FLORIDA MASTER

NATURALIST PROGRAMA STATE-WIDE CONSERVATION EFFORT

MEET THE FLORIDA MASTER

NATURALIST PROGRAM STAFF

DR. MARTIN MAIN

UF/IFAS Professor and

Wildlife Ecologist

FMNP Program

Leader

KATE HELLGREN

Environmental Educator

FMNP Program

Coordinator

SHELBY SOWDER

FMNP Conference

Coordinator with the

IFAS Office of

Conferences and

Institutes

Mission of the Florida

Master Naturalist Program:

To increase awareness, understanding,

and respect of Florida's natural world

among Florida's citizens and visitors.

TEACH THOSE WHO TEACH OTHERS

3 CORE MODULES:

FMNP AT A GLANCE:

● Coastal Systems

● Freshwater Systems

● Upland Systems

The core modules are specific to

the predominant environmental

systems in Florida.

MODULE COMPONENTS:

Each core module is 40 contact hours and consist of multiple field

trips.

Coastal Freshwater Upland

● Estuaries

● Nearshore Habitats

● Coastal Uplands

● Marshes

● Swamps

● Lakes, Rivers, &

Springs

● Pinelands

● Hardwoods

● Scrubs, Prairies, and

Ranges

4 SPECIAL TOPICS

MODULES:

FMNP AT A GLANCE:

● Conservation Science

● Habitat Evaluation

● Environmental

Interpretation

● Wildlife Monitoring

SPECIAL TOPIC COMPONENTS:

Each special topic module is 24 contact hours and is more field oriented.

Coastal● Large-Scale Habitat

Assessment

● Local-Scale Habitat

Assessment

● Evaluating Water

Quality

● Surveying &

Monitoring Mammals

● Surveying &

Monitoring Birds

● Surveying &

Monitoring

Herpetofauna

● Biodiversity

● Ecosystem Integrity

● Conservation

Strategies for

Sustainable

Ecosystems

Habitat

Evaluation

Wildlife

Monitoring

Environmental

Interpretation● Interpretive

Presentations

● Guided Interpretive

Programs

● Interpretive Displays

Conservation

Science

A FIT FOR ALL LEARNING

STYLES:

CLASSROOM LEARNING:

● Notebooks and Resources

● PowerPoint Presentations

● Videos and Worksheets

● Discussion

● Final Project Development

MULTIPLE FIELD TRIPS:

● Local Topics and Presentations

● Opportunities to Practice

Interpretation Skills

● Practical Experience

● Synthesis of information

Our graduates are:

● Natural Resource

Professionals

● Ecotourism Guides

● Teachers

● Students

● Volunteers & Employees

of :

○ Parks

○ Nature Centers

○ Environmental

Education

Organizations

○ Museums and

Historical Sites

Anyone and everyone

interested in the natural world!

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

Each Core Module is $275

Each Special Topic is $175

❖Student Workbook and Resources

❖Three Field Trips

❖Classroom Instruction

❖Practical Experience

❖Graduation Certificate

❖FMNP Patch

❖Module Pin

❖Honor Roll Plaque and Pin (upon

completion of all core modules)

❖Listing in Online Student

Database

❖Listserv

❖Chapter Membership

● State-wide recognition

and respect

● Volunteer opportunities

● Job opportunities

● Community

involvement

● Networking

● Personal fulfillment

● Accreditation

WHAT CAN YOU GAIN?

● Earn in-service credits (40 hr) for

each module

● Obtain resources for your lessons

● Gain interpretive skills for teaching

conservation

● Private classes can be arranged

for teachers

● Final project can be used for your

classroom

Teachers!

Who are our

instructors?

EMPLOYEES OF:

● UF Extension & Sea Grant

● Non-profit Organizations

● Natural Resource Agencies

● Parks, Zoos, Museums

● Nature Centers

● Academic Institutions

Approximately

150 Instructors

from 125

different

organizations.

DIVERSITY IS

OUR STRENGTH

Meet Erik Neugaard,

an FMNP Instructor.

Erik is the Environmental/Permitting

Department Head for Coastal Systems

International, inc. He has a Master of

Science in degree in Marine Biology

and has of experience in all

aspects of environmental project

management, permitting, planning,

assessment, mitigation, and science.

Let’s take a look at one of Erik’s

courses.

28 years

Keys Marine Laboratory June 2016

CONSERVATION SCIENCESPECIAL TOPIC COURSE

Highlights:

● Nest building for endangered

Key Largo woodrat and cotton

mouse

● Crocodile Lake NWR visit and

tour

● Presentation by attorney that

helped establish FL Keys

National Sanctuary

● Snorkeling at John

Pennekamp State Park

● Sea turtle nest beach walk

● FWC coral nursery visit

● Presentation by coral

researcher

● Tour of Long Key State Park Photos by Emily

McDaniel

READY TO JOIN US?

The time I spent

participating in the

FMNP has given me

the self-confidence to

pursue a doctoral

degree.

My career

background is

nursing. This

course opened a

whole new

world to me.

Due to the contacts I

made through FMNP, I

was offered a job

teaching at an

environmental science

charter school.

I recently received a Senate

appointment to the State

Greenways and Trails

Council and I believe my

completion of the FMNP

Uplands Habitat module

helped with that selection

process.

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