A Question-and-Answer Session about the Canaan Valley Master Naturalist program will be held this Saturday, March 15 at 7:15PM at the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (immediately following the free film, Moonshine Memories, the amazing story of Ab Crossland, a family-friendly community history film at 6:00PM).
Do you think salamanders are fabulous? Do you love the Canaan Valley area and the natural world around it? Do you want to meet others with similar interests? Consider enrolling in the WV Master Naturalist program. Been thinking about this for a while? Now is the time! Classes will be held at the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center on Route 32. The state program is sponsored by the WV Division of Natural Resources and the Canaan Valley Chapter is sponsored by the Friends of the 500th, the nonprofit that supports the Refuge.
To become a certified WV Master Naturalist, you must complete 62 hours of coursework and 30 hours of approved nature related volunteer activities. The 62 hours of coursework can be completed in one year (5 weekends), but you have up to 4 years to complete courses and volunteer work to obtain your WV Master Naturalist Certification. Many students do the coursework over 2 to 3 years. The program is for adults and there are no tests. Coursework usually includes a classroom and an outdoor component. The cost for the program is $175 which includes all coursework for 4 years or until certification, whichever comes first. The fee also includes a paper or digital manual, a magnifier loupe and a Friends’ membership. No student is turned away for an inability to pay thanks to scholarships from the Friends of the 500th. The 5 weekends of classes this year will be April 11 – 13, May 30 – June 1, June 21 – 22, July 11 – 13 and August 16 – 17. There will be other classes throughout the year, but they are not required for certification. To get more information about the program, contact Andrea “Andy” Dalton at AndreaDalton64@gmail.com or call her at 304-704-2476.
Come join us; I think you will be happy you did!
