Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program

and conservation stewardship. Trainings combine classroom instruction with field experiences and are taught by professional natural resources educators and scientists, who are trained to deliver the Master Naturalist course. Training opportunities will be located at Host Organizations — university and college campuses, environmental education centers, and museums across the state. The curriculum covers eight topic areas (geology, ecology, plants, wildlife, education/interpretation, water, aquatic life, and human influences). Field trips serve to reinforce classroom learning and provide hands-on experiences in stewardship and citizen science activities. Each chapter of the curriculum includes clear learning objectives; topic background information; suggested places to visit (Explore!) that highlight outdoor examples of chapter content; topic-specific activities (Teach!) which can be used by the volunteers to teach the material; and citizen-science and stewardship organizations (Conserve!) which provide opportunities for volunteering. A major component of the course is a required service-learning activity called a capstone project. Volunteers work in groups on an education/interpretation, stewardship, or citizen-science project. They create a report about the project, which they present on the last day of class. These capstone projects are a bridge to volunteering, introducing participants to informal science education sites that need volunteers; allowing them to undertake useful and challenging projects; providing an opportunity to develop new skills; and ensuring that they use their newly acquired knowledge and skills with mentorship from instructors. Once trained, Wisconsin Master Naturalists must volunteer 40 hours each year and take eight hours of advanced training to maintain their certification.