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Our next training class will be held in 2024.
Becoming a certified Virginia Master Naturalist
2023 trainee graduates. Photos by Matt Gentry for NRVMN.
The process for becoming a certified Virginia Master Naturalist typically takes six to 12 months and begins with a 40-hour basic training course offered by a local chapter of the program. There is a training fee, which varies by chapter.
To become certified, a participant must log 40 hours of volunteer service and eight hours of continuing education after completing the basic training course. To remain certified, master naturalists must complete 40 hours of volunteer service and eight hours of continuing education annually. Annual member dues vary by chapter.
The purpose of the training program is to recruit, educate, and inform a cadre of volunteers who, upon receiving certification, will work in their local communities to improve the environment. Each chapter of the VMN tailors the course to fit its local geography and habitats.
The basic training course offers fun and interactive, research-based instruction about our local environment taught by recognized experts, most of whom have extensive post-graduate training in their fields. Training includes both field and classroom experiences, with a minimum of 25% of the course time spent in the field.
Basic training covers:
What a naturalist is and does
Significance of naturalists and natural history
Biogeography of Virginia, including the physiograpic regions and their geological and ecological distinctions
Ecological concepts, including forest ecology, aquatic ecology, and urban ecology
Basic concepts of geology and soils
Fundamental principles of weather and climate
Basic resource management principles
Native flora and fauna, including botany, dendrology, mammalogy, herpetology, ornithology, entomology, and ichthyology
Skills necessary for citizen science and research
Basic education and interpretation skills
A Virginia Master Naturalist will be able to
Use a dichotomous key to identify organisms
Use a field guide
Share knowledge with others (verbally and/or in writing)
Make and record observations in nature
Recognize when he or she does not know the answer to a question, and be able to seek out answers from people, books, or other reliable resources
Applicants must be 18 years old by the start of training. However, minors aged 14-17 are welcome to participate with an adult who is responsible for them, as long as they are both registered participants in the program.
If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Michelle Dickerson at the Montgomery County Extension office at (540)382-5799/TDD* during the business hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event. *TDD number is (820) 828-1120.