Montana Natural History Center

Master Naturalist Certification Courses

The focus of the Montana Master Naturalist Program is to increase natural history knowledge and promote awareness, understanding, and stewardship of Montana’s natural environment by developing a corps of well-informed citizens dedicated to conservation education and service within their communities.

The Montana Master Naturalist Program is designed for adults who want to stoke their curiosity, deepen their knowledge of the natural world, and give back to their communities in new ways. The core class is the Master Naturalist Certification course, which we offer in spring and summer in slightly different formats. Our certification courses consist of at least 40 hours of instruction in a mix of lectures, in-class labs, and outdoor field trips. We’ll cover a wide breadth of topics with the goal of giving you an essential foundation of skill and knowledge on which you can build.

Montana Natural History Center Spring Course

Spring 2021

Exact dates TBD, but will be Tuesday evenings from early February through early May.

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN OCTOBER 1st, 2020.

Taught by MNHC Naturalist Christine Morris, this class:

  • is a 13-week course
  • runs on Tuesdays from 4:00-7:00 pm (no class the week of UM’s spring break)
  • includes 3 full-day Saturday field trips, dates TBD

Our certification courses consist of at least 40 hours of instruction in a mix of lectures, in-class labs, and outdoor field trips. We’ll cover a wide breadth of topics with the goal of giving you an essential foundation of skill and knowledge on which you can build.

See our local forests in new light as you learn about the role our conifers play in a coordinated ecology with fire and snow pack moisture. Or marvel in the diversity of lichen. Spend an entire day identifying winter raptors in the Mission valley. Become attuned to bird songs and butterfly wings. Get a handle on flower identification by recognizing patterns in form.Our emphasis will be on learning how to identify local flora, fauna, and landscape processes while gaining insight on how each part is connected.

Throughout the course you will put together understanding of the various strands of our western Montana ecology and gain proficiency in a suite of naturalist skills.

View the course syllabus here (some elements subject to change). 

Knowledgeable guest instructors include botanists Greg Peters and Peter Lesica, birder Brian Williams, retired FWP non-game biologist Kristi Dubois, and track expert Luke Lamar with Swan Valley Connections.

The class will be be based at the Montana Natural History Center. Travel to field sites will be by MNHC bus.

Registration Information:

  • Cost: $425/$395 members
  • 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 UM credits available (pending approval). This course is listed at UM ENST 391. A $155 fee is required to the School of Extended and Lifelong Learning to take the class for credit. Payment and information will be collected at the first class.
  • Some scholarships are available–please contact us at 327.0405 for details.
  • Registration will open October 1st, 2020.

Master Naturalist Certification requirements:

  • Attend at least 40 hours of instruction.
  • Pass/complete section quizzes, journal entries, and a final project.

If you want to maintain your certification in years to come (and earn successive Master Naturalist pins), you’ll have to log 20 hours of volunteer service per year with organizations connected with the natural world, as well as 8 hours of continuing education per year.

For more information on volunteer service & continuing education requirements, click HERE.

Montana Natural History Center Summer Course

June 8-12, 2020, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

This is a five-day intensive course held in June each year. Class meets from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Christine Morris, Community Programs Coordinator at the Montana Natural History Center, is the primary instructor.

This class is compressed into a short window of time so we will delve deeply into three subjects. Our focus will be on learning the core skills of identification of:  1) flowers and trees, 2) birds, and 3) insects. Instruction will also include time on local geology, mammals, fire ecology, and riparian ecology.

We’ll take full advantage of the early summer season and spend most of our time afield, supplementing that with a couple of lectures and labs to deepen our knowledge.

We will spend time in the cottonwood galleries of the river’s floodplain and venture to the conifer forest on Lolo Pass. Get a handle on plant identification by recognizing patterns in form, catch and identify butterflies along the Clark Fork River, and recognize birds by song and sight. The final day will be spent at the National Bison Range.

“After completing this course, I felt much more closely connected to my Montana home, but the best part is being able to share my new naturalist skills with others so they can find their sense of place as well.”  ~2017 Master Naturalist

Master Naturalist Certification Requirements:

  • The main project for this class is keeping a detailed species list, and to get the most out of your experience, you should expect to spend a little time each evening after class reviewing and organizing your daily notes, and tracking your observations.
  • Attend at least 40 hours of instruction.
  • Complete the culminating exercise.

Please Note:
This is a university-level class. A significant amount of information is covered in 5 days. It is fun!–but also work to be proud of and take seriously.

Check out the 2019 summer syllabus here.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

  • Call 327.0405 or click here to register online.
  • Cost: $395 for members; $425 for non-members
  • 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.
  • 2 UM credits available (pending approval). This course is listed as University of Montana ENST 391.
  • Ask us about scholarships!–please contact us at 327.0405 for details.

Summer 2021 Master Naturalist Certification Course

Exact dates TBD, but will be a Monday-Friday the second or third week of June.

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN JANUARY 1ST, 2021.