About the Martinsville-Henry County Community Nature Initiative

With the support of The Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont, Virginia Museum of Natural History and its partners, Dr. Denny Casey and Tamara Poles developed a new nature and outdoor initiative entitled the Martinsville Henry County Community Nature Initiative (MHC CNI). The CNI will serve as a clearinghouse for environmental information, use nature as a way to stimulate learning, develop opportunities for quality family time in the outdoors, and position VMNH as a leader in environmental education. CNI will serve as a means to provide hands-on, real-world opportunities for children, educators, and families to increase appreciation for nature and as an effective means to better understand and address community environmental issues.

Click the above CNI logo for official website and to access your Earth Week Passport!

Earth Week 2010 Highlights

Monday, February 6, 2012

Piedmont Kite Festival 2012

It is time for the Piedmont Kite Festival!!! March 17, 2012 from 10:00am to 3:00pm, we will be conducting our 3rd annual festival at Jack Dalton Park. This year participants will be able to enjoy live music from Kim and Jimbo Cary, the Henry County Patriots will be demonstrating their radio controlled airplanes, custom face painting by Spellbound, SEMAA providing cool flight crafts, YMCA fun and games, and VMNH games! I hope to see you out there!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Committee Updates

o Henry County Public Schools- received a solar panel grant through the Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy. They have purchased educational energy kits and trainings for the schools. They are currently installing new energy software for teachers and students to aide with the kits. In addition to working with the new grant, they are also developing summer camps.
o SEMAA- They will be taking two field trips, one to the Air and Space Museum and one to Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill. VMNH will be working SEMAA to conduct Star Lab programs. SEMAA is currently working on summer camps
o NCI- New lecture series begins soon and will focus on gardening and health. NCI is also working on developing new summer camps for this year and will keep the organizations in the committee in mind for partnering opportunities.
o Henry County Parks and Recreation- The winter program guides are now available
o YMCA- Are beginning their DOT program, where students exercise for thirty minutes a day for ninety days. January 19, will be their Healthy Living expo. They will also be participating in Trout in the Classroom this year.
o Friends of Philpott- Handicapped playground at Bowen’s Creek to be completed by April. They are also working on a two week IDIE summer music program for kids.