Community Nature Initiative

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-06T16:41:00.002-05:00

Happy 2012 everyone! I hope your new year is off to a wonderful start! We are currently planning some great events for 2012! Our first event in the Piedmont Kite Festival!!! So mark your calendars for March 17, 2012 for the festival! :)

Happy Holidays!!!

2012-01-06T16:38:00.002-05:00

MHC CNI wishes everyone the best over the holiday season! Be safe and make sure you enjoy the outdoors!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-22T16:45:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from MHC CNI!!!!
Make sure you try to take advantage of the great fall weather we have been experiencing during your Thanksgiving break! There are many ways you can enjoy the outdoors during the fall. The following are some ideas
Go on a hike and observe the leaves changing colors
Start a pick-up tag football game
Ride your bike on a nature trail instead of a road
Make a nature collage
Jump in some leaves
Look under fallen leaves and discover who lives in them
Feed our bird friends that do not migrate
Build a fort

There are millions of things you can do during this time of year! If you have gone outside and taken part in something cool outdoors please feel free to post it!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Screen on the Green

2011-10-14T16:43:00.001-04:00

Take A Child Outside week went very well this year! The culminating event that took place was Screen on the Green at Hooker Field. We partnered with YMCA, SEMAA, and Martinsville Parks and Rec to conduct this event. Despite the cold weather we had dozens of excited families participating in this event. A special thank you to everyone who volunteered for this event and all the families that came! Thank YOU!!!

Screen on the Green at Hooker Field!!!

2011-09-29T15:46:00.002-04:00

It's almost here! Screen on the Green is TOMORROW!! Yeah!!!

Come out to Hooker Baseball Field to enjoy a wide variety of games and crafts followed by the showing of a box office hit PLANET 51!! Staring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jessica Biel, and Justin Long! This space themed event will be fun for all ages!! We will have Marty the Mustang on the field and food available for purchase!

Activities start at 7pm and the movie will start at 8pm! :) $2 entry fee.

Activities include:
Relay Races
Races against Marty the Mustang!
YMCA Games
Build-your-own rocket station
Making star finders
Face painting
Baseball accuracy contests
Building gliders
Disc golf
SEMAA Rockets
Games with Parachutes!!!

SEE YOU THERE!! :)

TACO WEEK 2011!!

2011-08-31T09:17:00.002-04:00

It's that time again!! Take a Child Outside Week is here!! We will be celebrating this wonderful week September 24-30! We are currently planning the week. The culminating event will be

Screen on the Green! September 30 at Hooker Field. Activities will start at 7:00pm and the movie will start at 8:00pm. We will be working with SEMAA to provide an out of this world event! We will be watching the movie Planet 51 starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, and Seann William Scott!! The activities will include miniature building rockets and other space crafts, relay races, accuracy contests, face painting, and other games! Food will be available for purchase and the admission fee will be $2 at the gate. In the event of inclement weather we will be having this event at VMNH in the Great Hall!

Screen on the Green

2011-08-17T16:33:00.002-04:00

The Screen on the Green that was scheduled for July 8, 2011 has been postponed do to inclement weather until September 30 during Take a Child Outside week. See you then!!

Summer Camps!!

2011-08-17T15:04:00.005-04:00

VMNH received a $5,000 grant from the Bank of America that went towards the VMNH Education Department to implement their camps for free to the community. We did a number of great camps such as Doodle Bugs Summer Science Explorers, Junior Naturalists Camp, Engineering Challenge, and the Great Lunch Adventure. MHC CNI helped conduct the Junior Naturalists camp where we had a number of students from ages 6-12 participate in nature and outdoor programming! We had a blast with the students!

June 26-July 1, 2011 VINYL Workshop!!!

2011-08-17T10:27:00.004-04:00

Sharing Nature is the name of the book series written by Joseph Cornell that encourages interaction between students and nature. The teaching style is called Flow Learning and its the ability to teach the whole child (emotionally, mentally, and physically) while directing their focused energy onto nature.The Virginia Museum of Natural History partnered with Sharing Nature Worldwide to conduct the first ever Sharing Nature Natural History workshop that combines youth leadership with natural history using Sharing Nature principles.

The workshop is called the Virginia Institute of Natural Youth Leadership (VINYL) and this six day workshop trained educators and community leaders how to use sharing nature techniques to teach natural history and foster youth leadership within their students. We had 17 participants from various areas in Virginia and ever some educators from New Hampshire participated in this workshop. The workshop enabled us to showcase our wonderful natural areas in Martinsville-Henry County such as Philpott Dam, Fairy Stone State Park, and Frank Wilson Park. They also had concurrent natural history sessions taught by trained professionals such as VMNH curators, park rangers, and educators from Virginia Tech and Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. This was a wonderful workshop and we are currently evaluating the workshop to see what our next steps will be.

June 10, 2011 Screen on the Green!

2011-08-17T09:51:00.002-04:00

This Screen on the Green was located at the Beaver Creek Reservoir and we were going to watch the movie Alpha and Omega. An hour before the movie we went on hikes, got our faces painted, created awesome puppet wolves, and lots of other fun crafts! We were having a great time until the severe thunderstorm came in. We had to cancel the Screen on the Green due to the storm. The next Screen on the Green will take place July 8, 2011 at Southside Park!

May 4-5, 2011

2011-08-17T09:47:00.003-04:00

MHC CNI Welcomes Dr. Stephanie Baird Wilkerson to VMNH!! She and her organization will be spending two days evaluating the success of this program. The MHC CNI family welcomes you to Martinsville! :) Enjoy your stay!

And we would like to think all the community stakeholders for participating in these evaluation sessions! Thanks!!!!

April 22, 2011 Earth Day Festival!

2011-08-16T16:48:00.003-04:00

Earth Day Festival!!!

This year's Earth Day Festival took place at the Smith River Sports Complex and had kayaking, inflatable slides, the daring inflatable Jacob's ladder, moon bounce, games, obstacle courses, face panting, blind folded games and activities, and a number of exciting activities that were conducted by local organizations. Over 400 community members participated in this free Earth Day Festival! The perfect conclusion to a very fun and successful Earth Week!

