Training Class

Is the RMN training class for YOU? 

Consider the following questions. Answer yes or no.

  • Do you have time to complete 40 hours a year of volunteer service?
  • Are you curious about nature?
  • Do you enjoy the outdoors?
  • Do you want to make a difference in the environment?
  • Do you care about natural areas and the native plants or animals in your community?
  • Are you interested in being a part of a local team and interacting with other individuals who care about natural resources?
  • Do you want to take an active role in managing, conserving, and educating about Virginia’s natural resources?
  • Do you have time to complete the training, which runs from February to May, and requires 40 hours of class time and 15 hours in the field for graduation?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, we guarantee you will enjoy our Training Class and chapter activities. Applicants do not need to be students of biology or ecology or have any previous training in nature and environment-related areas. The strongest applicants will be able to show a penchant for volunteering in a variety of fields or professions that may have nothing to do with the natural world.

On the Other Hand…

  • If you mostly care about taking the class, but don’t really have time for volunteering in our area…
  • If you want the certification for your job, or to promote yourself in some way…
  • If you hope to use the certification for environmental advocacy or activism…
  • If you are motivated to share personal opinions about the environment rather than learn from research-based information…
  • If you think Master Naturalist service will count towards Master Gardener service requirements…

Our certification process is probably NOT for you. 

The Training Class

RMN’s objective always focuses on preparing an effective, active corps of volunteers to strengthen and support nature in our area. You do not need to know about nature, or have prior training or education in biology and environmental studies, to apply to the class. You DO need to have a willingness to volunteer hours towards improving or strengthening our natural environment.

Our curriculum adheres to topics and subjects required by the VMN during 40 hours of class and 15 hours of field trips, taught by Virginia-based specialists in various fields of nature study. A regional focus is paramount and makes this phenomenal class interesting for anyone with a sense of curiosity about our beautiful Blue Ridge and Piedmont zones. The course will give you a solid basic foundation in: Aquatics, Birding, Botany, Citizen Science techniques, Climate, Ecology, Entomology, Ephemerals, Field Observation, Forestry, Geology, Herpetology, Hydrology, Ichthyology, Identification Tools, Interpretation, Keying, Landscape Reclamation, Mammals (local), Naturalists in History, Ornithology, Soils, Tracking, and Wetlands.

For a quick review of what the MN program offers and how the RMN certification process works, take a look at this PDF, Introducing the RMN, here.

How to Become a Master Naturalist

  1. Take the RMN Training Class. Apply through Better Impact, and don’t forget to request three recommendations about your willingness to volunteer. Download the recommendation form here.
  2. To graduate, students must attend at least 13 of 15 classes and at least 5 of the many field trips offered, which occasionally take place on Saturdays. They must also complete and record three volunteer hours while the class is running. 
  3. Graduates have 12 months, until June 30th of the year following their graduation, to record 40 hours of volunteer work from our approved projects list and record 8 hours of related continuing education. This step is for your initial certification.
  4. To become officially certified as an RMN, in the second year after graduation and subsequent years, you must record 40 volunteer hours and 8 CE hours each year. Members who are not active or record fewer hours do not lose their connection to the chapter—only their official annual certification, which they can continue to pursue. 

About Volunteer Service

Chapter members enjoy access to a constant flow of information regarding opportunities and CE talks or trainings on our Google Groups listserv. CE hours from programs outside of the RMN and VMN also count: for example, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards, James River Association, Rivanna Conservation Alliance, PRISM, Wild Virginia, The Nature Conservancy, national and state parks, various government departments that we partner with (Wildlife Resources, Environmental Quality, Forestry, Cooperative Extension, and so on.)

RMN-approved volunteer opportunities are listed on Better Impact, our recordkeeping system, as a long roster of possibilities. We also encourage members to create their own projects on public land, or join new initiatives that are not listed, for review on a case-by-case basis by the Volunteer Projects committee. RMN members can choose from a list of 95+ approved projects in Citizen Science, Education, Stewardship, and Chapter Administration. Individuals doing board work or committee work can count up to 30 hours towards recertification. (Additional hours still go into the member’s lifetime hours total, but at least 10 of 40 hours a year must be non-committee or administrative work for recertification). 

Milestones will be noted when members accrue 250, 500, 1000 and 2500 hours, with VMNs Golden Circle starting at 5000 hours.   

For questions about approved volunteer projects, contact: RMNprojectschair@gmail.com.

Certification is recommended but not required. All that is required to continue as a member of RMN is to volunteer and to re-enroll once a year in December in Better Impact, being sure to reactive the Civil Rights and Re-enrollment process, which takes a few minutes. 

For questions about certification or membership requirements, contact our Member Chair at rivannamnmembership@gmail.com.