Minnesota Master Naturalist

Course Registration

IT - Instructor Training - Duluth

Instructor Training - Duluth website

1303 Ordean Court
Duluth, MN 55811

Are you ready to become a Minnesota Master Naturalist Instructor? With this two-phase training you will join a cohort of skilled, experienced environmental educators in delivering these 40-hour biome courses to motivated, engaged adult learners across the state. Robust textbooks and other teaching materials are provided, and you are welcome to customize course delivery based on your location and expertise.

Instructor Training Workshop Details
DAY 1 Friday, November 8, 2024 (IN-PERSON)
Bagley Outdoor Classroom, University of Minnesota Duluth
1303 Ordean Court, Duluth, MN 55811
https://scse.d.umn.edu/departments-and-programs/biology-department/facilities-affiliates/bagley
We will gather from 9:30 am - 5 pm in-person to introduce the general formats, methods, resources and expectations involved with delivering MN Master Naturalist courses. A short portion of this session involves going outdoors in a sample demonstration class. Lunch is provided, please specify dietary limitations during registration. Homework between sessions includes making a concrete plan with your colleagues and supervisors for when and how a MN Master Naturalist course can be offered in your setting.

DAY 2 Friday, November 22, 2024 (VIRTUAL)
In this all-day Zoom session (9.30 am - 5 pm) we will review course ideas and plans. We will expand on the resources and support provided by the state program for your course as well as procedures for proposing a course to our online registration system. A brief review of best practices for adult education and volunteer engagement rounds out the day.

Full attendance at both sessions is required.

MN Master Naturalist Instructors are expected to have a relevant degree or equivalent experience as a professional naturalist and must be affiliated with a nature center, park, or other sponsoring organization or agency. Prospective instructors must either
- submit a letter of support from their organization stating that they support you in this role and will contribute resources (appropriate instructional space, teaching materials, administrative assistance, etc.) to support a training
- or complete the Freelance Instructor Application found at https://z.umn.edu/MNatFreelanceInstructor
Letters/applications must be emailed to astrauss@umn.edu before October 25.

Learn more about becoming a Minnesota Master Naturalist Instructor at http://www.minnesotamasternaturalist.org/about/instructor/

Cost is $75 which includes all teaching materials and lunch on the in-person day. Your class fee will be refunded if you teach a class within two years of taking the training.

The course cost is $75 and includes course manuals and supplies.

Course Dates:

Meeting from 9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on:

Instructor Information

Amy Rager

Amy holds a BA in Elementary Education from the College of St. Scholastica and a MEd in Environmental Leadership and Learning from the University of MN. With over 30 years of experience in cooperative extension, Amy's career has been dedicated to intertwining her work with a passion for the environment. Since its inception in 2005, she has been an integral part of the Minnesota Master Naturalist program. Hailing from the Duluth area, Amy is a true native Minnesotan who has always cherished the outdoors, finding joy in sharing her love and knowledge with others.

Andrea Lorek Strauss

I am an Extension Professor with the University of Minnesota Extension with a MSEd in Curriculum and Instruction/Outdoor Education. Since 1992 my career has focused on environmental education in various forms, including past work for the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN, the Prairie Ecology Bus Center in southwest Minnesota, and various naturalist roles in the Boston area, northern Minnesota, and New York state. Ask me about participatory science, outdoor interpretation, universal program design, spring ephemeral wildflowers, or anything wildlife related! And by all means, let's talk about iNaturalist! Outside of work I enjoy anything crafty -- lately I am enjoying quilting, crochet and mosaic arts -- and riding my eBike.

Sponsor Information

Minnesota Master Naturalist


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