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Description

The mission of the Minnesota Master Naturalist Program is to promote awareness, understanding, and stewardship of Minnesota’s natural environment by developing a corps of well-informed citizens dedicated to conservation education and service within their communities.

Our core biome courses are designed to give a general overview of one of Minnesota's three biomes:

  • Big Woods, Big Rivers - Eastern broadleaf forest
  • Prairies and Potholes - Prairie parkland
  • North Woods, Great Lakes - Laurentian mixed forest

Each biome training course includes 40 hours of lectures, hands-on activities, videos and field trips that cover in-depth, specific aspects of Minnesota's natural history. After completion of the core course, you will be a certified Master Naturalist in the biome that you take, and you need only take one biome course to start volunteering.

Note: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, in-person courses require participants to comply with safety guidelines such as social distancing and mask wearing. Specific, updated requirements will be emailed to you before the course begins. Registrants should be aware that in-person courses may be cancelled, suspended and/or moved to online formats based on guidance from local health department officials and University of Minnesota safety requirements. If the course is cancelled, you will receive a full refund.

If your course is suspended or moved online we will contact you with options.

All books and necessary materials are included in the course fee, and will be provided to you during your first class. If your course takes place
online, materials will be mailed to the address you provide during the registration process.

Prairies & Potholes

The official name for the ecological province called the Prairies & Potholes by the Minnesota Master Naturalist Program is the Prairie Parkland Province. This biome was historically composed mainly of tallgrass prairie. Today it is used for agricultural purposes. The glaciers deposited between 100 and 600 feet of drift over the entire region. The Prairies & Potholes biome covers just over 16 million acres on the western edge of the state.

The biome is a hot and dry place, where evapotranspiration is annually higher than precipitation. In the northern portions of the biome, glacial kettles have filled with water and form the "potholes" that dot the landscape. These bodies of water are important for migratory waterfowl, and waterfowl production. The Minnesota River now flows through the old channel carved by Glacial River Warren, an outlet for Glacial Lake Agassiz.

Attendance and Capstone Project

Participants must complete the full 40 hours of training to become a certified Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer.

Each participant must complete a group capstone project. Capstone options will be presented on the first day of class, and participants will choose a capstone that they can work on and complete before finishing the course.

Volunteer Service

Following the completion of the training course, Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteers will be expected to complete 40 hours of volunteer service per year to be considered an active Master Naturalist. Any time spent on the capstone project and any volunteer service hours completed after graduating from the training course may be counted towards the 40 hours. There are four basic areas of service:
  • Stewardship. Natural resource management activities such as invasive species removal or restoration projects.
  • Education/Interpretation. Public presentations of natural resource information, educational materials development, or leading hikes.
  • Citizen Science. Data collection and other support for research projects. Examples include Monarch larval monitoring, plant or animal counts, or water quality monitoring.
  • Program Support. Projects include working in a store or office of the Minnesota Master Naturalist or sponsor or serving as a local chapter organizer.

Course content questions

info@minnesotamasternaturalist.org

Registration questions

Extension Registration, ext-reg@umn.edu

User Name or Password help

UMN Help Desk, HELP@umn.edu, 612-301-4357

Visit the Minnesota Master Naturalist website for more information on this and upcoming courses.

The best way to register is to register online and pay with a credit card. If you must pay with a check contact ext-reg@umn.edu and we will provide a mail-in registration form. Thank you.

 

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Enroll Now - Select a section to enroll in
Section Title
PP - ARCC Field Biology
Type
--
Days
T
Time
9:00AM to 2:00PM
Dates
May 28, 2024 to Jul 09, 2024
Campus
Off-Campus
Schedule and Location
View Details
Contact Hours
35.0
Location
  • Off-Campus
Course Fee(s)
Prairies and Potholes $295.00
Section Details

This course is taught at Anoka-Ramsey Community College as part of a Field Biology course that meets in person and also has recorded lectures. In-person activities often have assignments that students are expected to complete as a group. These activities are both indoors and outdoors. Master Naturalists are not expected to take the quizzes ARCC's students take. Course material is found in a platform called Desire to Learn Brightspace (D2L). Field trips on Tuesdays are within Anoka County. Two longer day field trips are planned on Thursdays, but only one is required. Ten hours of service learning is also required for a capstone project.