April 22, 2011 Screen on the Green!!

2011-08-16T16:38:00.005-04:00

Due to inclement weather Screen on the Green had to take place inside at the Rives Theatre. We had over 60 people participate! Attendants were able to construct a recyclable craft with SEMAA, get their faces painted, take part in magic tricks, play a variety of recycling games, dance, and take pictures with Marty the Mustang! After the fun activities we watched the movie Yogi Bear staring Dan Aykroyd, Junstin Timberlake, Anna Faris, and Tom Cavanagh!

April 20, 2011 and April 21

2011-08-16T16:27:00.004-04:00

CITO Hike/Bike the Dick & Willie took place April 20. The Southwestern Piedmont Master Naturalists lead a group of community members down the Dick and Willie passage and conducted a Cache In Trash Out event where they use geocaching to take part in a trash pick up! Great job keeping our community clean!

Crafty Earth took place April 21 and was lead by Henry County Parks and Recreation. Participants developed their own Earth Day Crafts using recycled materials!

April 19, 2011

2011-08-16T16:11:00.003-04:00

Star Party!!

SEMAA, Martinsville Parks and Rec, and VMNH partnered to present Star Party!! Educators from VMNH and SEMAA lead a star gazing and participants were able to view Saturn and other planets and stars through very power telescopes! We had over 50 people attend the star party!

April 18, 2011

2011-08-16T15:57:00.004-04:00

Fit for Earth Day??

This Earth Week program enabled participants to hike through the new fitness trail at Philpott Lake with the Friends of Philpott and test how fit they were. This hike was a lot of fun for all ages!

April 17, 2011

2011-08-16T15:44:00.005-04:00

The Martinsville Family Nature Club conducted a Sunday Outing in Frank Wilson Park. Lots of families were able to enjoy a wonderful hike on the new trails in the park! While on the hike they learned about the wonders of nature and the wildlife that live in the park!

April 16, 2011

2011-08-16T15:25:00.005-04:00

Earth Day 5K Despite the inclement weather, the Earth Day 5K still took place and had over 90 participants! :) Way to go everyone!! :)

Edible Plant Identification, Mother EARth Mysteries Special Saturdays Program, Wilderness Survival, Environmental Expo at Philpott, and Fairystone State Park Nite Hike were all canceled due to harsh weather conditions. That's ok everyone, these programs will be back in 2012!

Earth Day at VMNH

2011-08-16T14:22:00.005-04:00

April 15, 2010 Earth Day at VMNH is a conference style event where we have special presenters from community organizations to lead during concurrent sessions for students. We had over 400+ parents and students attend the museum. We broke the day into two time frames so more classes from Martinsville and Henry County schools can have an opportunity to attend this wonderful event! We had presenters from Danville Science Center, Southwestern Piedmont Master Naturalists, Martinsville SEMAA program, VMNH, and Master Gardeners. Programs took place in Frank Wilson Park, VMNH classrooms, and exhibit areas.

Earth Week Celebration!!

2011-04-14T13:23:00.002-04:00

It's here! The Earth Week Celebration is here!! Earth Week officially starts tomorrow April 15!!!! Please visit www.mhccni.org or www.vmnh.net for more information regarding this celebration! Earth Week is a series of programs, events, and festivals conducted annually by MHC CNI the Saturday before Earth Day through the Saturday after Earth Day. The purpose is to celebrate Earth Day and learn about the wonderful programs and actions that are taking place in the community, even learn ways that you can go green in your life. This year we will be conducting Earth Week a day earlier and will include Earth Day at VMNH (a conference style event for students), Screen on the Green, Earth Day 5K, guided hikes, an environmental expo, star gazing, geocaching, among other exciting activities!! We will be closing this event with the Earth Day Festival at the Smith River Sports Complex!!!

Piedmont Kite Festival

2011-04-08T15:10:00.003-04:00

The Piedmont Kite Festival was a success!Thank you to all my volunteers that worked very hard during this event to make it so wonderful! We had over 760 people participate in the event! Thanks to our awesome volunteers, participants were able to enjoy a great time doing the following activities; listening to live music, getting their faces painted, building kites, painting kites, blowing bubbles, building helicopters, playing disc golf, testing their bird sports trivia, learning about bird migration, and pushing themselves to the limit in the Bird Olympics game and Food for the Brood game. Representatives from HC Patriots RC club, Civil Air Patrol, Girls Scouts, USACE, SEMAA, Martinsville Parks and Recreation, and chick-fil-A did a great job with their activities during the festival! Pictures to come soon! If you want to read more about it check out this link to the Martinsville Bulletin!

Piedmont Kite Festival

2011-03-04T16:45:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

Just a reminder that March 12, 2011 we will be hosting the Piedmont Kite Festiaval at Jack Dalton Park from 10:00am to 3:00pm!

Volunteer Requests!

2011-02-19T11:09:00.004-05:00

If you would like to volunteer for MHC CNI please contact me at tamara.poles@vmnh.virginia.gov. We currently need volunteers for the Piedmont Kite Festival taking place March 12, 2011, you can stay all day or take part in one of the two shifts. Shifts are 9:00am to noon and 11:45am to 3:30pm. Volunteers that stay all day will be eligible for free food!

We will also need volunteers for our large Earth Week Celebration that will take place April 23 at the Smith River Sports Complex. This event will be from 10:00am to 4:00pm however volunteers will have to be there no later than 9:00am. More information to come on about this event.

Curriculum Development

2011-02-19T11:00:00.002-05:00

As I type MHC CNI is facilitating a curriculum development session with fantastic teachers from Martinsville and Henry County public schools! We would like to thank them for all their hard work! You guys are doing amazing and i can see why you are such an asset for the Martinsville and Henry County Public School Systems!!

Piedmont Kite Festival 2011

2011-02-19T10:35:00.002-05:00

This year's Piedmont Kite Festival will be taking place March 12, 2011 from 10:00am to 3:00pm at Jack Dalton Park! Bring your own kites! See amazing demonstrations that would not be possible without wind! Listen to live music from Kim and Jimbo Cary, learn about the wonders of wind, play flying games, make a kite, and be able to get your facepainted! Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Exhibitors will include Henry County Parks and Recreation, Martinsville Parks and Recreation, Henry County Patriots, SEMAA, USACE Philpott, and the Martinsville Composit Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.

