The Central Piedmont chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist is offering its annual Training Class, to begin Wednesday January 30. If you enjoy the outdoors, why not share your love of nature with others by becoming a Certified Virginia Master Naturalist?

The VMN program is a statewide corps of volunteers providing education, outreach, and stewardship service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities. For information on this state-wide program go to: www.virginiamasternaturalist.org.

There will be ten evening classes held on Wednesdays from 6:30 until 9:30 p.m., with a mid-point break. Most of the evening classes will be held in Farmville. Some classes, and most of the Saturday field trips, will be held at Bear Creek Lake State Park in Cumberland, or in the Cumberland Courthouse area.

For more information about the Training Class, contact Tom Kneipp at Thomas.kneipp@dcr.virginia.gov, or leave a message at 804-492-4410 or 804-375-3294. The cost of the class is $100.00, which includes all presentations and class materials.

The Virginia Master Naturalist program is supported by Virginia Cooperative Extension/VA Tech, the VA Department of Conservation and Recreation, The VA Department of Forestry, the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the VA Museum of Natural History and the VA Department of Environmental Quality. It is open to all adults regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status.