AMATEUR NATURALISTS

1
AMATEUR NATURALISTS NATURALLY HELP PRINCE
WILLIAM COUNTY Preserving Natural Resources
Through Service LearningKing, L.E., 4-H Program
Chair, Prince William County, Virginia 20109
Project Site Webb Sanctuary, Clifton, VA
Project Site Prince William County Landfill
Wildlife Buffer
Project Site Manassas Battlefield
Collaborator Audubon Naturalist
Society Project Site Webb Sanctuary, Clifton,
VA Objective To preserve and maintain the
integrity of the habitat Impact Relationships
formed with wildlife professionals, Audubon
Natural Society and other community
volunteers. Improved habitat for amphibians and
birds
Collaborator Manassas National Battlefield Park
Resource Management   Objective To partner with
naturalists, rangers and biologists to do
scientific data collection and field
work   Impact Youth learned scientific data
collection protocols and wildlife management
procedures.   Collaborators used youth data for
reports   Youth become manpower to accomplish
natural resource management goals   
Collaborator Prince William County Public Works
and Concerned Citizens   Objective To maintain,
improve and evaluate three wetland
areas.   Impact Relationships formed between
4-H, citizens and county officials   Citizens,
4-H and county share goal for land preservation   

• 4-H S.A.L.T. Amateur Naturalists, ten youth
  and six adults, work with Manassas National
  Battlefield Park, Audubon Naturalist Society, and
  Prince William County Landfill to manage land and
  resources for people and wildlife. Club members
  conduct research in consultation with
  naturalists, rangers and biologists for natural
  resource stewardship.
• The first collaboration began six years ago
  with Audubon Naturalist Society and Manassas
  National Battlefield Park when 4-H members
  conducted biological stream monitoring. Later,
  they added fish pond and stream bank monitoring.
  Newer projects include land management efforts
  such as measuring historical trees, protecting
  trees from deer and beaver damage, surveying deer
  population and collecting data on the impact of
  deer on vegetation. 4-Hers built and installed
  bluebird and wood duck houses monitored native
  warm season grass growth and made kestrel nesting
  boxes for the Battlefield grassland areas. Trash
  clean-ups are on-going. Data collected by this
  group has been vital to community partners.
• In addition to their work at the
  Battlefield, the club members conduct projects at
  the Webb Sanctuary, an Audubon Naturalist Society
  wildlife area. The group enlarged a vernal pool
  for amphibians, replanted vegetation and removed
  invasive plant species from meadow and forest.
• The third site is the Prince William County
  Landfill, where 4-H members help maintain and
  evaluate a wildlife buffer. With Prince William
  County Public Works and a group of involved
  citizens, this 4-H club monitors three wetland
  areas and restored an eroded area by planting
  wildlife foods.

Reseeding Eroded Area
Enlarging Vernal Pool
Seining Ponds for Fish Balance
Area After Planting
Collecting Data for Deer Exclosure
Stream Monitoring