Busy times for MHC CNI

2011-02-19T09:21:00.002-05:00

MHC CNI has been working diligently on our third year's programs and projects. We have a lot in store for you this year and we hope you will enjoy! We are currently creating a curriculum, the Piedmont Kite Festival, Nature Guides, publishing papers, Earth Week, Earth Week Festival, Sharing Nature and Natural History workshop called VINYL, and summer camps! We will keep you posted!

Happy Holidays

2010-12-21T11:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays from MHC CNI!!

Here are a few dates that you can put on your new calendar!

Kite Festival March 12 is our Piedmont Kite Festival and its Rain date is March 19

Earth Week begins April 15 and will end April 23 with the Earth Week Festival!

National Get Outdoors Day is June 11

Great American Campout June 25

Happy Holidays to Everyone and we hope to see you at the above events!!

IMG00096-20101119-1512.jpg

2010-11-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

Mhc cni conducting tree inventory in frank wilson park! Beautiful fall colors!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Special Saturday Programs

2010-11-19T13:48:00.000-05:00

VMNH is still conducting Special Saturday Programs be sure to sign up for the fast! The next two programs that are coming up are below

VMNH Special Saturday programs make learning fun. Each program explores a different natural history through games, crafts, and fun-filled activities. Programs are held from 10 a.m to noon, unless otherwise noted. Program fee is $5 per participant. Pre-registration is required by calling the museum at 276 634 4185 or emailing discover@vmnh.virginia.gov on week in advance.

December 4- A Night Under the Stars: 7-8 p.m. Ages 10 and above accompanied by an adult. Find out what's up tonight in the nighttime sky.

December 11: Scrumdidlyumptious Holiday Treats: Ages 5-8. Love food? Love art? Love the holidays? Combine the three by making artwork that is good enough to eat.

Tree Inventory

2010-11-19T13:45:00.000-05:00

Frank Wilson Park tree inventories and trainings are still being conducted every Friday at 2:30pm. Meet at the log shelter!

Updates from SEMAA

2010-11-05T14:01:00.000-04:00

The Robotics Regional Tournament is November 6th in Christiansburg. Anne will be taking 3 teams from Martinsville Middle School. They will keep us posted on their results! GOOD LUCK MMS!!!
There will be a math and science night at Albert Harris on November 9

MHCCNI Committee Member Updates

2010-11-03T16:33:00.000-04:00

Today, the MHC CNI Steering Committee met together to discuss some up coming events and to see what their organizations have been up to. Below are their updates.

Friends of Fairystone: Will be conducting their Fall Frolic this Saturday, November 6 from 10:am until dark! Admission is Free!

US Army Corps of Engineers at Philpott: Would like to announce that they will be conducting programs every Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm at philpott throughout the winter to assure people that just because its cold does not mean that they can't go outside!
The Rangers at Philpott also conducted over 15 classes in 7 days for every third grade class in the Henry County Public School system. The presentation was about bears!

Henry County Public Schools
Received a grant which enables them to work with their current third grade students throughout the year in a special curriculum coordinated by UVA. During the month of November each class received a program from the US Army Corp of Engineers at Philpott Dam about bears.
Henry County is also conducting the first county wide Science Fair in April!
The trees from the Trees in the Classroom program are doing great. They are currently about 3 inches tall and will be planted in April.

MHCCNI Partner gets Canoes!!!

2010-10-12T08:46:00.000-04:00

Martinsville Parks and Recreation starts up Canoe Rental Program at Reservoir

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Martinsville Parks and Recreation will start renting Canoes at Beaver Creek Reservoir for $30 a day plus a $10 deposit, which is refundable after key, paddles, and life jackets are returned to Main Office at 746 B Indian Trail. The public must come to the Main Office to fill out a short waiver and be sized up for paddles and life jackets which will be at this particular location. (Participates are required to wear their life jackets at all times while paddling on the Lake). Then the person will receive a key specific to the canoe rented, e.g., numbers 1-8. Canoes are “only” allowed to be put in at the Reservoir Lake and returned back to the canoe rack which is stationary at Beaver Creek Reservoir and locked back into position. For more information on MPR’s new Canoe Rental Program, call our office at 276-403-5140.

After School Playtime!

2010-10-05T16:59:00.001-04:00

After School Playtime has been rescheulded for Thursday October 7 at Frank Wilson Park!! I hope to see everyone out at the playground at 3:00pm :)

Updates on TACO Week

2010-09-30T10:05:00.000-04:00

Due to the current weather conditions, the following programs have been canceled or postponed

Step it up with Art- CANCELED

After School Playtime-POSTPONED to next Thursday October 7.

Creepy Crawlies Special Saturday Program- CANCELED do to lack of pre registered participants

Gravely Graves- CANCELED do to the lack of pre registered participants

TACO Week Activities

2010-09-29T11:38:00.000-04:00

Friday September 24: Screen on the Green at Hooker Field

Saturday, September 25: Community Events

Oktoberfest, Arts and Crafts show, and a Car Show taking place throughout the day in Uptown Martinsville.

Monday, September 27: Step it up with Art

Get Artsy with Activate at 6 p.m. Jack Dalton Park! This activity is for all ages.

Wednesday, September 29: Doodle Bugs!

"Jungle to Jungle"

10 a.m and 3 p.m. Join us on a jungle safari. Investigate the latest exhibit featuring a lion, zebras, and antelopes with a binocular craft. Pre-registration is required by calling 276 634 4185, $5 per child.

Thursday, September 30: After School Playtime

3 to 5 p.m at J. Frank Wilson Park for all ages. A light snack will be provided.

Saturday, October 2: Community Open Park Day!
Participants can enjoy a fun day at the park with organizations who contribute to the beautification and education in our community parks.

