Aquatic biodiversity is the rich and wonderful variety of plants and animals—from crayfish to catfish, from mussels to mayflies, from tadpoles to trout—that live in watery habitats. It is the number of different native species, or species richness.

Of the approximately 500 crayfishes (some times called crawdads or crawfish) found on earth, about 400 crayfish species live in waters in North America, and about 353, nearly 70 percent of the world’s total species, inhabit waters in the United States.

In North America, there are more than 8,600 species of insects associated with freshwater environments during some part of their lives. Just about anywhere you go on the planet, there is some kind of insect that will live in almost any place that stays wet for a week or so. Aquatic insects are important food for fish and waterfowl. They also play important roles in keeping freshwater ecosystems functioning properly. This article describes the biology and ecology of aquatic insects, the major groups of aquatic insects found in freshwater habitats, and how to observe them.

The Virginia Master Naturalist program is a statewide corps of volunteers providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities.

This publication provides an overview of the study of mammals in Virginia. It includes an up-to-date listing of mammals found in Virginia and information on the biology and natural history of mammals. The intended audience is Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers and others seeking to gain a basic understanding of this topic.

This report summarizes the findings from a strategic planning process conducted by the Virginia Master Naturalist program in 2013-2014. The process involved three steps: a comprehensive needs assessment to identify program needs, strategic planning workshops to identify initiatives for addressing those needs, and online voting to prioritize proposed initiatives.

Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers are well-positioned to help more people of all ages and backgrounds to have regularly occurring, meaningful experiences in nature that meet their personal interests and needs. As volunteer educators, they may provide interpretive talks, lead interpretive walks, develop interpretive brochures and signage, and give formal presentations. The foundation for all of these forms of education includes knowing one's audience; planning topics, themes, goals, and objectives; background research and preparation; communicating clearly; and evaluating. This publication describes these key concepts and provides step-by-step guidelines for planning interpretive programs and other educational interactions.

Volunteer teachers are important to Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE). Volunteers convey information on a variety of topics by teaching or assisting with programs. Although there are many methods for delivering content, this publication will focus on a selection of teaching techniques to foster dialogue.