Kansas City, Mo. – The Osage Trails Chapter of Missouri Master Naturalists will hold an orientation session for people interested in serving conservation as trained volunteers. The session will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Kansas City Regional Office, 12405 S.E. Ranson Road, Lee’s Summit.
Missouri Master Naturalists participate in a community-based natural resource education and volunteer program. Sometimes they assist with MDC research or habitat improvement projects. They often serve at education or special event programs. Participants take special training about ecology and conservation. Master naturalist chapters provide a corps of well-informed volunteers to serve nature and natural resources in their community in partnership with MDC. They elect their own officers for chapter business and they hold social events. The master naturalist program is sponsored by MDC and University of Missouri Extension.
At the orientation session, MDC’s statewide coordinator and local chapter members will share their experiences with the program, discuss partnerships, and highlight how the program benefits conservation in Missouri.
Training classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday evenings from July 23 through Oct. 29. Participants will also attend field sessions at natural areas in the Kansas City area. Field sessions are generally held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
For information about master naturalist activities in the Kansas City area and applications for membership, visit the Osage Trails Chapter’s website at http://osagetrails.com/. Applications for membership will be available on the website in mid-May and are due by July 2. Follow volunteer activities on Facebook, Missouri Master Naturalist, Osage Trails Chapter. During the past year, members volunteered 10,473 hours, which included 4,708 hours of public education and 3,243 hours of land stewardship.
To learn more about the program, contact the 2019 class mentors at osagetrails2019training@gmail.com, or call MDC Education Consultant Ginger Miller at 816-759-7305, ext. 1136. Information about MDC programs and partnerships is at http://mdc.mo.gov.
Bill Graham/Missouri Department of Conservation
The Missouri Master Naturalist program connects volunteers with nature and people interested in conservation.