Eastern Shore of Virginia Master Naturalist Adds 21 Members

(ONANCOCK, VIRGINIA) – Twenty-one students graduated as Eastern Shore of Virginia Master
Naturalists after completing the Basic Training Course on November 9th.

The course combined classroom instruction and fieldwork throughout the Eastern Shore. Diverse
topics were taught by leading experts and included subjects such as barrier island and coastal
ecology, botany, mammalogy, and others.

Class venues included the Barrier Islands Center, Chincoteague Bay Field Station, the Virginia
Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory and the UVA Coastal Research Center.
Fieldwork locations included the Assateague Island National Seashore, Wallops Island, and the
Mutton Hunk Fen, Savage Neck Dunes, and Wreck Island Natural Area Preserves.

Chartered in 2008, the Eastern Shore chapter has over 100 members serving as volunteer
educators, citizen scientists, and stewards helping conserve and manage the Eastern Shore’s
natural resources and public lands. In 2023, the chapter contributed over 6,000 hours of
volunteer service.

The Basic Training Course is typically offered annually each fall. For information about attending,
please send an email to esmn.training@gmail.com.

2023 Graduates
Nancy Biegel
Tom Bonniwell
Stella Dawson
Paula Deppen
Abby Gale
Laurel Gould
Rob Harris
Peter Hartzler
Terri Kirtles
Amy Lines
Andrew May
Joan May
Jim McDaniel
Scott Neville
Debbie Pocock
Doug Pocock
Audrey Shirif
Kevin Shive
Pat Tinkelman
Tiara Tracy
Lisa Wu

The Eastern Shore Master Naturalists wish to especially recognize Andrew May and Kevin Shive,
No Limits Eastern Shore Brain Injury Services members, who completed the course this year.
Andrew’s mother, Joan May, also graduated this session.