Shared by Monica Hoel, as Guest Blogger.

We love to hear from our Virginia State Park volunteers. Monica Hoel is a Master Naturalist with a gift of writing. She has been volunteering at Hungry Mother State Park for several years now and she shares her love of being outside in the following story with a special invitation for you.

Butterflies are just one way nature replenishes itself

Monica shares:

When my godchildren were younger we took a trip to Washington DC and visited the Smithsonian. Excited to have this opportunity, I paid extra money to take them through the butterfly garden, because after all, what kid doesn’t love a butterfly?

Turns out the youngest one hates butterflies and is fairly creeped out by these wispy little insects that are “like flying worms.” This surprised me because I’ve seen her up close and personal with every other imaginable thing in the natural world: salamanders, mussels, rocks, flowers, trees, self-invented mud-bombs, and she is especially crazy about any and every mushroom.

Who knew a pretty butterfly would totally freak her out?

Thankfully the world offers her variety, because a world of only butterflies would be torture for this girl.

Biodiversity is key

Biodiversity is a gift to all of us and to our planet. A world of only butterflies wouldn’t have the organisms needed to make the rest of the ecosystem work. And yet, a world without butterflies would lack color and whimsy. (Butterflies also help with pollination and provide food for certain animals.)

BioBlitz opportunity

On the weekend of April 23-24, 2016 Hungry Mother State Park will be celebrating the biodiversity of our region by holding a BioBlitz.

This will be a 24-hour event with volunteers lined up to canvas the entire property of Hungry Mother State Park and record every living creature they encounter. Every tree, snake, fish, beaver, mushroom, and plant will be recorded for all to see. It will be an amazing testimony to the biodiversity in our own back yard. And it will be a profound glimpse of the amazing world in which we live.

Volunteers will be searching Hungry Mother to inventory all living species in the park

You can participate in this exciting project in one of several ways:

Visit Hungry Mother State Park: Bring your family for a day of fun and exploration in one of the region’s most valuable natural resources. 

Come to an educational event: Throughout the day on Saturday, April 23, 2016 we will have a variety of educational opportunities where you can learn about some of the organisms being catalogued. 

Volunteer: We’ll have a need for lots of volunteers that day. If you’re interested, get in touch with Tanya Hall, Chief Ranger by email here.

Learn more about your role in preserving biodiversity. We can all help in small ways to encourage the health of our planet. Find one thing to do today that will improve the habitat for plants or wildlife.

Park rangers lead programs to help children learn more about nature

No matter what you’re into – butterflies, snails, squirrels, or violets we invite you to join with us in celebrating and preserving the amazing biodiversity of our planet. And find a way to support the BioBlitz at Hungry Mother State Park on April 23-24, 2016.

Even if you aren't particularly fond of everything found outdoors, you will be able to find something to fall in love with at Hungry Mother State Park. 

Click here for more information about the Hungry Mother State Park 24-hour BioBlitz which begins at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 23 and end on Sunday, April 24 at 7:00 a.m.