Southern Piedmont Master Naturalists

A Brief History

The Southern Piedmont Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists (VMN) was officially chartered by Virginia Tech in the summer of 2021, and Southside’s first VMN class completed the Basic Training course in August, 2022.

The process began with a small local organizing committee--Scott Wright, Becky Giovannetti, Terri Mewborn, and Earl Wright. The committee set out to build a community of nature lovers who would be interested in lifelong learning about nature and community service. They created a Facebook group called Southside Online Naturalist Group (SONG) to connect like-minded Southsiders. The online group grew very rapidly, so clearly, there was interest. The committee also organized themed events (such as a program on living with bears and guided hikes) to celebrate Southside’s natural resources and introduce residents to the Virginia Master Naturalist program.

Just as things got rolling, the COVID pandemic hit. Plans to expand to in-person educational and informational events slowed while people learned to organize safely with social distancing and masking. Luckily, outdoor events were perfect for budding naturalists, so through guided hikes, birding events, and service events at Occoneechee State Park and the John H. Kerr Dam & Reservoir, outreach continued. The committee delivered monthly educational programs and service projects such as litter patrols. During these events, they shared the mission, goals, and certification requirements of the VMN program.  

In the summer of 2021, the Southern Piedmont chapter was established, focusing on the counties of Brunswick, Charlotte, Halifax, Lunenburg, and Mecklenburg. The chapter was fortunate that Taylor Clarke, Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent in Mecklenburg County volunteered to be the first Chapter Advisor. Local partnerships were forged with the John H. Kerr Dam & Reservoir, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Tobacco Heritage Trail.

The chapter’s first Basic Training course ran from March through August, 2022, preparing 15 new Virginia Master Naturalists to serve the community with education, stewardship, and citizen science projects. As of 2024, the chapter has grown to 40 members.