Friends of Urban Nature

Description

All 2020 Master Naturalist Volunteer Trainings are postponed due to COVID-19. The Master Naturalist Program continues to work with host organizations to develop a 2021 training calendar, along with new training guidelines and resources to promote healthy and engaging learning environments out in nature and in the classroom. Watch for 2021 locations and dates to be announced by December 1, 2020.

Friends of Urban Nature (FUN), a coalition of Madison Parks, Friends groups, and Nature groups, is happy to offer its fifth annual Summer Wisconsin Master Naturalist Volunteer Training course. Held on a series of Saturdays in July and August, this course offers a special focus on learning about nature recreation, nature education, nature restoration, and connecting communities and kids with nature.

FIELD TRIPS

Each Saturday session has a mix of indoor and outdoor education featuring morning and afternoon field trips. Naturalists and topic experts will help you discover and interpret the history, geology, human impacts, ecology, birds and wildlife of nearby urban natural areas including Warner Park, Cherokee Marsh, UW Arboretum, and the Lakeshore Nature Preserve.

TOPICS

Wisconsin’s historic prairies, oak openings, lakes, rivers, and streams, and the native birds, wildlife and natural ecosystems they support, and related topic chapters from the Master Naturalist Class instruction manual, will be woven into all of our studies. Participants will also meet representatives of DNR, Parks, Friends and Nature groups to learn about many opportunities for Master Naturalists to engage as volunteers, participate in Citizen Science, help provide leadership for activities, job opportunities, and community involvement.

The Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program is a network of well-informed citizens dedicated to conservation education and service within Wisconsin communities. The Master Naturalist Volunteer Training Course provides 40 hours of coursework in natural history, interpretation, and conservation stewardship. Trainings combine classroom instruction with field experiences and are taught by professional natural resources educators and scientists. Once trained, Wisconsin Master Naturalist Volunteers provide 40 hours of service and take 8 hours of advanced training each year to maintain their certification and receive a recognition pin.

Class Size

20

Participation

To be a certified Master Naturalist, you will be required to:

• Attend regularly. Only four hours of training may be missed.
• Participate in field trips, even in inclement weather.
• Travel in personal vehicles as necessary to reach field trip locations.
• Experience moderate activity on uneven terrain. Please consult with the program office info@wimasternaturalist.org before registering if you have you have questions about accessibility.
• Complete a capstone project during the course.