Become a Minnesota Master Naturalist!

Alora K. Jones, Marketing and Communications Associate, Mississippi Park Connection

Are you ready to take your volunteering skills to the next level? Become a master naturalist! Ranger Karen Katz from Mississippi National River and Recreation Area will be the lead instructor in this Minnesota Master Naturalist program at Fort Snelling State Park.

National park rangers and volunteers review planting map for National Public Lands Day

Offered by University of Minnesota Extension, the course will be held weekly between mid-March and –April, including two field trips, over a six-week period. The focus of the class will be “Big Woods, Big Rivers” – where the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers will serve as a classroom for this outdoor, experiential learning opportunity.

A volunteer holding a deer antler helps out on a formal education program

As an individual, this course will give you a deeper understanding of how you can play an active role in facilitating and improving the connection between people and nature. As a volunteer, it will equip you as a leader on formal education programs like Take Me to the River and Big River Journey, which provide hands-on learning experiences for young people in Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Get to know the geology, plant and animal communities, hydrology, and history of this area from experts who know it best. Deepen your relationship with the natural world, and learn how you can help others build and strengthen their connections with the local treasures that exist right in our backyard.

This class will meet on Wednesdays from 9 am to 2:30 pm, between March 15 and April 19 at the Fort Snelling State Park visitor center. The course cost is $275, however scholarships are available. Click here to learn more.