Since 2006, the Rivanna Chapter Curriculum Committee has run its basic training class from early February to mid-May, described below. It occurs once a week with field trips, on Tuesday evenings during odd-numbered years and on Wednesday mornings during even-numbered years. Applications for the class, and public Q&A sessions, open in mid-November. Applications, with forms, require three references who will vouch for the applicant’s enthusiasm as a volunteer. Watch this space and the home page for more information!
Every Virginia Master Naturalist Training will include:
Both field and classroom experiences, with a minimum of 25% of the course time spent in the field
Information from unbiased, research-based sources
Material on the following topics, both general and regional:
Objectives of the Virginia Master Naturalist program
American Naturalists
Aquatic and Wetlands Ecology
Birding and Identification
Botany
Citizen Science Skills
Climate
Continuing Education Opportunities
Ecological Concepts
Entomology
Forest Ecology, Tree Identification, Silvics
Geology
Green Infrastructure Strategies
Herpetology
Hydrology
Ichthyology
Interpretation
Invasive Plants
Mammals
Risk Management
Soils
Suburban and Urban Habitat Preservation
By the end of the course, a Rivanna Master Naturalist will know:
What a naturalist is, and the significance of naturalists and natural history
All aspects of the VMN’s role, mission, and objectives within the program, and guidelines for participation and certification
The distinctive biogeography of Virginia: physiographic regions, geological and ecological aspects
Basic concepts of ecology, geology, earth sciences, and scientific process
Basic resource management principles
What Virginia state agencies contribute to the management and conservation of natural resources
By the end of the course, a Rivanna Master Naturalist will be able to:
Use a 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, but be able to seek out answers from people, books, or other reliable resources
