Watch our Calendar for New Classes !

Participants in the Master Naturalist program complete at least 8 weeks of classes covering topics including birds, trees, geology, forest ecology, insects, wildflowers, critters & wetlands. After the classes, participants must complete one hour of volunteer service for every hour of classroom instruction involving naturalist related activities. The classes are made up of people who may be experts in one of the areas, but unfamiliar with other areas. There are also people who just like to walk in the woods and are not an expert in anything. Participants range from young adults to retired people. Men and women are equally involved in the class and people from doctors to janitors to journalists have taken the class.

Much of the material is hands-on, such as bird watching, rocks, animal tracks, keying out wildflowers, touring wetlands, studying insects, and identifying native trees. Participants also get information on basic geology so they know what soils are just beneath our feet.

The mission of the Indiana Master Naturalist program is to bring together natural resource specialists with adult learners to foster an understanding of Indiana's plants, water, soils and wildlife and promote volunteer service in local communities. Students gain knowledge of Indiana's plants, wildlife, and other natural resources, while meeting others with similar interests. Wood-Land-Lakes is proud to be one of the sponsors of the local Naturalist programs.

Students from LaGrange and Elkhart County's naturalist classes are completing their volunteer hours, after which they will be certified as Indiana Master Naturalists.

Check our calendar for more information on upcoming classes. For other Indiana Master Naturalist programs and for more information about the standardized statewide Master Naturalist program visit the Indiana Master Naturalist website at http://www.indianamasternaturalist.org or contact 317.232.4143 and speak with Ginger Murphy, Indiana State Coordinator.

The participants must complete and submit a Volunteer Hours Record Sheet (PDF file, click for PDF help; print, complete and return) to Wood-Land-Lakes. Naturalist participants who successfully complete all elements will receive a pin and certificate.

For those interested in other naturalist organizations, the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society (INPAWS) is a membership based organization that sponsors numerous naturalist related programs throughout Indiana. Its members (more than 600, from all parts of the state) are united by a love of wildflowers and an appreciation of the importance of their habitats. It publishes for its members the INPAWS Journal, which is filled with a multitude of naturalist based articles. Visit www.inpaws.org to learn more about this organization. Some INPAWS programs have been included on our calendar.