Montana Master Naturalist Course – registration now open for Fall 2012!
Who can be a Montana Master Naturalist?
Any adult who is curious and enjoys learning about the natural world, shares that knowledge with others, and supports conservation. If you enjoy hiking, bird watching, following tracks, or identifying wildflowers, you’ll love being a Montana Master Naturalist. Montana Master Naturalists are a motivated group of fun and interesting people: teachers, retired professionals, nature guides, hunters, eco-tour operators, farmers, and . . . YOU!
The Montana Master Naturalist Course consists of 40 hours of in-classroom training. The training includes lectures, in-class laboratories, and outdoor field trips. You’ll learn naturalist skills such as Montana rock, plant, and animal identification; how to identify mammal skulls by their teeth; natural history interpretation skills; keeping a journal; drawing from nature; collecting insects; and much, much more. The course is designed to be a general overview of the local ecology and focuses on the richest sites to study Montana’s landscapes and native species.
Summer 2012 – summer class is full; waitlist only.
Fall 2012 - registration is now open!
Sign up now for our Fall 2012 Montana Master Naturalist Course, taught by MNHC Naturalist Alyssa McLean. This is a six-week course held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4-7pm, beginning Tuesday, September 4th, and running until Thursday, October 11th. Three full-day Saturday field trips will be on September 8th, 22nd, and October 6th.
Please call during business hours to register. The cost of this course is $395. Full payment due upon registration.
The course fee (minus a $100 administrative fee) is refundable ONLY if a cancellation is made 30 days before the first day of class. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline.
3 college credits will be available (pending approval); this course is listed as EVST 395.
Some scholarships are available–please contact us at 327.0405 for details.
Attendance Policy
Participants must complete at least 40 full hours of basic training to become certified Montana Master Naturalists. One make-up night is included in most courses.
MASTER NATURALIST 2012 FIELD WEEKENDS!
Take your naturalist skills to the next level with our Field Master Naturalist Weekend Program! During these two-day courses, we’ll devote our time to practicing core identification skills, in the field, under the guidance of experienced naturalists. Join us for a fantastic naturalist experience in Montana’s beautiful landscapes!
FIELD MASTER NATURALIST WEEKEND: PLANTS (2 spaces remaining)
This weekend is for naturalists who want to build their skills in recognizing the flora of Montana. We’ll spend our time outdoors, in a mix of habitats – forest, riparian, and grassland – practicing identifying flowers. UM botany and science instructor Greg Peters and MNHC naturalist Brian Williams will be your guides as you hone your skill and confidence in keying out flowers and build your knowledge of plant families. In addition, you’ll learn to identify common shrubs and trees as well as a few grasses and weeds.
Dates:
Thursday, May 17, 5:30-6:30pm – introduction & weekend overview
Saturday-Sunday, May 19-20, 8am-4pm
Instructors: Greg Peters & Brian Williams
FIELD MASTER NATURALIST WEEKEND: BIRDS (6 spaces remaining)
Early summer is an ideal time to build a solid foundation of bird identification skills: species are closely tied to specific habitats; males are in full plumage and song; and there are no juveniles or migrants to confuse the process. MNHC naturalist and birder Brian Williams will help you take full advantage of this window of opportunity to learn the Western Montana breeding birds by plumage, song, habitat, and behavior.
Dates:
Thursday, June 7, 5:30-6:30pm – introduction & weekend overview
Saturday-Sunday, June 9-10, 7am-4pm
Instructors: Brian Williams
NOTE: These are not beginner/introductory classes! If not Master Naturalists, attendees must have an intermediate knowledge of Montana native plants and experience using a dichotomous key for the May field weekend, and intermediate knowledge of bird identification and experience using a field guide for the June field weekend.
To Register: Call 327.0405 during business hours. Cost for each Field Master Naturalist Weekend is $135 for non-members; $120 for MNHC members. Full payment due on registration.
Volunteer Service
Following the completion of the training course, Montana Master Naturalists will be expected to complete 40 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of advanced training per year to be considered active Master Naturalists. Any time spent on the Capstone Project and any volunteer service hours completed after graduating from the training course may be counted towards the 40 hours. There are four basic areas of service:
- Stewardship Projects—these projects involve natural resource management activities, such as invasive species removal or restoration projects.
- Education/Interpretive Projects—these projects would be public presentations of natural resource information, educational materials development, or leading hikes.
- Citizen Science Projects—these projects would focus on volunteers gathering data and returning it to researchers to support the research projects. Examples would include: Monarch larval monitoring, plant or animal counts, or water quality monitoring.
- Program Support—these projects include working in a store or office of the Montana Master Naturalist or sponsor, or serving as a local chapter organizer.
For a list of organizations with which you can volunteer, click here. >>
For more information about advanced training opportunities, click here.>>
Scholarships
Scholarships may be available. Call MNHC for more information.
