in Virginia. Volunteers are trained by DWR representatives so that they can educate the community in ways to prevent unwanted bear encounters on their property. The LWBB team exhibits at various community events like Earth Day and Farmer's Markets and also gives presentations for interested organizations such as clubs, HOAs, and county groups.

Outreach table on black bears with info handouts and bear pelt

Photos: R. Reilly

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