
Rivanna Chapter
Virginia Master Naturalists
Serving the
Central Piedmont of Virginia
RMN Approved Volunteer Opportunities
Virginia Master Naturalist certification requires 40 hours of volunteer service annually. All service projects must be in your local area, approved by the chapter, meet the mission of the program, and be of public benefit rather than personal gain. Service projects generally fall into one of three categories: Education, Stewardship, and Citizen Science.
The following projects have been approved by the Rivanna Chapter. For a brief description of each project, click on the category heading.
Members can get details and contact information on the members page.
Submit a new project
Members: Submit a timesheet
Education Projects
People who enjoy teaching, public speaking, or working with youth may do education-related service projects. Click on the Education heading for more information.
- Albemarle County Schools: Meaningful Water Educational Experience (MWEE)
- Charlottesville High School – McIntire Park Walks
- Charlottesville Parks – Educational Materials for Azalea Park Kiosk
- Charlottesville Parks – SOL based Curriculum for Select Park Sites
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation – Virginia Watershed Education
- Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at JMU - Arboretum Docent
- Erosion and Sediment Control Education
- Gordon Avenue Library – Children’s Programs
- Invasives Education and Outreach Activities
- Ivy Creek Natural Area – Nature Program/Walk Leader at ICNA or RMNA
- Ivy Creek Natural Area – School Tour Program
- Ivy Creek Natural Area +VCE - 4-H – Junior Naturalist Club
- Lake Monticello Owner’s Association – Lake Health Public Education
- Middle James Roundtable Education Projects
- Rivanna Conservation Society – Education Program
- Rivanna Master Naturalists: Write articles on natural history topics
- Rivanna Master Naturalist Speakers Bureau
- Rivanna Master Naturalist Tabling Projects
- Senior Center – 50+ Gardener and Naturalist Education Program
- Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District: Envirothon Training
- Virginia Cooperative Extension – GPS Orienteering Workshops
- Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H Environmental education Club
- Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H Summer Camp
- Wintergreen Nature Foundation – Educational Programs
Citizen Science Projects
People who enjoy studying nature and science may volunteer as citizen scientists, helping to collect data for biological and water quality monitoring. Click on the Citizen Science heading for more information.
- Albemarle County Parks – Wildlife Mapping and Flora Inventory
- Charlottesville Parks - Tree Identification Project
- Cornell Laboratory - Great Backyard Bird Count
- Lake Monticello Owner's Association - Water Testing
- Monticello Bird Club - Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
- Monticello Bird Club - Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring
- Rivanna Conservation Society - Rivanna River Water Testing
- Rivanna Trails Foundation - Natural Resource Inventory
- StreamWatch - StreamWatch Monitoring
- Tandem Friends School - Habitat and Ecosystem Mapping at the School
- Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries - Frog and Toad Calling Survey
- Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries - Wildlife Mapping
- Virginia Society of Ornithology: Riparian Bird Survey
Stewardship Projects
People who like being out in nature, getting dirty, and seeing tangible results of physical labor may help build and maintain park trails, restore wildlife habitat, or perform other stewardship-related projects. Click on the Stewardship heading for more information.
- Albemarle County Parks - Trail Building and Maintenance
- Albemarle County Schools - Trail Maintenance and Tree ID (Yancey Elementary)
- Charlottesville Parks - Earth Day Tree Planting
- Charlottesville Parks - Invasive Plant Management
- Ivy Creek Natural Area - Trail Monitor
- National Audubon Society - SNP Invasive Species Removal
- Rivanna Conservation Society - Riparian Buffer Planting
- Rivanna Trails Foundation - Monthly Workdays
- Senior Center - 50+ Habitat Enhancement Project
- The Nature Conservancy - Stewardship Projects
- Virginia Native Plant Society, TJ Chapter - Native Plant Care
- Virginia Native Plant Society, TJ Chapter - Native Plant Rescues
