Discover the wonders of our natural resources and lead others by becoming a Minnesota Master Naturalist.

Who can become a Minnesota Master Naturalist? 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.

The Minnesota Master Naturalist training courses consists of in-classroom training and field trips. Courses are designed to be a general overview of Minnesota’s three biomes: Big Woods, Big Rivers (BWBR); Prairies and Potholes (PP); North Woods, Great Lakes (NWGL); plus advanced training (ADV). The courses locally available are:

Focusing on Nature Through Art and Writing ($330 class description) at Wargo Nature Center, Lino Lakes. Come and learn about the Big Woods Big Rivers Biome during the day, and expand your artistic skills and abilities in the evening with three local Master Naturalist instructors, and artists. Three weekends (starting Sept. 27th) of creative learning take you canoeing on the Mississippi, on a hike and a hayride. Optional Saturday evening activities feature journaling, drawing, creative writing and painting.

Prairies and Potholes ($200 class description) at the Kroening Interpretive Center, Minneapolis. On an acre of prairie, there may be a million plant-eating animals! Prairies once covered a third of Minnesota, yet is a highly endangered biome. Join us to learn the plants, animals, geology, and history of the prairie and pothole region. Each class will spend considerable time outdoors exploring our park’s prairie, and our two field trips will take us into the heart of the prairie as we investigate the diversity of these amazing grasslands around the state. This class is held Wednesday mornings  (Sept. 3rd to Nov. 19th) from 9:30-Noon; field trips will be all day on September 20th and October 5th. A capstone project is required as a component of class completion. Instructors will help guide this process. 

Native Plant Community Field Guide Training ($20 class description) The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the University of Minnesota are partnering to offer training in the use of the DNR Field Guides to the Native Plant Communities of Minnesota. This two-day course (Sept. 22 & 23, 2014) provides information about how to use the field guides, incorporates practice exercises, and explores how the information gained from using this process has been applied in resource management planning. The course is conducted at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in East Bethel, a 5400-acre research station in the deciduous biome and home to over 23 different plant communities. Day 1 is an indoor training to the guides and Day 2 is the field session.

If the course cost is a hardship, please fill out a scholarship application.