Friends of Urban Nature

Description

Friends of Urban Nature (FUN), a coalition of Madison Parks, friends groups, and nature groups, plans to offer its seventh Wisconsin Master Naturalist training. This training offers a special focus on learning about nature recreation, nature education, nature restoration, and connecting communities and kids with nature.

FIELD EXPERIENCES

Each session has a mix of indoor and outdoor education featuring morning and afternoon field experiences. 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–Madison Arboretum and the Lakeshore Nature Preserve.

TOPICS

Information about Wisconsin’s historic prairies, oak openings, lakes, rivers, and streams, and the native birds, wildlife and natural ecosystems they support, will be woven into the training, reinforcing the Master Naturalist training materials. Participants will also meet representatives of DNR, parks, friends and nature groups to learn about many opportunities for Master Naturalists to engage as volunteers, and participate and help provide leadership in citizen science, education, stewardship activities, job opportunities, and community involvement.

The Wisconsin Master Naturalist program is a network of well-informed volunteers dedicated to conservation service, leadership, and lifelong learning. The Master Naturalist training provides 40 hours of education in a variety of natural history topics and Master Naturalist service areas. Through expert-led trainings, Master Naturalists are equipped to address challenges facing the state by making positive impacts through stewardship, citizen science, and educational activities. Trainings have an emphasis on outdoor field experiences with some classroom instruction and are taught by professional natural resources educators and scientists. Once trained, Wisconsin Master Naturalists record 40 hours of service and 8 hours of advanced training each year to maintain 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.
• Be 18 years old or older.
• Travel in personal vehicles as necessary to reach different learning sites throughout the training.
• Complete a small training project.

^** Master Naturalist Trainings are primarily outdoor learning experiences which may include extended periods of standing, hiking on both flat paths and off-trails with inclines, and a variety of weather conditions. If you have questions about the activity level of the training, please contact the program office info@wimasternaturalist.org prior to registering.