Enroll now for Master Naturalist volunteer training

[July 22, 2013]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Logan-Menard-Sangamon Unit of University of Illinois Extension is accepting applications for the fourth Master Naturalist class. The class size is limited so don't delay. Applicants will be interviewed for the program in July.

Training will begin in late August and go through October. Classes run one full weekday each week. Optional Saturday field trips will be scheduled for hands-on training.

Trainees study the ecology of forests and grasslands, streams and wetlands. They get hands-on experience as they learn about plants, insects, frogs, toads, snakes, birds and mammals. And they gain an appreciation of the physical and human context of our environment through sessions on anthropology and environmental ethics.

Extension's Logan-Menard-Sangamon Unit offers the program in partnership with Lincoln Memorial Garden, Illinois Audubon Society at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary, the Friends of the Sangamon Valley, and Logan County Park and Trails -- Kickapoo Creek Park. Affiliates are Star Hill Forest Arboretum and the Illinois Native Plant Society, Central Chapter.

The program is designed to train participants in natural resources through a combination of science-based education and volunteer service. With the help of local experts, Extension provides educational support, while the partners offer opportunities for volunteer service.

Those who complete the Master Naturalist training must contribute 30 hours of volunteer service each year and complete 10 hours of continuing education courses each year.

A $200 fee covers classroom sessions and field training, handouts, and the Master Naturalist manual.

For more information on the schedule and for an application, contact the Extension office at 217-782-4617. If a special accommodation is needed to attend, note that when registering.

[Text from file received from Jennifer Fishburn, University of Illinois Extension]