Master Naturalists play a vital role in supporting the Boone County Conservation District through hands-on land stewardship, ecological monitoring, and public education. Their stewardship work includes collecting and cleaning native seeds for restoration projects, removing invasive plant species, planting native shrubs and trees, pulling old fencing from newly acquired properties, and assisting with occasional prescribed burns.
They contribute to wildlife monitoring by conducting habitat and biological assessments for the Illinois RiverWatch program on Kinnikinnick Creek, monitoring reptiles and amphibians with strategically placed plywood cover boards, and conducting monarch butterfly surveys.
Master Naturalists also help deliver conservation education by volunteering at the annual Autumn Pioneer Festival and supporting programs such as Pioneers in Conservation and Youth Summer Camps.
Learn more about the Master Naturalists in Boone County.
