2012 Surveys | Regional Events | General Survey Information | Survey Waiver | Snakebite Infomation

2012 VHS Survey Schedule

Thursday, May 3rd - Dyke Marsh Survey

Friday-Sunday, May 18th-20th - VHS 2012 - Annual Spring Survey & Meeting

The VHS will hold its Annual Spring Survey & Meeting at Shenandoah River State Park, in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. The park is 1,604 acres with 5.6 miles of river frontage along the South Fork Shenandoah River. The land is rolling and mountainous with steep slopes and mostly forest habitat. The park also includes scenic vistas overlooking Massanutten Mountain to the west and Shenandoah National Park to the east. Please keep checking the VHS website, events section, for further details about the event as we get closer to the date.

Location: Shenandoah River State Park is in Warren County, 8 miles south of Front Royal and 15 miles north of Luray. It's off Rt. 340 in Bentonville.

Business Meeting:
Friday meeting Place: Masannutten Picnic Shelter
Friday meeting Time: 7:00pm

Survey:
Saturday meeting place: Visitor's Center
Saturday meeting time: 8:00am

Sunday meeting place: Visitor's Center
Sunday meeting time: 8:00am

Park Map: http://g.co/maps/9hmym

*** Note ***
The campground at the State Park is full.
Low Water Bridge Campground - http://www.lowwaterbridgecampground.com located about 3 miles from the State Park has 10-15 sites available as of 05/08/12. Each site may contain up to 8 people.

Front Royal Campground - http://www.frontroyalrvcampground.com located 7 miles from the State Park has sites available as of 05/08/12.

Lodging: The park has cabins and campgrounds: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/and.shtml#overnightfacilities Or, there are hotels in the nearby town of Front Royal:

Saturday-Sunday, June 23rd-24th - VHS 2012 Annual HerpBlitz

The VHS will hold its Annual HerpBlitz (survey) at the new Mattaponi Wildlife Management Area (WMA) owned by VDGIF, in Caroline County along the beautiful Mattaponi River. This property is 2,542 acres and includes mature upland hardwood and mixed forest, managed loblolly pine stands, wetlands, and rivers. The WMA contains and borders 5 miles of the scenic Mattaponi River and another 1.5 miles of the South River, which include opportunities for canoeing or kayaking. There are also clearcuts, thinned pine stands, and log decks. Old oxbows lakes from the old channels of the Mattaponi River provide excellent aquatic habitat. Wetland habitats are abundant, too. Please keep checking the VHS website, events section, for further details about the event as we get closer to the date.

Location: Mattaponi WMA is in Caroline County, on Paige Road, State Route 605. It is near the town of Bowling Green. From Bowling Green, head north on State Route 2 for 0.3 miles. Turn left on Paige Road which is State Route 605 for 1.5 miles. The property begins at the railroad tracks on the right and the Mattaponi River on the left.

Host website: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wmas/detail.asp?pid=41

Camping/Lodging: Only primitive camping is allowed on the WMA. There are 2 nearby private campgrounds: Hidden Acres is closest, and R&D Family Campground is a bit more southeast. R&D seems cheaper than Hidden Acres:

Or, check out links listing hotels and other lodging in the Bowling Green and Fredericksburg areas: Contact/Survey Leader: Jason Gibson at frogman31@gmail.com

Saturday, August 18th - Caledon Natural Area State Park Survey

The VHS will hold a special 1-day survey at Caledon Natural Area State Park, in King George County. Caledon is a national natural landmark, containing many stands of old growth trees. The park includes almost 2600 acres of mixed habitat: hardwood/coniferous forests, hillsides, grasslands, pristine wetlands, and 3.5 miles of Potomac River frontage. Caledon is also a large nesting location for bald eagles, and the young will have fledged by August. We will have access to all areas within the park, including several areas of restricted public access. Please keep checking the VHS website, events section, for further details about the event as we get closer to the date.

Location: Caledon is in King George County along the Potomac River. When: Start 8:30 a.m., survey as long as possible, perhaps until 2 p.m. Host website: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/cal.shtml

Camping/Lodging: There is no camping at the site but the Park Manager will permit tenting in a lawn area with porta potties and running water (no electricity or showers available) or near the Potomac river (porta potties only). The nearest state park campground is Westmoreland, which is about 20-25 miles to the east of Caledon. Caledon is about 20 miles to west of historic Fredericksburg, which has many good restaurants and hotels.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g60824-Fredericksburg_Virginia-Hotels.html

Contact/Survey Leader: Dave Perry at vicepresident@vaherpsociety.com

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