Virginia Master Naturalists Put Their Artistic Talents to Work

Documenting nature through images that are both accurate and eye-catching has long been a naturalist talent. Naturalists such as Mark Catesby, William Bartram, and John Banister augmented their written nature observations with illustrations. Among our Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers too are many photographers and artists who enjoy capturing images of the natural world around them. Fortunately, many of these individuals have found ways to apply their artistic skills to their Master Naturalist work, and also use their Master Naturalist experiences as inspiration for their art and photography.

In recognition of this synergy, the Historic Rivers Master Naturalists now have an art show at the Williamsburg Regional Library. Included are many winners from their chapter-wide photo contest as well as other forms of art, including watercolor, drawings, sculpture, and even sewing/embroidery. You can visit the exhibit during regular library hours.

Artist and Master Naturalist volunteer Mike Steele (Northern Neck Chapter) recently applied his watercolor talents to benefit the Virginia Department of Forestry. Mike illustrated four "Forest Facts" publications for the agency that are currently being printed for use by the VDOF Conservation Education program. They are also available online. My personal favorite is "Why We Need Trees" on which Mike has a beautiful watercolor of hikers (perhaps Master Naturalists) walking through the autumn colors of a forest.

VMN volunteers, including Carol Hammer and John Stanley, contributed photos for our current program brochure. These and other photos from our Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers can be found on our photo sharing site.