Continuing Education Resources
The Virginia Master Naturalists Program requires eight hours of continuing education (CE) each year to be certified and maintain certification with the statewide program.  CE hours do not require formal approval, but topics should be presented in person or through an interactive  program, webinar or recorded format.  For certification credit, please log your CE hours through the Better Impact volunteer hours system.

VMN criteria for continuing education should provide the following:
  • promote continued learning and development of naturalist skills
  • provide knowledge and skills to work on chapter volunteer projects
  • provide  an opportunity to focus on your interests in one or a few specific topics
  • build on core curriculum provided by our local chapter
  • provide information on natural resources and resource management or naturalist skills applicable to Virginia

Examples of continuing education might include: 
  • a field trip sponsored by ORMN (Click here.), one of our sponsoring state agencies or a chapter partner
  • attending Old Rag chapter membership meetings, which always provide a one-hour presentation for continuing education
  • a seminar on a topic you really want to understand better
  • watching videos or listening to a webinar on a naturalist topic

The Old Rag chapter offers financial assistance for members attending events.  If you would like further information, please see the Chapter Scholarship Policy, passed by our Board on 8/10/20.
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Virginia Master Naturalist Online Programs and Webinars
The Virginia Master Naturalist (VMN) program provides continuing education opportunities through its annual statewide conference, an online webinar series, and regional workshops associated with specific projects. Sign up to be notified about upcoming Continuing Education programs.  

​VMN Continuing Education webinar website  ​
Continuing Education Resources​ 

CE Opportunities by Topic

General Resources

Virginia Forest Landowner Wildlife Fall Forestry tours:  now online here . 
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Nature Journaling:
​Earth Optimism Webinar: Working Landscapes:  Doing Science to Help People and Nature,  
​Kim Komatsu:  Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.  Sign up online to watch on demand 

Shenandoah National Park Association Seminars for 2022:  Click here for schedule​  

The Clifton Institute YouTube channel
Clifton provides videos on its YouTube channel, many from around the field station.  See two online talks: Beavers: Challenges and Benefits to Coexistence and Warbler Song Boot Camp.    
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Communication and Interpretation Skills:
  • -Storytelling (Virtual Visits in video format) on Virginia's DCR State Park’s “Fun and Learning from Home” page​
  • -Handles: Helping Visitors to Grasp Resource Meanings – downloadable ‘pdf – an alphabetical directory of very useful interpretive techniques— National Park Service
  • -Telling All Americans’ Stories— History and culture across the U.S.; teaching with historic places; publications on diverse and inclusive historical interpretation – National Park Service
  • -Randy Olson’s “And-But-Therefore” approach to storytelling – see 9 minute TED Talk
  • -Book— The Passionate Fact: Storytelling in Natural History and Cultural Interpretation, by Susan Straus, c. 1996 Fulcrum Publishing.
  • -Book— Personal Interpretation: Connecting Your Audience to Heritage Resources, 3rd Edition, by Lisa Brochu and Tim Merriman, c. 2015 interpPress – a good primer on basic concepts, like how to use themes, universal elements, voice, questions and other techniques, to engage people in your story or program.
  • -The School of the Earth Sourcebook—a CATALOG of resources, such as books on interpretive design, introductory walks, activities and education programs, etc.
  • -Teaching Tolerance – many resources
  • (This list courtesy of Carol Heiser (James River Chapter/VMN; retired from Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources) ​
geology
​Geological Society of America
GSA created this Online Education Resource Guide to help with online teaching, learning and remote research for Geosciences, including links to third-party offerings that might be helpful. 
Geology of the Appalachians
insects
Xerces Society Webinars:
Gardening for Invertebrates: A New Xerces Webinar Series
Join Xerces staff for a summer of gardening. Learn how to provide for invertebrates and the important role they play in our world. 
These 1-hour programs are offered every first and third Thursday from June through September at 10:00 am PDT / 11:00am MDT / 12 noon CDT / 1:00pm EDT.  Sign-Up

​​Monarch Joint Venture Monarch Conservation Webinar Series
click here for link to schedule.  Monarch Joint Venture is a top-recommended source for information on monarchs and monarch conservation and how you can get involved. Visit the community science page within their site

​SERC: Landscaping for Biodiversity: A plant-insect perspective, with Dr. Karin Burghardt
Webinar Recording.  Also, please find additional resources provided by Dr. Burghardt:
Resources on the Spotted Lanternfly - Here
birds
eBird for Beginners workshop, led by Steven Lamonde:  Click Here    

Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Bird Academy courses 
Merlin Bird ID tutorial
​Ask your questions, learn how Merlin can make you a better birder, and find out what’s next for Merlin.  Learn the latest with the Merlin Project Coordinator and eBird Project Leader...AND...tutorial on use of Sound ID feature, click here.

