COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri Master Naturalists recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the program during a state conference in Columbia hosted by the Boone’s Lick Master Naturalist chapter.

The Master Naturalist Program, sponsored by University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), engages Missourians in the stewardship of the state’s natural resources through science-based education and volunteer community service, said Rebecca O’Hearn, volunteer programs manager with MDC.

“The program began as a pilot project in 2004 at two locations in the state, one here in Columbia with the Boone County Extension Center,” said Bob Pierce, MU Extension state wildlife and fisheries specialist and extension program coordinator. There are now 12 chapters across Missouri operating under guidance from MU Extension regional specialists and MDC education and resource professionals.

“Volunteers must first participate in a 40-hour core training focused on natural resource management and stewardship and Missouri’s ecological systems to become certified and conduct volunteer service projects within their community,” said O’Hearn.

Letitia Johnson, community development specialist with MU Extension and adviser for the Boone’s Lick Chapter, said 135 Master Naturalists from across the state participated in the 2024 conference at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, nearby conservation areas and locations across Boone County.

“Our volunteers are always eager to learn and are passionate about conserving Missouri’s natural resources,” said Johnson. “So it’s important that we provide advanced training opportunities where they can increase their knowledge and skills.”

The Master Naturalist conference sessions were organized around the four primary ecological systems found in central Missouri: wetlands; rivers and waterways; woodlands and forests; and prairies.

“From live owls to watching bats emerge at twilight to learning about Missouri River ecology from boats, this conference had a lot of moving parts!” said Johnson. “We could not have pulled this off without the dedicated efforts of our chapter members.”

“The conference also provided a venue to celebrate the success of the program over the past 20 years and to look forward to the next 20 years,” said O’Hearn.

According to Pierce, more than 3,000 volunteers have been trained as Missouri Master Naturalists since 2004. In addition, volunteers have provided 893,000 hours of service to communities providing an economic value of more than $26 million. This service includes a variety of natural resource education and citizen science projects with local partners.

“We look forward to continuing the partnership between MU Extension and the Missouri Department of Conservation in conducting the Missouri Master Naturalist Program for years to come,” said Pierce.

Learn more about the program at http://muext.us/MasterNaturalist.

Photos

https://extension.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/legacy_media/wysiwyg/News/photos/20240613-bats-1.jpg
Missouri Master Naturalists learn about bat populations during an evening bat emergence with Roxie Campbell, park naturalist at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Photo by Kitty Peer.

https://extension.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/legacy_media/wysiwyg/News/photos/20240613-sky-1.jpg
Master Naturalists during a dark sky presentation by Vayujeet Gokhale, Truman State University. Photo by Kitty Peer.

https://extension.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/legacy_media/wysiwyg/News/photos/20240613-mrr-1.jpg
Learning about the health of the Missouri River with Missouri River Relief. Photo by Kitty Peer.

https://extension.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/legacy_media/wysiwyg/News/photos/20240613-hoey-1.jpg
Jessica Hoey, chief of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Relevancy Branch, speaks to Missouri Master Naturalists at a celebration of the program’s 20th anniversary. Photo by Kitty Peer.