FMNs Honored at Hidden Oaks’ Volunteer Recognition Potluck

Photo: Hidden Oaks, Fairfax County Park Authority

Hidden Oaks Nature Center held their spring volunteer social on Friday May 17.  This year, three Fairfax Master Naturalists were recognized for their outstanding volunteer contributions.

Kim Munshower received our Champion Oak award. A volunteer for us for at least 8 years, Kim has served as a Volunteer on Duty, greeting the walk-in public, program participants, and phone callers.  She also serves as a volunteer naturalist, helping with our school, public, or camp programs, including MWEEs. She typically leads a hands-on trail walk encouraging both children and adults to engage directly with nature. She even created her own bioluminescent mushroom costume to wear during our Fearless Fest.  Sharing her skills as a certified kayak instructor, she helped us coordinate an experience for Culmore teens to kayak at Riverbend Park. And she has generously shared her new avocation as a yoga instructor by leading sessions here at Hidden Oaks for site staff and volunteers.

Photo: Hidden Oaks’ Volunteer Recognition Potluck, Champion Awardee Kim Munshower

Teena Seigo was awarded our Sapling Award.  This award goes to a volunteer who has showed significant growth in their volunteer activities.  Teena started out as a Volunteer on Duty (greeter), and is always willing to jump in and take a shift when needed to fill in. She has also started helping on the programming side, at birthday parties and camps. We have watched her knowledge base increase as she’s taken the FMN training class (Spring 2024 class!) and are excited for her to continue to help with our programs.

Photo: HONC Volunteer Coordinator Janet Siddle with Sapling Awardee Teena Seigo

Steve Wright received our Acorn Award, which goes to a new volunteer.  She’s been with us since April 2023, and has the distinction of being Hidden Oak’s first “Animal Maintenance” volunteer. As well as animal feeding, she does animal maintenance chores such as periodic tank cleaning, food prep, filter change outs and other not so glamorous, but essential tasks. Most Mondays, you’ll find her cleaning a tank, making animal salad to store in the refrigerator, cutting up frozen fish, cleaning out the refrigerator, cleaning animal bedding carpets or whatever else needs doing.  Beyond her animal care duties, she has taken the initiative to remove invasive species around the site. She helped us plan a habitat management workday for FMN and other volunteers, and lead a group of volunteers that day to remove many, many bags of invasives.

Photo: Acorn Awardee Steve Wright with HONC Animal Care Specialist Avery Gunther

Kim and Steve additionally received the FCPA Very Important Volunteer award, which recognizes volunteers who have provided exceptional services to FCPA or have taken on a task outside their normal scope. Awardees receive a certificate from FCPA Executive Director Jai Cole and one-year passes providing free access to an array of activities across FCPA.

Hidden Oaks very much appreciates all of our FMN volunteers!  To get involved, contact Visitor Services Manager Kristina Watts (FMN Fall 2017 Class) at [email protected] or Volunteer Coordinator Janet Siddle (ARMN) [email protected].