Announcements 2026.5.1

[Walker, Jane]

1.) Virginia Native Plant Society (VNPS) News – Various Dates, Starting: May 2, 2026
2.) Virginia Save Our Streams Field Certification -- May 8, 2026 and June 30, 2026
3.) Professional Development Events: Project Learning Tree (PLT) – Various Dates, Starting: May 27, 2026 (Registration Closes: May 8, 2026)
4.) Professional Development: Wildlife Education – Various Dates, Starting: May 18, 2026
5.) State Park Master Plan Public Information and Comment Opportunities – York River State Park – May 19, 2026
6.) Webinar: Stormwater Innovations in the Southeast -- May 21, 2026
7.) Virginia Naturally (VAN) School Recognition Program -- Apply by: June 1, 2026
8.) Bring Your Own Container Campaign
9.) Nitrate Pollution Awareness Week -- July 26-August 1, 2026
10.) Selecting Plants for Pollinators – https://www.pollinator.org/guides.
11.) Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Wildlife Cams -- https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife-watching/wildlife-cams/
12.) Osprey Webcam -- https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/webcams/osprey
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See recent announcements and learn more about the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) at www.VirginiaWMC.org. Feel free to forward these announcements. When forwarding, please acknowledge the VWMC. If you have a water-related announcement of regional or statewide interest, send it to vw...@vt.edu and ask that it be distributed to the VWMC membership. If someone forwarded this message to you, you can join the VWMC for free by sending your name, water-monitoring affiliation (if applicable), and contact information (email address, mailing address, and phone number) to vw...@vt.edu.  Thank you to Julia Porter, VWMC intern, for developing and organizing this week’s set of VWMC announcements.
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1.) Virginia Native Plant Society (VNPS) News – Download or order regional Virginia Native Plant Guides at https://vnps.org/virginia-native-plant-guides/. Learn about upcoming VNPS State and Chapter Events at https://vnps.org/events/. If you have issues with the website, contact in...@vnps.org or 540-837-1600. May native plant sales include:
   ++ May 2, 2026 (9:30am-2pm) -- 2026 Annual Native Plant Sale -- Williamsburg Community Building, 401 N. Boundary St., Williamsburg VA (John Clayton Chapter)
   ++ May 3, 2026 (9am-2pm) -- Earth Sangha Open House & Native Plant Sale -- 6100 Cloud Dr., Springfield VA
   ++ May 6, 2026 (10am-1pm) -- Native Plant Sale -- Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria VA (Potowmack Chapter)
   ++ May 16, 2026 (9am-3pm) -- Green Spring Garden Day & Native Plant Sale – 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria VA (Potowmack Chapter) ++++++++++++++++++++
2.) Virginia Save Our Streams Field Certification -- May 8, 2026 (9am-12pm; Danville, Va); June 30, 2026 (9:30am-4pm; Green Bay, VA) -- These events serve as the field training requirement (need to attend only one) for becoming a certified Virginia Save Our Streams monitor. Prior to this event, complete the online portion of the certification, including watching webinars and passing a macroinvertebrate identification quiz. Learn more and register at https://iwla.org/events/. The Danville event is hosted by Dan River Basin Association and Virginia Cooperative Extension, and the Green Bay event is hosted by the Izaak Walton League and Longwood University.
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3.) Professional Development Events: Project Learning Tree (PLT) -- Events below are for the Project Learning Tree core activity guide for K-8 students unless otherwise specified. Learn more and register at https://project-learning-tree.odoo.com/event.
   ++ PLT Explore Your Environment + Project WILD Combined – Registration Closes: May 8, 2026; Event: May 27, 2026 – Danville, VA
   ++ PLT Explore Your Environment – Various Dates: June and July – Various Locations: Green Bay, VA; Boyce VA; Galax VA: Suffolk VA
   ++ Teaching Trees -- For middle and high school teachers
      == Registration Closes: June 1, 2026 (5pm); Event: June 24-25, 2026 -- Raphine, VA
      == Registration Closes: June 3, 2026 (5pm); Event: July 8-9, 2026 – near Providence Forge, VA
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4.) Professional Development: Wildlife Education -- For more information and to register, see https://www.register-ed.com/programs/virginia/196-wildlife-education. Organized by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resource's Wildlife Education Program.
   ++ Project WILD-Aquatic WILD Combo Educator Workshop -- May 18, 2026 (8am-4:30pm) -- Appomattox, VA
   ++ Project WILD: Climate and Wildlife & MWEE in Action – June 8, 2026 (9am-4pm)-- Milford, VA
   ++ Project WILD & Aquatic WILD Workshop -- June 9, 2026 (9am-4pm) -- Lancaster, VA
   ++ Aquatic WILD Educator Workshop -- June 17, 2026 (9am-4pm) -- Green Bay, VA
   ++ Project WILD and Growing Up WILD -- July 30, 2026 (9am-4pm) -- Warsaw, VA (focused on elementary school, preK - 5^th grade teachers)
