Update Feb 22, 2016 – The 2016 Basic Course Schedule has been revised slightly.
2016 class schedule Revised Feb 22
The course will meet on Wednesday Evenings from 6 – 9 pm, February 24 through May 11, 2016, at the Salem Public Library. The course will also include four Saturday field trips.
The Basic Course is part of the Virginia Master Naturalist certification process, which includes 40 hours of basic training, 8 hours of advanced training, and 40 hours of volunteer service.
Topics covered in the Basic Course include:
- Introduction to Virginia Master Naturalists
- American Naturalists
- Citizen Science
- Ecological Concepts
- Nature of Naming
- Land Use in Virginia
- Urban and Suburban Systems
- Virginia Biogeography
- Geology and Soil Science
- Entomology
- Ornithology
- Aquatic Ecology, Macroinvertebrates & Management
- Forest Ecology and Management
- Mammology
- Herpetology
- Ichthyology
- Dendrology
- Botany
- Wetland Ecology Management
- Interpretation and Teaching
- Risk and Working with Youth
Field Trips include:
- Bird Walk
- Stream Monitoring
- Fish Monitoring
- Tree and Plant Identification
