Curriculum (general objectives and topics, types of instructors, and planned time frame)
The minimum basic training course requirements include 40 hours of combined classroom and field experiences, with 25% of that time spent in the field. The instructors are local experts in the subject matter and may include agency staff, university faculty, and local professional naturalists. Because of its geographical diversity, the natural resources of Virginia vary widely. Therefore, each local chapter will customize their training program to focus on their local ecosystems. Over the course of the 40 hour training, the course should include training to achieve the core training objectives for what Virginia Master Naturalist should know and be able to do. A Virginia Master Naturalist should know...all aspects of their role as a Virginia Master Naturalist, the mission and objectives of the program, and the guidelines for participation; what a naturalist is and does and the significance of naturalists and natural history; the biogeography of Virginia, including the physiographic regions and the geological and ecological aspects that make them distinct; basic concepts of ecology; basic concepts of geology; basic resource management principles; some native flora and fauna in the region; the general process of science; the roles of Virginia state agencies in the management and conservation of natural resources. A Virginia Master Naturalist should be able to...use a key to identify organisms; use a field guide; share knowledge with others (verbally and/or in writing); make and record observations in nature; recognize when s/he does not know the answer to a question, but be able to seek out answers from people, books, or other reliable sources. With these objectives in mind, every Virginia Master Naturalist's training should include the following topics: Introduction to the Virginia Master Naturalist program; American naturalists; basic ecology; biogeography of Virginia; geology; nature of naming; education & interpretation skills; citizen science & research skills; ecology & management of systems occurring in the region; overview of vertebrates, invertebrates, trees, and other plants (biology, ecology, identificaton, conservation & management of each)