10 a.m.-Noon: Creepy Crawlies Special Saturday Program
Ages 8-11. Learn which insects make slime and make your own! Pre-registration is required no later than Wednesday September 29, at 276 634 4185, $5 per child. Located at J. Frank Wilson Park. Meet at the stone shelter.

Noon-2p.m: Park Green Up
Join the Friends of Wilson Park and the Southwestern Piedmont Master Naturalists in the park. Help take care of this community gem by gardening, removing invasive species, and other projects.

3-4:30 p.m: Gravely Graves
Kids and adults join a VMNH educator at the Gravely Nature Preserve for a cemetery "scavenger hunt" using the information on the headstones! Pre-registration is required no later than Wednesday September 29, at 276 634 4185, $5 per child.

Screen on the Green at Hooker Field Results

2010-09-29T10:56:00.000-04:00

A special thank you to all of you who came out to Hooker Field Friday night! We had 197 people participate in this event! We raced Marty the Mustang around the bases at Hooker field! I can't believe Marty LOST! Those kids were so fast! Participants also were able to get their faces painted by our great artists, make a snow measuring sticks that could have either looked like a penguin or a snowman. Participants tested their accuracy in the throwing contest, and they tested their balance in a penguin relay race! After the fun activities, the participants enjoyed the movie Happy Feet under the stars on this beautiful Friday night at Hooker Field.

Screen on the Green at Hooker Field!

2010-09-07T16:31:00.000-04:00

September's Screen on the Green is going to be a big one! This one will take place at Hooker Field and we will be showing a hit animated film starring Robin Williams and Nicole Kidman!!

Activities start at 8:00pm and include face painting, relay races with Marty the Mustang, and Throwing accuracy contests! Movie starts at 8:30pm!

$2 admission and food will be available for purchase!

TACO Week!

2010-09-07T14:53:00.000-04:00

Take A Child Outside (TACO) Week is back!! This year is the third annual celebration to help break down obstacles that keep children from exploring the outdoors. Normally this week is from September 24 to September 30, however due to the excitment of our partners wanting to participate we have extended our TACO week to Ocotber 2, 2010. Our kickoff event is our Screen on the Green that will be taking place September 24, 2010 at Hooker Stadium!! :) Fun activities such as relay races with Marty the Mustang, face painting, crafts, and accuracy contests will begin at 8:00pm and the movie will begin at 8:30pm! We will be showing a hit animated film starring Robin Williams and Nicole Kidman!

We are currently coordinating a variety programs addressing various audiences that will take place throughout the week. Keep checking this page for updates!!

Screen on the Green

2010-08-27T14:47:00.000-04:00

Our next Screen on the Green will be August 27 we will be showing Animal Planet's The Predators' Prey!!

Next month be prepared to sit underneath the stars at Hooker Field and watch a Box Office Hit!!!

Screen on the Green

2010-06-29T15:43:00.000-04:00

The last Friday of the month from April to September M-HC CNI partners with Martinsville Parks and Recreation to show an outdoor movie. This month we showed an IMAX movie called "T-Rex Back to the Cretaceous." We had over a dozen people participate in our crafts and our exciting movie. More pictures to come soon!

Outdoor Fun Festival 2010

2010-06-29T10:51:00.000-04:00

On June 12, 2010 in Frank Wilson Park was our Second Annual Outdoor Fun Festival. This festival had over 369 people attend. I first would like to extend a huge thanks to all of the organizations and volunteers that helped in making the Outdoor Fun Festival of 2010 a success! ! We had a lot for our participants to take part in such as a disc golf tournament, basketball tournament (Around the World, and Horse), horseshoe tournament, moon bounce, an inflatable rock wall, guided trail hikes, a sidewalk chalk competition, carnival games, live animals, and live music!

The organizations that were present during this event were; YMCA, Martinsville Fire & Rescue, Civil Air Patrol, Tactfully Teamed, Starting Place,VMNH, Southwestern Piedmont Master Naturalists, Trout Unlimited, Friends of Frank Wilson Park, Martinsville Parks and Recreation, Martinsville Mustangs, Friends of Philpott, National College, Smith River Sports Complex, Bath Fitters, Friends of Fairystone, Smokey Pig, and Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

Due to inclement weather the Outdoor Fun Festival had to end early however everyone enjoyed the festival.

Sharing Nature Workshop

2010-06-25T15:25:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, June 10, 2010 we hosted a Sharing Nature Workshop presented by Greg Traymar. The Sharing Nature book series was developed by Joseph Cornell consists of techniques and activities that encourage getting children involved in the outdoors and with nature. The workshop demonstrated to participants the effectiveness of flow learning and teh Sharing Nature activities. Greg Traymar was an enthusiastic instructor who kept the participants engaged and energized.

For more information about Sharing Nature go to http://www.sharingnature.com/

Earth Day Festival

2010-05-07T16:47:00.000-04:00

This year’s Earth Day Festival yield over 795 participants!! With activities such as a live interactive band, a craft station, facepainting, a moon bounce, an inflatable slide, live animals, a bubble station, and other activities hosted by almost a dozen exhibitors!

Earth Day at VMNH

2010-05-07T16:26:00.000-04:00

Above picture is of Astronaut Patrick G. Forrester who was our Keynote speaker of the day.

Earth Day at VMNH was an amazing event! We had presenters from the US Army Corps of Engineers, Master Gardeners, Dan River Basin Association, and a Master Naturalist. This event was a conference style event for classes that registered.

We also had a very special guest speaker Astronaut Patrick G. Forrester who gave a presentation that was OUT OF THIS WORLD!

Earth Week 2010 Highlights

2010-05-07T10:54:00.000-04:00

No Light Night Hike
This event had over a dozen people exploring the Gravely Nature Preserve at night without ANY flashlights!! Everyone had a wonderful time and their guide said they were an excellent group!

Friends of Philpott Environmental Expo
This event had exhibitors from all around Martinsville, Henry County, and neighboring counties. There were over 400 participants at this very fun event!! Wonderful job Friends of Philpott!!

