Congratulations to our graduates of the Midlands Master Naturalist Class of 2017!! Huge THANK YOU to Austin Jenkins for coordinating and teaching, and to the many partners, site hosts, and guest instructors who made this class possible, including: Joanna Weitzel & Camp Discovery, Matt Kip, Andrew Lazenby, John Nelson, Nancy Jordan & Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, David Shelley & Congaree National Park, Steve Patterson, Kevin Kubach & Drew Gelder & SCDNR, Ann Bennett, Matt Schnabel & Harbison State Forest, David Jenkins, Vaughan Spearman & SC Forestry Commission, Stacey Jensen & Sesquicentennial State Park, and the Midlands Master Naturalist Association.

The Midlands Master Naturalist course is part of a statewide Master Naturalist Program coordinated by Clemson University. The mission of the program is to create a corps of citizen volunteers well-trained in the fundamentals of natural history, nature interpretation, and the interface of humans and nature in order to empower them to contribute their time and talents to responsible, science-based environmental stewardship. The Midlands course is hosted by the SCWF and taught by experts in the fields of natural history, botany, biology, forestry, and geology.

Students learn identification skills, ecological concepts, and natural history of the plants, animals, and ecosystems encountered. Students will see how this knowledge can be applied to manage for wildlife and to ensure that human impacts on our Earth are sustainable. Through the established connections, participants will develop the skills necessary to become lifelong students of nature and environmental volunteers in their community.

Participants completing the course and 30 hours of approved volunteer service will receive Master Naturalist certification and will be eligible to join a local chapter and participate in advanced training courses.

For information about future classes:  http://www.scwf.org/midlands-master-naturalist