Southwestern Piedmont Master Naturalists

Southwestern Piedmont Master Naturalists We are volunteer educators, citizen scientists, and stewards helping Virginia conserve and manage natural resources and public lands.

The SWP naturalist chapter serves the area of Henry, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties The Virginia Master Naturalist Program is a statewide corps of volunteers providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities. Interested Virginians become Master Naturalists through training and volunteer service. This chapter is sponsored by the Virginia Museum of Natural History (www.vmnh.net). You may find a link to the application in the “About” section, or here: https://app.betterimpact.com/Application?OrganizationGuid=dde6a50f-f9d7-43ce-aa73-5dcaa673ce43&ApplicationFormNumber=1

The cost for Basic Training is $60.

Valinda and Ellen presented on native plants for the Lions Club event for hearing impaired. It was held at PAA.
09/01/2026

Valinda and Ellen presented on native plants for the Lions Club event for hearing impaired. It was held at PAA.

Thanks to everyone who volunteered and came by to learn about coyotes at Smith River Fest
08/24/2026

Thanks to everyone who volunteered and came by to learn about coyotes at Smith River Fest

Bee Flight Festival in Martinsville
08/15/2026

Bee Flight Festival in Martinsville

Our hard-working Master Naturalists sharing their knowledge of Virginia wildlife. Great job!
08/08/2026

Our hard-working Master Naturalists sharing their knowledge of Virginia wildlife. Great job!

GREAT meeting with Norma Bozenmayer and her fellow naturalists about Black Bear. So many complaints in our area. We never even got to Coyote. So we hope to have a presentation on them later.

If you are interested in joining our group just send us a message. We love servicing our community and we have a lot of fun.

Naturalists…educators…friends…and now FAMILY! ( pictured with us is Valinda’s sister Anita.) In a random discussion one ...
08/01/2026

Naturalists…educators…friends…and now FAMILY! ( pictured with us is Valinda’s sister Anita.)
In a random discussion one day, we realized we are distant cousins. Our mutual distant grandfather, Shadrack Turner, served as an Patriot in the American Revolutionary War. The house he built in Henry VA is on the National Historical Registry.

Today we did outreach at the Ridgeway Farmers Mkt
08/01/2026

Today we did outreach at the Ridgeway Farmers Mkt

Naturalists, led by our own VCE agent Jessica Driver, learned all about mosquitoes during Fight the Bite. Then we picked...
07/31/2026

Naturalists, led by our own VCE agent Jessica Driver, learned all about mosquitoes during Fight the Bite. Then we picked up supplies to make our own bucket of doom.

07/28/2026

In our next “brown bag” webinar, we’ll feature guest speaker Lisa Wittenborn, Ph. D., executive director at Rivanna Conservation Alliance. Lisa will discuss what makes streams healthy and how invasive plants in riparian areas disrupt the food web and the entire ecology of the waterway, threate...

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21 Starling Avenue
Martinsville, VA
24112

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