Black Bears of Virginia
This was a great presentation given by Danny Martin USACE. This outdoor educational presentation was a hit with the families that attended to see in real time bears jumping from tree to tree. An amazing presentation followed by a great outdoor movie about bears in nature. This event kept our audience of over 20 people on the edge of their seats.

Earth Day Earth Craft
This crafty event had over a dozen kids making beautiful deer deterrent wind chimes! They came in all colors and designs. The kids had more paint on them than their crafts, this is how we know they had a great time :)

Hike and Craft April 21 (Philpott Dam) and the Natural Art April 22 (Frank Wilson Park)
Over a dozen people gathered for these events to develop creative crafts out of the natural objects that they found on a hike. Perfect days for both activities! Great job!

Screen on the Green
This event went very well. We had over 80 people in attendance! From 7:00 to 8:00 the participants went on a nature hike, identified and made animal tracks, created nature crafts, got their faces painted, and played with bubbles. Then as soon as 8:00 hit we watched the Lorax!

Earth Week Celebration Conclusion

2010-04-29T09:14:00.000-04:00

I would like to thank everyone who helped make the second annual Earth Week a Success! Each program was well attended and well planned. I have heard nothing but good things about the programs and I am so proud of everyone who helped. Below are some highlights from the week

THANK YOU!!!

Earth Week Celebration

2010-04-09T12:06:00.000-04:00

The Earth Week Celebration has arrived!! This year’s celebration will start April 16 and end with the Earth Day Festival April 24, 2010 at Jack Dalton Park! Be sure to print off your passports and bring them to the listed events to be eligible for prizes the day of the Earth Day Festival! Download your passport here!

Get your passport stamped at the Earth Week activities you attend and turn in your passport at the Earth Day Festival to enter to win in the prizes! You have to attend at least 3 activities!

For additional activities and details please go to www.mhccni.org

Here is a list of activities

April 16:
No Light Night Hike at 8:00 pm at Gravely Nature Preserve. Pre-registration is required at 276 634 4185

April 17
Friends of Philpott Environmental Expo at Philpott Lake Park Overlook from 1 to 4pm Free for all ages!

April 18
Black Bears of Virginia, a hands-on experience in learning about bears! J. Frank Wilson Park, Stone Shelter, 7:30 to 8:30 (rain location Philpott Visitor Center) Free! Pre-registration is required at 276 634 4185 by April 16

April 19
Earth Day Earth Craft located at Studio 107, 5:30 to 6:30 for Pre-K to K. Free!

April 20
Tuesday Morning Strolls, meet at the Martinsville Parks and Recreation Office, 9:00am to 10:00am Free for all ages!

Earth Day Presentation, (Learn about composting!) at Henry County Administration Building,! Main boardroom. 1:00 to 3:00pm. Free for all Ages

Hike and Craft, collect materials for a craft while you take a beautiful hike at Philpott Lake. Philpott Dam Overlook, 5:00 to 6:00pm Free for all ages!

April 21
VMNH Earth Day Event, Morning and afternoon education sessions are available for school groups. All grades. A special presentation will be given that day by Astronaut Patrick G. Forrester!!! Pre-registration is required at 276 634 4185 or email at discover@vmnh.virginia.gov

Natural Art, natural crafts at Frank Wilson Park ages 4 and up. Program starts at 5:30. Pre-registration is required at 276 634 4185

April 23
Screen on the Green! Games start at 7:00pm and the movie start 8:00pm! Located at Frank Wilson Park this event is FREE and for all ages!

April 24
Earth Day 5K, Registration is at 9:00am and the race starts at 10:00am. Location, Martinsville Parks and Recreation Facility 746 Indian Trail Road. Early registration through April 15: $15. After April 15 : $20

Earth Day Festival!! Jack Dalton Park 1:00- 4:00pm FREE, all ages are welcome!

Starry Night, Jack Dalton Park 7:30pm Free Ages 10 and up. Pre- registration is required for this event. To register call 276 634 4185 or email at discover@vmnh.gov

Kite Festival 2010!

2010-04-09T10:57:00.000-04:00

March 20, 2010 we conducted the first annual Kite Festival! This festival was located at Jack Dalton Park. Thanks to the Piedmont Arts Association and Martinsville Parks and Recreation we had over 500 make your own kite kits that were donated to us for this event! Children were able to come in and make their own personal kites, paint them with the guidance of college students and real artists from Studio 107. Participants also took part in watching the Henry County Patriot acrobatics. The Henry County Patriots brought their model aircraft and held demonstrations along with giving people a chance to practice flight using their flight simulator! Also at the event, we had a make your own bubble wand bubble station, paper helicopter station, parachute games, disc golf competitions with prizes, and SEMAA had a station where participants were able to build kites and noise makers! It was a busy and fun day! Participants did not run out of activities to take part in.

We had over 500 participants, a beautiful day, games, crafts, and prizes, it was an amazing event!

Special thanks goes out to all the volunteers for this event, it would not have been as successful without you guys!

Attention Educators!!

2010-02-10T10:10:00.000-05:00

Teachers, educators, and community leaders clear your calendars the first week of June and the first week of August! We are currently organizing two one-day workshops taking place during these weeks! More information to come later this week!!! Contact me if you would like to know more information!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-01-08T15:32:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year from MHCCNI!
We hope your new year is off to a wonderful start! We have been coordinating some exciting programs and festivals for the M-HC area for this year. You can find out more specific information about these programs, events, and festivals at www.mhccni.org . We have some fun Saturday programs underway along with a festival which will take place in March!

Special Kudos to the Patrick Henry Elementary School Earth Force Team!!!

2009-12-22T11:46:00.000-05:00

Congrats to the Mrs. Kathy Campbell and her advance 5th grade class! They are the first team to go through the Earth Force program and develop a project in the Martinsville- Henry County area!! They used the Earth Force curriculum and the scientific method to identify environmental concerns within their school and they identified quite a few however the students felt that the best way to address the issues were to educate the students in their school about these concerns. Therefore, they came up with the idea of developing board games that educate the players about the environment. The students split up into small groups and created their own games. They have been documenting this process with pictures and discussions. The environmental concerns that they feel deeply about will be presented in a Power Point to.