Location: Anoka Ramsey Community College, 11200 Mississippi Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433

Cancellation requests received more than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus a $20.00 processing fee. Cancellation requests received less than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus $50.00. If possible, your full fee may be transferred to another biome course.

Scholarships are Available

If you plan to apply for a scholarship do not register yet. Instead, download the scholarship here Minnesota Master Naturalist Scholarship Form: Minnesota Master Naturalist Scholarship Form. After the scholarship is fully processed, you will receive a code to enter during registration. 

Section Title
PP - Saint John's
Type
--
Days
M, T, W, Th, F
Time
8:00AM to 4:30PM
Dates
Aug 05, 2024 to Aug 09, 2024
Campus
Off-Campus
Schedule and Location
View Details
Contact Hours
42.5
Location
  • Off-Campus
Course Fee(s)
Prairies and Potholes $295.00
Section Details

Join experienced and enthusiastic instructors in a beautiful 2,500+ acre outdoor classroom in this immersive 40-hour introduction to the prairies and potholes of Minnesota.

Beginners welcome! Late summer is a great time of year to see native grasses and wildflowers, landscape formations, insects, birds, and more. Final certification comes with the completion of the in person course and a capstone project. Following completion 40 hours of volunteer service per year is required to remain active in the program.

Hands on interactive learning, as well as classroom lectures, discussion and more!

Location: Saint John's Outdoor University, 2346 Science Drive, Collegeville, MN

Cancellation requests received more than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus a $20.00 processing fee. Cancellation requests received less than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus $50.00. If possible, your full fee may be transferred to another biome course.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this course material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to Julie Larson, larso143@umn.edu at least two weeks in advance.

Please inform instructors before the class begins of any accessibility or mobility needs, especially regarding outdoor activities.

Scholarships are Available

If you plan to apply for a scholarship do not register yet. Instead, download the scholarship here Minnesota Master Naturalist Scholarship Form: Minnesota Master Naturalist Scholarship Form. After the scholarship is fully processed, you will receive a code to enter during registration. 

Section Title
PP - West Central Minnesota
Type
--
Days
M, T, W, Th, F
Time
8:30AM to 5:00PM
Dates
Aug 19, 2024 to Aug 23, 2024
Campus
Off-Campus
Schedule and Location
View Details
Contact Hours
42.5
Location
  • Off-Campus
Course Fee(s)
Prairies and Potholes $295.00
Section Details

Come join us for a Prairies and Potholes course in the Prairie Potholes region along the Glacial Ridge. In this weeklong course we will explore the unique features of our region. Our goal is to better understand how this landscape was formed and discover more about the plants, animals and humans that call this biome their home now and in the past.

You will experience a mix of classroom work, but mostly expect outdoor adventures this week. Plans for the week include a paddle to explore the Middle Fork of the Crow River in a voyageur canoe, a chance to kayak, (or wade) into wetlands to collect macroinvertebrates for observation, a trip to view the expanse of the Ordway Prairie with team members working to keep the prairie healthy, and a visit to Sibley State Park. During class each participant will complete a team capstone project connecting you to volunteer opportunities at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center and other organizations. Wednesday evening we will share a meal together to allow for more time for teams to work together.

Location: Prairie Woods ELS, 12718 10th St. NE, Spicer

Cancellation requests received more than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus a $20.00 processing fee. Cancellation requests received less than two weeks before the start of class are refunded minus $50.00. If possible, your full fee may be transferred to another biome course.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this course material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to Julie Larson, larso143@umn.edu at least two weeks in advance.

Please inform instructors before the class begins of any accessibility or mobility needs, especially regarding outdoor activities.

Scholarships are Available

If you plan to apply for a scholarship do not register yet. Instead, download the scholarship here Minnesota Master Naturalist Scholarship Form: Minnesota Master Naturalist Scholarship Form. After the scholarship is fully processed, you will receive a code to enter during registration. 

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