University of Illinois Extension – Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam counties is excited to be offering a volunteer training starting Summer of 2025. The training will cover numerous subjects including Prairies, Archaeology, Wetlands, Ornithology, Botany, and Entomology, to name a few. Becoming a volunteer through the Extension Master Naturalist program provides opportunities to explore and expand your understanding of the natural world, to provide educational outreach, and to assist with environmental stewardship projects with local University of Illinois Extension partners.
Volunteers who complete the training session this summer will then work on Extension approved environmental stewardship and educational outreach projects with other Master Naturalists and local partners. To maintain a Master Naturalist certification, volunteers must complete 10 hours of continuing education and 30 hours of approved service work in the local area annually. University of Illinois Extension provides ongoing training and coordinates regular meetings to support Master Naturalist volunteers.
The training will be held over the course of seven weeks from June 9, 2025, to July 28, 2025. Lectures and classwork will be completed asynchronously online. The training will also include in-person field trips to a variety of natural areas, including the Sue & Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, Starved Rock State Park, and Nachusa Grasslands.
Adults aged 18 and over are welcome to register. Registration is open until May 16, 2025.
Check out our Mater Naturalist Schedule
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