Partner updates

2009-12-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

The Martinsville Leisure Services has changed their name to Martinsville Parks and Recreation.

Friedns of Philpot is currently working on the handicapped accessible park

ACE at Philpot Dam is curretnly constructing fitness interpretative trails

SEMAA is looking to improve race traffic during race weekend

Martinsville City schools is working on implementing a STEM class at the highschool that uses Earth Force and implementing agriculture in the classroom at the elementary and middle schools. They will be using earth force to train the teachers and for implementation of the class. Great job Martinsville City Schools.

Earth Week April 17-24, 2010!

2009-12-22T11:20:00.000-05:00

Keep your ears and eyes open, we are currently in the process of designing another Earth Week!! Earth Week will be April 17-24, 2010!!

Frank Wilson Park Update

2009-12-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

Wilson Park has officially opened its nature trail!!! The next time you visit the park take a trip on the new trail! It is located near the stone shelter behind the handicapped parking sign.

By popular demand, the park will be adding another 9 holes to its disc golf course!!!

New Additions to the M-HC Parterships

2009-12-22T10:02:00.000-05:00

We would like to give a warm welcome to two new additions to the M-HC Steering Committee which are the Smith River Sports Complex and the Henry County Martinsville Virginia Cooperative Extension. They will be a great asset to the committee.

Outdoor Fun Festival!!

2009-10-27T14:59:00.000-04:00

Festival in the Park!!! The Outdoor Fun Festival had over 300 people in attendance and organizations as far north as Roanoke and as far south as NC participated. This was CNI's first festival and it went very well. Kids had a blast climbing the large rock wall, doing flips on the moon bounce, sliding on the inflatable slide, trying their skills on the disc golf display, and enjoying free play in the dirt pit with worms and the sand pit!! Pictures will be placed in the CNI facebook group and on this webpage soon! :)

Outdoor Fun Festival

2009-09-21T13:35:00.000-04:00

Come out and join the CNI and its partnering organizations for an Outdoor Fun Festival in Frank Wilson Park! We will have horses, face painting, moon bounces, slides, and many organizations from around the Martinsville-Henry County Area. The event will be in Frank Wilson Park, October 10 from 10:00am to 5pm!

Take A Child Outside Week

2009-09-21T12:07:00.000-04:00

Take A Child Outside (TACO) week is a national week that focuses on breaking down the barriers that prevent children from going outside. From September 24-30 organizations around the United States who are participating will be providing their local area outdoor programs for their community. CNI will be offering the following programs
August 25: Screen on the Green at 7:00pm at Frank Wilson Park
August 26: National Public Lands Day, Wilson Park Clean up from 10-noon
August 26: Geocaching in Frank Wilson Park
August 26: Special Saturdays program from 10-noon in Frank Wilson Park

Next Screen on the Green

2009-09-21T11:25:00.000-04:00

Our next Screen on the Green will be this Friday September 25, 2009 at 7:00pm! Activities will start at 7:00pm and the movie will begin at 8:00pm. This event is part of the national Take A Child Outside week. See the above to read more about what will be taking place for TACO week.

Grassroots Gathering

2009-09-21T10:49:00.000-04:00

CNI attended the Grassroots Conference at Keystone Colorado September 9 through the 11. It was a wonderful conference. Beautiful area and wonder people. There are many organizations around the United States that are active in getting children outdoors. It was very reassuring that we had so much support and that all the organizations support one another in the movement. CNI made a lot of connections with other organizations during this conference so be on the look out for unique and more diverse events and activities coming soon.

Screen on the Green!

2009-09-16T16:52:00.000-04:00

August 28 CNI partnered with Martinsville Leisure Services to present a Screen on the Green.
Activities started at 7:00pm and the movie began at 8:00pm. We had about 20 people in attendance on this rainy Friday night! Movie Town donated about five pounds of popcorn! We also had animal crackers, drinks, face painting, bubble making, leaf rubbings, leaf identification, insect discovery and identification at this event as well. We watched the movie, “Bears,” from the National Wildlife Federation to support National Parks Awareness month. What a way to spend a Friday night!

Wild About Early Learners Traning

2009-09-16T16:18:00.000-04:00

CNI worked with DGIF to arrange a training for educators in the Project Wild curriculum "Wild About Early Learners." This curriculum provides outdoor activities for children ages pre-k to third grade to participate in. During this training we had a great representation from VMNH and USACE at Philpott Dam. It was very informative and provided us with great resources and tools that will enable us to use their “Wild About Early Learners” curriculum.

Tree Inventory

2009-09-16T15:56:00.000-04:00

CNI conducted a tree inventory training July 28 and August 13 for interested participants. The tree inventory is going well. We can't wait to get the children out there identifying trees. Spread the word to people who you feel would be interested in participating in the tree inventory our next ones are September 18 and October 23 at 4:00pm. We meet at J. Frank Wilson Park in the log shelter. For more information or to see the blogged trees go to http://wilsonparktreesurvey.blogspot.com/

Earth Force Update

2009-09-16T11:58:00.000-04:00

The following are brief definitions of each group to prevent confusion

Earth Force Group consists of the educators who were trained in the Earth Force Curriculum. They act as facilitators of each Earth Force team because Earth Force projects are solely student run. The facilitators supervise the students and guide them through each part of the curriculum.

Earth Force Team consists of the students who are taking part in the Earth Force program. They are using the scientific method to identify issues in their community and proceed to address them. Go to www.earthforce.org if you would like to learn more about the curriculum and see success stories.

The first Earth Force Team in the Martinsville-Henry county area is based out of the Virginia Museum of Natural History and supervised by Evalyn Chapman and myself. We placed an announcement of the formation of an Earth Force team in the newspaper and we received five responses. Coincidentally, all five students come from the same high school in Henry County. We have met with them three times and they are currently observing the area of Bassett to find an issue they are passionate about and that they would like to address. We will keep you posted.

The Earth Force Group has met twice and are currently forming their own partnerships within the group in order to develop their own Earth Force Team. They will be using the VMNH Earth Force team as a model. For updates on this group you can go to http://mhcearthforce.blogspot.com/ and see what they are up to.

