Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy

Description

The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy is hosting a Master Naturalist Course in Middleton beginning June 20, 2019. The course will include some classroom time, but will focus mostly on outdoor experiences in the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and field trips to other exceptional sites for learning in our topic areas. Many experts will be sharing their knowledge, research, tips, tricks and inspiration with us as they lead or present parts of the course. The Conservancy includes 500 acres of remnant and seeded prairie, oak savanna, woodlands, springs, wetlands, and stream corridors. The course will look within the Conservancy and other places in the Pheasant Branch Watershed and beyond to explore geologic history, ecology, water and soil resources, and the connections between humans and the landscape. The course will have two complementary focal points: one is learning about the environment through outdoor education and the other is learning through restoration and management activities – a service-learning approach. The target audience includes individuals who are interested in teaching using the outdoors as a classroom as well as folks interested in volunteering for restoration and management of natural areas all while gaining an environmental knowledge base. Plan to carpool to outdoor sites.

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.