American Bird Conservancy webinars:  "The Bird-Safe Buildings Act: How to Save 1 Billion Birds from Collisions." 
You can access the full recording of the webinar here.  In addition, check out all of ABC’s webinars, collected in this YouTube playlist.
Want to learn more or take further action to make buildings safer for birds? Check out this list of resources:
Georgia Working Forest for Birds:  This webinar educates participants on the value of managed forests for birds and biodiversity, including how landowners and managers can incorporate birds into decisions regarding forest stewardship, harvesting, science, and conservation.  Session Details: Now available On-Demand, View Now!

​"The Bird-Safe Buildings Act: How to Save 1 Billion Birds from Collisions." You can access the full recording of the webinar here. In addition, check out all of ABC’s webinars, collected in this YouTube playlist.
Video and Resources From the Gardening for Birds Webinar 
​Gardening for Birds: Transform Your Green Space (Watch Gardening for Birds)

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society shared tips for creating a bird-friendly environment–setting you up for a summer of gardening, birdwatching, and nature enjoyment! During the webinar, we shared our favorite gardening resources for the contiguous United States and Canada:
  • Audubon's Plants for Birds: Explore articles about creating bird-friendly habitat, the importance of natives, and more!
  • Audubon's Native Plant Database: Enter your US zip code for a customized list of plants and local resources including nurseries. Filter by plant type, plant resources, or the bird species you want to attract. Build out your own plant list. 
  • The Pollinator Partnership provides an in-depth look at native plants for all ecoregions in the United States and Canada. Enter your zip code to download your PDF guide. 
  • To learn more about the plants themselves, explore the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower website. 
  • Sign up for the Cornell Lab's self-paced, online course, Growing Wild: Gardening for Birds and Nature. Webinar attendees can take 20% off the full price with the code: GrowingWild20. More details below. 

 Growing Wild: Gardening for Birds and Nature
Designed for anyone interested in gardening for birds with an outdoor space large or small, this course from the Cornell Lab brings together all the tools you need. You'll receive expert guidance through instructional videos, photo galleries, and planting guides. Learn how to provide resources for birds throughout the year and attract specific species, while transforming your outdoor spaces into vibrant places that birds will flock to! Apply this coupon to take 20% off the full price of the course: GrowingWild20
Take the Course
​Bringing Back The Birds - Amy Johnson,
SCBI and Virginia Working Landscapes 
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streams, aquatic habitats and the water cycle
"Meet Virginia's Salamanders" with Wildlife Information Biologist Susan Watson from the VA Department of Wildlife Resources. We learned that Virginia is 3rd globally in Salamander diversity and the importance of vernal pools. Click here.
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NWQMC Webinar Series 
The National Water Quality Monitoring Council has a library of webinars available here including a number on stream monitoring protocols, macroinvertebrate identification, and other water quality topics.  ​
The recording of "Healthier Streams for a Healthier Community" webinar walk & talk with Charles Smith & JoAnne Fiebe is available here.   If you missed it, tune in for a virtual stroll along parts of Little Hunting Creek and hear about the development vision for the Richmond Highway corridor.
ecology and biodiversity
Ecology and Nature Online Learning Resources - The Khan Academy offers free practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. They've partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content. Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Below are links to three Khan Academy lecture series on ecology and biodiversity. Free.  (click on topic below). 
Ecology  
Biodiversity and Conservation
Crash Course: Ecology 

Additional videos and webinars on ecology are below:​
Taxonomy and invasive species


National Park Service Educational Resources to advance biodiversity awareness and discovery - click here
​Notes and Resources for Blue Ridge PRISM Invasive Grasses Presentation
plants, trees and forests
Virginia Native Plant Society:  The Conservation of Virginia's Native Plants with Chris Ludwig, sponsored by VNPS
https://vnps.org/events/the-conservation-of-virginias-native-plants-with-chris-ludwig-via-zoom/

Virginia Department of Forestry:  i
Learn to Plant a Tree video - learn to correctly plant and protect a tree sapling with Sara Parmelee at the Va. Department of Forestry.
Virginia Forest Landowner Update Facebook Channel (and please subscribe!) Watch archived videos at your leisureg

Virginia Cooperative Extension:  
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest (sponsored by  VCE on Fridays)

The Forestry Webinar Portal – free live and on-demand webinars
weather
climate change and atmospheric and oceanic circulation
Webinar: Evidence-based Communication Techniques for Talking about Climate Change
Emily Moberg, executive chair for the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation, reviews effective communication techniques when entering the fraught conversation on climate change. She teaches several of these communications techniques, including tested metaphors and values, and the usage of explanatory chains and solutions. 
Zoom link:  click here         


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The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)
Free, online courses to promote understanding about the relationships between extreme weather, climate, health, and the environment.  

Climate Solutions 101—presented by Project Drawdown—is a free, six-part video series along with in-depth conversations, combines  trusted resources with the expertise of inspiring thought leaders from around the world.
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