August National Parks Awarness

2009-09-16T11:00:00.000-04:00

To help support our National Parks, CNI has recognized the parks in the Martinsville- Henry County area. We interviewed two US Army Corps of Engineers, Danny and Susan Martin and the President of Friends of Philpot Linda Drage at Philpott Lake. Our goal was to spread awareness about Philpott Lake and the wonderful programs that they have.

CNI Monthly Themes

2009-07-16T10:19:00.000-04:00

To raise awareness about nature and the outdoors, we are planning awareness months. We will promote environmental literacy in the community by providing nature and outdoor information, tips, and online video clips. August is National Parks Month!

Screen on the Green!

2009-07-16T10:13:00.000-04:00

M-HC CNI will be conducting a "Screen on the Green" once a month during the last Friday from April through September. "Screen on the Green" will feature a nature or environmentally educational box-office movie at an outdoor venue in the community. Come out and enjoy popcorn, drinks, games, and a movie for free!

Upcoming dates for Screen on the Green:
August 28, 2009
September 25, 2009

Earth Force

2009-07-16T10:08:00.000-04:00

The Martinsville- Henry County Earth Force is a team of educators who are trained to help our community identify potential environmental issues and address them appropriately. This team will help educate and encourage children in our community to take action in being good stewards of our environment. For more information go to http://mhcearthforce.blogspot.com/

Tree Inventory

2009-07-16T09:47:00.000-04:00

As part of the Wilson Park Tree Inventory, CNI will be conducting tree inventory trainings for interested memebers of the community please see the following link for more information http://www.wilsonparktreesurvey.blogspot.com/

National Get Outdoors Day

2009-06-12T15:39:00.000-04:00

We will be participating in the National Get Outdoors day (http://www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org/) by interpreting a number of hikes at Salthouse Branch. We will meet at the Philpott Dam overlook at 1:00 and carpool to Salthouse Branch. The hikes will begin at 1:30 and last an hour.

Earth Force Training

2009-06-11T16:28:00.000-04:00

June 10, 2009 we hosted an Earth Force training for 16 very eager community educators. We are currently coordinating new ways for us to communicate to enable us to organize Earth Force projects in the community. More information to come soon.

NAME CHANGE!

2009-06-09T14:43:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!

As we approched year two of this program our focus has to broaden to not only be a network of nature and outdoor outdoor organizations but to also provide more nature and outdoor programming for the community. In doing so we have changed our name from MHC Children and Nature Network to the Martinsvilel Henry County Community Nature Initiative!

Collins Family Wins Grand Prize!

2009-05-28T11:53:00.000-04:00

The Collins Family is the first family to win the Earth Week Grand Prize!! They had their choice of participating in a guided educational canoe trip down the Smith River by DRBA or receive two tickets to the Gemini Fest that is June 19. Mr. and Mrs Collins decided to treat themselves to a date to the Gemini Fest.

Quote from Tim Collins: " You guys made the Collins family's week! My family and i loved all the activities you provided, there was such a range of different activities to choose from, my kids wanted to go to all of them!"

CONGRATULATIONS COLLINS FAMILY AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!!!!!

Earth Week Highlights!

2009-05-28T10:10:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!

The first annual Earth Week went very well! We had 27 activities in 9 days and over a dozen organizations participating!!! Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this a successful event!!

Here are a few highlights from the week

Community Pride, Community Wide Litter Pick-up: The Frank Wilson Park location was cancelled due to the lack of participation however the other four sites did very well accumulating dozens of bags of trash from throughout the community! Great Job Guys!!

Earth Day 5 K: Hosted over 90 participants! T-shirts, food, and drinks were provided to participants. What a great time! Good Work!

Friends of Philpott Environmental Expo: Over 400 people attended this event and dozens of vendors were advertising their organizations from throughout the area. What a great time and such great exposure for us!

VMNH Earth Day Event: VMNH provided environmental programs for school groups for Earth Week. Over 300 students participated in this event!

Screen on the Green: At this event we had kids playing recycling games, getting their faces painted, playing on playground equipment, playing with bubbles before showing the movie, "Over the Hedge." We had over 50 people attend this event.

Earth Week Celebration

2009-03-31T10:50:00.000-04:00

On behalf of fifteen community organizations, the Martinsville-Henry County Children & Nature Network (MHCC&NN) is pleased to announce the premier of Earth Week, April 18 to April 26 2009.

The purpose of Earth Week is to bring the community together to celebrate the environment. During the week, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational and fun-filled activities. You won’t want to miss Screen on the Green, Earth Day 5 K, Earth Day at VMNH, and the Photo Scavenger Hunt. Go to: http://www.mhccnn.org/ for a complete listing of all the week’s fun events!

Download an Earth Week Passport from http://www.vmnh.net/news.cfm?ID=151 or pick one up from participating organizations in the community to be able to enter to win guided family canoe trip on the Smith River (immediate family only).

If you have any questions contact Tamara Poles at tamara.poles@vmnh.virginia.gov or go to http://www.mhccnn.blogspot.com/

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plants American Chestnut Tree at Philpott Lake

2009-03-19T10:41:00.000-04:00

In an effort to support the restoration of the American Chestnut tree, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hosted a ceremonial tree planting of the American Chestnut tree yesterday at Philpott Lake Overlook. This beautiful ceremony was not only educational but empowering as well. It showed that we not only recognize the benefits of the American Chestnut tree but we are not giving up on saving it from extinction. Danny Martin opened the ceremony with a great introduction their purpose then speakers like Daniel Brown from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), W. Roscoe Reynolds Virginia State Senator, Susan Martin (ACE), Cathy Mayes who is the President of the American Chestnut Foundation Virginia Chapter, and Bryan Burhans who is the President of the American Chestnut Foundation.

