YOU ARE ALREADY A NATURALIST!
A naturalist is someone in love with nature, who makes a study of it — not necessarily as a profession but as a practice.
Do you love nature? Do you care about protecting what’s special about Vermont? Are you curious? Do you like being part of a community of learners? If your answers are “Yes!” you now have a chance to become a Vermont Master Naturalist.
Vermont Master Naturalists are educators, entrepreneurs, foresters, conservation commissioners, planners, students, volunteers and retirees, new or long-time residents of the area–regular people who become a local expert in their town through this experience.
Whether you are looking for professional development to expand your skills, are searching for a ways to jumpstart your career or have waited your whole life to jump into this world, Vermont Master Naturalist has something for you.
This program is open to anyone who has shown a sustained interest in at least one natural history discipline, such as birding, geology, wildlife tracking or botany and it is a great opportunity for those who never felt like they could pursue those passions fully.
EMBARK ON A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME IN YOUR COMMUNITY
During the nine-month program, 12 to 18 participants from ages 16 to 80 join VMN educators as well as other field science and conservation professionals and together tell the story of the area’s unique natural history. VMN’s approach is to build the local story from the ground up, covering everything from bedrock to birds.
Five field days, each day building on the previous ones, cover topics like geology, glacial history, wildlife ecology, human settlement history, botany, natural communities, and more. Of note is the emphasis of “reading” the landscape of the Champlain Valley and lower slopes of the Green Mountains.
BUILD COMMUNITY & SENSE OF PLACE
Vermont is rich with cultural heritage and natural habitat ranging from floodplain forests and wetlands to dry oak hilltops and montane forests.
Vermont Master Naturalist “classrooms” are special locations with stories to tell, like wildlife corridors, woodlands of wildflowers, stone walls and cellar holes, and the ever-meandering banks of our rivers.
Participants become a close-knit team of naturalists, with connections that extend well beyond the 5 field days! They share knowledge, stories and a passion for our local landscapes.
GIVE BACK
Vermont Master Naturalists act as a brain trust for solving on-going local ecological issues and further conservation education in our communities.
In partnership with local groups, conservation commissions, schools, and more–Vermont Master Naturalists give back to their community.
As part of the VMN training and professional certification, small teams work together and contribute at least 20 volunteer hours per person to address community needs. Projects are generally designed by partner organizations with guidance from VMN, and then are further honed by participants. For more information on these initiatives, visit the “Project” tab.
Take this experience with you and be a voice for conservation in your community.
FIND YOUR PROGRAM!
Come learn how the Green Mountains were formed, how alive the woods are in winter, and what a wildflower can tell us about the ground beneath our feet. Vermont Master Naturalist hosts programs throughout western and central Vermont. You can find an opportunity near you at the current programs tab.
For more information or an application, find the program coordinator nearest you by visiting the current programs tab or by emailing Alicia Daniel at: alicia@vermontmasternaturalist.org
ALUMNI NETWORK
Since its origin in 2016, over 500 people have graduated from Vermont Master Naturalist Programs. Upon completion of the program, Vermont Master Naturalists continue to receive ongoing advice and support from VMN for their naturalist practices and activities.
The alumni network is a community of passionate naturalists. Once you enroll in a program, you can connect to the VMN network by attending popular alumni events, such as the annual VMN Conservation Field Day and monthly VMN field walks. VMN alumni also come together to attend nature events that are offered by other organizations like North Branch Nature Center. All of these are ways to build personal and professional connections with other naturalists and conservation professionals.
VMN graduates also qualify for additional training in VMN Tier II Programs, courses of study that offer a more in depth and regional perspective on reading the landscapes of Vermont. For more information about the alumni network, contact the VMN Alumni Coordinator, Laura Meyer, at: laura.e.meyer@gmail.com
Banner photo by Monica Erhart; winter photo by Mary Letourneau.
Vermont Master Naturalist Program 