Featured Blog - Baystride Images Journal

I was sharing this blog "Baystride Images Journal" by John Gresham with a fellow BRFAL Chapter member and thought it would be nice to share it with you!

John Gresham is a Wildlife Enthusiast/Birder (as well as an Education Support Specialist at York River State Park) who takes some gorgeous photos of the world around him, especially the coastal estuaries of Virginia. I follow his blog and have added it to our favorite blog list on the right side panel of this blog!

John wrote on his blog article titled "Marsh Magic":

A Williamsburg Photography Meet-up group member along Taskinas Creek by John Gresham

"Marshes are not high on most people’s list of “Places To Visit.”  In fact, most folk avoid them like the plague.  The sight of acres of cordgrass is enough to make one itch.  In speaking of itching, gnats and biting flies can be too thick to see through.  They don’t call them wetlands for nothing.  The ground is little more than mud mixed with quicksand.  It takes a rather peculiar person to willingly spend time in such places.

Well, I must be among the strangest of people.  I look for marshes to explore and capture images of. From the freshwater stretches of tidal rivers to the numerous creeks that feed The Bay, marshes is where I find the most bird action and great landscape subjects.  These unique places are very accessible and can provide plenty of solitude for those willing to venture into them."

The Great Egret in breeding plumage by John Gresham

You can view more of John's beautiful photos on Flickr here or follow his blog Baystride Images Journal here.

About York River State Park:

Eleven miles west of Williamsburg, York River State Park offers visitors an opportunity to experience the environment of a coastal estuary. This park is known for its rare and delicate environment, where freshwater and saltwater meet to create a habitat rich in marine and plant life. The main focus of the park is to preserve a portion of York River frontage and its related marshes while providing an area for passive day-use recreation for visitors. York River State Park served as a role model for all of Virginia’s state parks in developing resource management plans. The park’s natural resources make it a significant place for environmental education at all levels.

I would love for our VMN Chapter to take a field trip and visit this amazing state park. Well done DCR (Dept of Conservation and Recreation) for all you do at York River State Park! 

Learn more about Land Conservation here.

BRFAL Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalist wants you to get outside, explore and see something new today. Don't forget your camera!

If you are interested in the Virginia Master Naturalist program and want to learn more about it, or when the next training will be held, click here. BRFAL Chapter will be holding the next basic training course beginning in March 2012 in downtown Rocky Mount at The Franklin Center. email: contact@brfal.org for more info!