About the American Chestnut Tree and the blight

The American chestnut tree was an essential component of the entire eastern US ecosystem. A late-flowering, reliable, and productive tree, unaffected by seasonal frosts, it was the single most important food source for a wide variety of wildlife from bears to birds. Rural communities depended upon the annual nut harvest as a cash crop to feed livestock. The chestnut lumber industry was a major sector of rural economies. Chestnut wood is straight-grained and easily worked, lightweight and highly rot-resistant, making it ideal for fence posts, railroad ties, barn beams and home construction, as well as for fine furniture and musical instruments.
The blight, imported to the US on Asian chestnut trees, is a fungus dispersed via spores in the air, raindrops or animals. It is a wound pathogen, entering through a fresh injury in the tree's bark. It spreads into the bark and underlying vascular cambium and wood, killing these tissues as it advances. The flow of nutrients is eventually choked off to and from sections of the tree above the infection, killing them. www.acf.org

Networking Update from the Corps of Engineers

2009-02-05T16:33:00.000-05:00

Join the Corps of Engineers and local volunteers this Saturday, February 7, at Jamison Mill Park at 9 am for some trail building. Work days are typically scheduled for the first Saturday of every month. This time we will have two SK 500 mini-skid steer trail building machines on hand to continue where we left off a month ago. Volunteers will begin working at 9 am and conclude around 1pm or so.

Also, Henry County Bike Club President Tommy Smith will lead a road bike ride at 2 PM starting at Jamison Mill Park after we are finished working. Remember to bring your lunch along with snacks and water. Some snacks and drinks will be provided by the Friends of Philpott. We will be doing a significant amount of corridor clearing so leaf blowers are very much appreciated. Dress appropriately, with sturdy leather shoes and gloves. Hard hat and eye protection recommended. Contact Mary Lawson at (276) 629-4512 ext. 227 if you're interested in volunteering.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

The New Year is underway bringing in new programs, new events, and a new name for the MHC C&NN! We had our first meeting of the New Year January 6th and it went very well. It was a very productive meeting because we have a lot of very eager and energetic committee members who are ready and gearing up to do some very notable programs! Here are some key points of what we covered during the meeting

NAME ALERT!!! The MHC C&NN contacted the national Children and Nature Network to notify them about our current progress. They were delighted to hear about our progress and what we are doing with the community. They were elated that they had inspired this area to take action. However, because the “Children and Nature Network,” is the national organization we are unable to use this name. Therefore our committee members are currently brainstorming potential names for this organization. Will it be the Martinsville Henry County Outdoor Community Network? We will let you know when we decide.

Earth Week! Since Earth Day falls on a Wednesday this year and we would like families and other members of the community to participate in Earth Day, the MHC C&NN will be conducting an entire week devoted to the environment! This week, cleverly titled "Earth Week," will start April 22 and last until April 29. Each day there will be environmental events and programs taking place around the Martinsville Henry County area. So far we have an art contest, hikes, and numerous environmental programs in progress. Keep checking this blog to find out more details about this huge event.

The Network

2009-01-13T16:09:00.000-05:00

At our meeting which is mentioned above, we discussed some upcoming events that other organizations are conducting. The following are some events and activities that are going on in your area,

New College Institute: They are having a Lecture Series entitled Healthy Hearts on February 12, 2009 at noon

Philpott: March 18, 2009 at 11:00am there will be a ceremonial tree planting of a blight resistant American Chestnut tree at Philpott Lake Visitor Assistance Center in Bassett, Virginia.

Henry County Schools: Good luck to the students of HC because they started their SOL testing January 7. Also I would like to extend congratulations to them for receiving a grant to do stream testing. Great Job!

Master Naturalist: I would like to congratulate the 23 people who graduated recently from the Southwestern Piedmont Chapter Master Naturalist program! They are currently looking for volunteer opportunities to complete their program requirements. Keep up the good work guys!

Patrick Henry Community College: I would like to congratulate them as well for their numerous achievements. They have received a grant for their agriculture department and they are one of the two community colleges that saw an increase in student enrolment this year! Great Job!

Dan River Basin Association: Started their Tuesday Morning Strolls, the next one is February 3rd at 9:00am. They are also conducting an art contest entitled “Picture Yourself on the River,” this will take place during Earth Week. The art is due April 22 and the winner will be announced April 29.

Virginia Museum of Natural History: Recently had a festival entitled Dino Day that went very well. Great Job! They also are looking for ideas or suggestions for their Special Saturday programs. If you have any ideas or suggestions on what VMNH should have for programs during Special Saturdays please email Tamara Poles.

Welcome!

2008-12-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone! This is the first post from MHC C&NN! I would like to take this opportunity to explain to you what we have done the past couple of months.

VEEC: MHC C&NN helped to organize the Virginia Environmental Education Conference (VEEC) held September 17-18 at the Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH) in Martinsville, Virginia. This conference brought in over 160 educators to Martinsville. The conference contained a wide variety of sessions and field trips. Our guest speakers included Secretary of Natural Resources Preston Bryant, and author of “A Natural Sense of Wonder: Connecting Kids Nature through the Seasons,” Rick Van Noy.

Take A Child Outside Week: The MHC C&NN participated in the international week “Take a Child Outside,” by adding programs for the public to participate in that involved going outside and being at VMNH during September 24-30 2008.

MHC C&NN Tree Planting: In order to kick-off the initiative we organized a tree planting ceremony and invited members of the community to help us plant a dogwood in front of VMNH. Over 76 people attended in addition to the VMNH staff. Attendance included; the advance environmental science class from a Henry County School, a fifth grade class from Martinsville City school, a third grade class from Carlisle, Senator Roscoe Reynolds, Council Member Mark Stroud, and City Manager Clarence Monday. The purpose of this tree planting was to educate the community about the importance of trees and how trees give communities a sense of place and in planting the tree at the museum we hope that the community will find a sense of place at VMNH and will always feel welcomed in Martinsville.

Fairy Stone State Park: MHC C&NN conducted an educational hike at Fairy Stone State Park for Gretna Middle School.

Frank Wilson Park Ecological Inventory: MHC C&NN is helping conduct an ecological survey for the Frank Wilson Park located in Martinsville, Virginia. By clicking on the link you can view our blog which documents our progress.

Earth Force: Currently MHC C&NN is working with Earth Force to organize an environmental training session for educators and adult youth leaders in the community. More information coming soon.