Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteers

Who can be a Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer?

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 Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer. Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteers are a motivated group of fun and interesting people: teachers, retired professionals, nature guides, hunters, eco-tour operators, farmers, and...YOU!

The Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer Training Course consists of 40 hours of training.   Courses are offered in both in-person and online options.  The training includes a variety of teaching methods—lectures, Power Points, hands-on activities, videos, and field trips that provide the participants with information on Minnesota's natural history. The course is designed to be a general overview of Minnesota's three biomes. Each class series focuses on one of the three biomes: Big Woods, Big Rivers; Prairies and Potholes; and North Woods, Great Lakes.

~Volunteer Sharing her Love of Nature

How do I become a Minnesota Master Naturalist?

To become a Minnesota Master Naturalist volunteer you must complete one of the three basic  40 hour biome classes.  Courses are offered in each biome, Big Woods, Big Rivers (BWBR) Prairies & Potholes (PP), and North Woods, Great Lakes (NWGL).  Find courses under the courses tab above.

Attendance Policy

Participants must complete 40 full hours of training to become certified Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteers.  You will be certified in the biome that you take, you need only take one biome to be considered a Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer.  You are allowed to miss 2.5 hours of one course without make up requirement.  If you will miss more than that, you should talk to the instructor, to see if make up options are available.

Volunteer Service

Following the completion of the training course, Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteers will be expected to complete 40 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of advanced training per year to be considered an active Minnesota Master Naturalist. 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 would 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 Minnesota Master Naturalist or sponsor, or serving as a local chapter organizer.

 

How much do the courses cost?

Each course costs $295.00 and includes course manuals and supplies. This is comparable to the cost for a Minnesota Master Gardener course and is a bargain compared to tuition and fees for natural history courses offered by universities.

Scholarships Available

If the $295.00 fee is a hardship, fill out the Minnesota Master Naturalist Scholarship Form  and send it to us.  We are happy to assist with the cost of a course.

 

Cancellation Policy

If we cancel a course, a full refund will be issued. If the registrant cancels (you), the following policies apply.

Advanced Training: Cancellation requests received more than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus a $10.00 processing fee. For cancellation requests received less than two weeks before the start of class, no refunds will be given.

Biome Courses: Cancellation requests received more than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus a $20.00 processing fee. Cancellation requests received less than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus $50.00. If possible, your full fee may be transferred to another biome course. After a class has begun, no refunds will be given.

Gathering Partners Conference: Cancellation requests received more than two weeks before the start of the conference are refunded minus a $20.00 processing fee. Cancellation requests received less than two weeks before the conference are refunded minus $50.00. Refunds for lodging are subject to hotel policies.