Curriculum (general objectives and topics, types of instructors, and planned time frame)
The curriculum for the Oregon Master Naturalist Program is divided into two parts:
The Oregon Master Naturalist Online Course is a stand-alone curriculum offered twice a year, Winter and Fall. It serves as the foundation for the field-based Ecoregion Courses, and covers a broad range of natural history and natural resources conservation topics. The material is delivered entirely over the Internet via an interactive online learning platform (Canvas). Topics include:
Oregon Ecoregions - How ecoregions frame the Oregon Master Naturalist Program and help organize Oregon’s natural diversity
Oregon Geology and Earth Processes - Foundational physical processes, earthquakes and tsunamis, and biological connections
Introduction to Watersheds in Oregon - Basic physical, biological, and chemical processes, and watershed management issues
Principles of Ecology and Wildlife Management - Foundational ecological concepts related to wildlife and plant communities, wildlife management history and science
Ecology and Management in Oregon’s Forests - Forest community types, biological & successional processes, forest wildlife, sustainable management strategies, conservation and contemporary issues
Ecology and Management in Oregon’s Rangeland - High desert sagebrush, shrub-steppe and bunchgrass ecology, dryland plant and wildlife adaptations, rangeland management concepts
Oregon in a Changing Climate - Pre-historic climate conditions, contemporary climate trends, basic climate change science, projected impacts on Oregon landscapes
The Ecoregion Course is based upon Oregon's 8 ecologically distinct ecoregions, defined by climate, geology and vegetation patterns. The Oregon Conservation Strategy, adopted and implemented by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, serves as our model. An Ecoregion Course is a set of in-person classes taught within one of these unique ecoregions. Classes are field-based meant to introduce participants to a wide range of ecological topics relevant to the local area where they are taught. Classes delve into geology, terrestrial and aquatic communities, plants, wildlife, wild and working land management issues, and methods of communicating science. These courses continue to evolve as instructors come and go, new partnerships are forged, and in response to annual course evaluations. An increased focus on skills-based trainings and nature study are being developed.
Ecoregions currently offered or in development include:
Oregon Coast Ecoregion
Willamette Valley Ecoregion
East Cascades Ecoregion
Columbia Gorge
Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains Ecoregion