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5.) State Park Master Plan Public Information and Comment Opportunities – State park master plans under review: High Bridge Trail, Shenandoah River, Powhatan, Wilderness Road, and York River.  State park master plans under development: Sweet Run and Mayo River.  Learn more about master plans for state parks at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational-planning/masterplans. Meetings hosted by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
   ++ York River State Park – May 19, 2026 (6:30pm) -- Williamsburg, VA -- https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=43270.
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6.) Webinar: Stormwater Innovations in the Southeast -- May 21, 2026 (10:30-11:30am) – This webinar will focus on how field testing and interdisciplinary research at Auburn’s Stormwater Research Facility are advancing best practices and influencing standards. For more information and to register, see https://seswa.memberclicks.net/webinars-state-spotlight. Organized by the Southeast Stormwater Association (SESWA).
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7.) Virginia Naturally (VAN) School Recognition Program -- Apply by: June 1, 2026 -- The goal of this program is to recognize exemplary efforts undertaken by Virginia schools to increase the Environmental Literacy of its students. This program highlights schools providing hands-on, real-world learning and meaningful outdoor experiences connected to classroom instruction. Ideal for schools integrating environmental literacy, STEM and civic engagement into their programs. This is not a one-time recognition, but one upon which your school may build and achieve additional recognitions for each year you participate. To learn more and apply, visit https://dwr.virginia.gov/education/school-recognition/. Administered by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
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8.) Bring Your Own Container Campaign -- Restaurants in Virginia with fewer than 20 locations will no longer provide expanded polystyrene (EPS) containers, starting July 1, 2026. For restaurants with more than 20 locations, the ban is already in effect. Bring your own container for leftovers to reduce waste and help restaurants save money. Learn more at https://www.cleanvirginiawaterways.org/foam-phase-out. Information provided by Clean Virginia Waterways.
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9.) Nitrate Pollution Awareness Week -- July 26-August 1, 2026 – This event aims to increase public awareness of nitrate pollution, including its sources, impacts, and associated risks. Learn more at https://iwla.org/nitrate-pollution-awareness-week/ and https://iwla.org/events/. Organized by the Izaak Walton League of America.
   ++ Webinar: Welcome to Nitrate Pollution Awareness Week -- July 27 2026
   ++ Webinar: An Invisible Threat: Nitrate in Drinking Water -- July 29 2026
   ++ Webinar: Regenerative Solutions for Soil Health and Water Quality -- July 30 2026
   ++ Webinar: Nitrate Pollution and the Dead Zone: Insights from the Gulf -- July 31 2026
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10.) Selecting Plants for Pollinators – These ecoregional planting guides are tailored to specific areas of the United States and Canada. Find your ecoregion and download the free guide by entering your zip code. The planting guides (starting on Page 16) lists plant names that will attract pollinators. Learn more at https://www.pollinator.org/guides. Offered by Pollinator Partnership.
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11.) Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Wildlife Cams -- https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife-watching/wildlife-cams/
  ++ Marsh Cam -- Hog Island Wildlife Management Area (Surry County). The cam is centered between a tidal marsh and two managed impoundments. The livestream runs 24/7 every day of the year.
   ++ Shad Cam – Shows aquatic life below the surface of the James River. Live from March until September. To date over 25 species including American shad, gizzard shad, quillback, and sea lampreys have been observed on camera.
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12.) Osprey Webcam -- https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/webcams/osprey -- Ospreys, named Tom and Audrey, typically return to this nest (and the webcam spotlight) in mid-March. Annual recaps for the osprey Webcam date back to 2013.  Provided by the “Crazy Osprey Family” on Kent Island off Maryland’s Eastern Shore in partnership with the Chesapeake Conservancy.
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The VWMC announcements are provided with support from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Water Resources Research Center with funding from the U.S. Geological Survey. Thank you to our sponsors!

You too can sponsor the VWMC announcements.  Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the VWMC to support information updates and other VWMC activities.  Make checks payable to: “The Virginia Tech Foundation” and on the memo portion of the check include “VWMC Fund #872802.” Mail contributions to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (0444, Attn: Jane Walker) at 210 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech; 310 West Campus Drive; Blacksburg, VA 24061.