"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir
OKLAHOMA MASTER NATURALISTS
Who We Are
Keep in Touch with Nature
Mission Statement
To educate and develop a dedicated volunteer force that provides education, outreach, and service for the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas in the state of Oklahoma.
Goals
To create a dependable state-wide Master Naturalist network which will:
Improve public understanding of natural resource and management conservation.
Enhance existing natural resource education and outreach activities.
Develop a strong citizen scientist network.
Certification
To earn Master Naturalist certification, you must:
Complete the five workshops
Thirty hours of volunteer service.
Sixteen hours of advanced training.
To maintain Certification each year:
Twenty volunteer service hours.
Sixteen hours advanced training.
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
Aldo Leopold
Introduction to Ecology Workshop
Delayed due to Covid-19
Starts at 9am, Ends about 3pm.
Lake Arcadia Outdoor Training and Education Center
7522 East 33rd Street
Edmond, OK
Course Instructors are Robert Theimer and Rebecca Carlberg
Robert Theimer and Rebecca Carlberg are Certified Master Naturalist.
Robert recently moved from Texas and is a long time member of the Texas Master Naturalist and will bring a wealth of experience and outlook.
Rebecca is a Plant Pathologist, Certified Master Naturalist and Certified Master Gardener
Members: Free
Non-Members: $10.00
There will be a pot luck lunch
Urban Ecology Workshop
Postponed.
Look for rescheduled date
Starts at 9am, Ends about 3pm.
Oklahoma County Extension Office
2500 NE 63rd Street
Oklahoma City OK 73111
Course Instructors are Mark Howery and Mark Bays.
Mark Bays is the coordinator for Urban and Community Services.
Mark Howery is an State of Oklahoma Diversity Biologist
Members: Free
Non-Members: $20.00
Bring something for a Pot Luck Lunch
Aquatics and Wetland Ecosystems Workshop
Postponed due to Covid-19
Will be rescheduled at later date
Starts at 9am, Ends about 3pm.
Lake Arcadia Outdoor Training and Education Center
7522 East 33rd Street
Edmond, OK
Course Instructor is Dr. Marley Beem
Dr. Beem is an Extension Specialist on Ponds and Aquatic Ecology at the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University
Members: Free
Non-Members: $20.00
There will be a pot luck lunch
Prairie Ecology Workshop
Postponed due to Covid-19
Will be rescheduled at later date
Starts at 9am, Ends about 3pm.
Botanic Garden of Oklahoma State University
Conference Center
3300 W. 6th Ave.
Stillwater, OK 74078
Course Instructor is Malyutina Yevgeniya. MS
Malyutina is a Doctoral student at the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University
In the afternoon, there will be an outdoor activity at the OSU Range Research Station.
Should be an abundance of wildflowers and prairie plants
Members: Free
Non-Members: $20.00
There will be a pot luck lunch
Forestry Ecology
Postponed due to Covid-19
Will be rescheduled at later date
Starts at 9am, Ends about 3pm.
Room 019
Ag Hall South
298-164 N. Monroe Street
Oklahoma State University
Parking and Entrance on west side off off of Farm Road
Field Tour: After Potluck Lunch
OSU Arboretum: 1/2 mile of Hwy 51 on Sangre Road
Course Instructor is Dr. Craig McKinley
Dr. McKinley is an Emeritus Faculty/Extension Forester for the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University
Members: Free
Non-Members: $20.00
There will be a pot luck lunch
The Environmentor
https://www.okcu.edu/artsci/enrichment/environmentor/
This e-publication contains many good articles and events.
Look through it for possible advance training and volunteer opportunities.
The 2021 Wildlife Expo
The 2021 Wildlife Expo will be held
24-26 September 2021
Presented by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and a coalition of conservation organizations, agencies and sponsors.
Expo celebrates our great state's natural diversity and opportunities for the sporting enthusiasts and newcomers.
From camping and outdoor skills to shooting sports, fishing and bird watching, Expo visitors have an opportunity to try their hands at two days of fun in the outdoors.
Hours of Operation: Friday (School Day) 8am-5pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 9am-5pm
The Oklahoma Master Naturalists have worked the Expo for years and will be working all three days. We will have an informational table setup (Saturday and Sunday). We will also help the binocular observation area, the native plant garden area, and a bird and wildlife watch area.
Volunteers are needed and this will count as volunteer hours. Contact us at okmasternaturalist@att.com
For more info:
https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/expo
Wildlife Department Offers Monarch Watch
The OK Wildlife Diversity Program hosts the annual Monarch Watch event at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area and Center that starts Saturday, October 3rd and concludes on Saturday, October 10th. Management at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area encourages the growth of the native annual sunflower that produces seeds enjoyed by migrating doves and, because the bloom period continues into the fall, is a primary nectar source for southbound Monarch butterflies. The Monarch Watch Event is a participant in the North American Monarch Watch Tagging Program, a large-scale citizen science project that was initiated to help understand the dynamics of the monarch's spectacular fall migration through mark and recapture. During past years, tags from Monarchs tagged at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area have been recovered in two different overwintering areas in Mexico. This October, the general public will have 5 opportunities to help tag monarchs captured on the WMA during the mornings of October 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th and 10th starting promptly at 9 am at the Hackberry Flat Center and 4 opportunities to watch Monarchs glide in to their traditional roost sites by the hundreds on the evenings of October 3rd, 4th, 5th and 9th to start promptly at 6:30 pm. Please, no pets. There is no fee but reservations are required. An email confirmation will include more detailed information with directions to the Hackberry Flat Center. For more information or to make a reservation, please contact melynda.hickman@odwc.ok.gov."
Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area offers 7,120 acres of wildlife recreational opportunities. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, along with many conservation-minded partners, restored this legendary wetland, creating a vast mosaic of wetland habitats for prairie waterfowl, shorebirds and other wetland-dependent birds. Upland areas of native sunflowers and cultivated fields interspersed with mesquite have become one of the state’s premier dove-hunting destinations.
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Virtual BioBlitz! Oklahoma 2021
The on-site BioBlitz! Oklahoma has been replaced with a virtual experience.
BioBlitz! OK 2021
Visit our Virtual Nature Center to see how we are celebrating 20 years of BioDiversity Exploration!
A citizen science event for everyone interested in learning about Oklahoma's Biodiversity
https://biosurvey.ou.edu/bioblitzok/
The Botanic Garden
2021 Autumn Schedule
Our Projects
Programming and community engagement are at the core of our strategy. We invest heavily in supporting the development of integrated solutions and delivering reliable tools to those who need them most. Discover more about our innovative campaigns below and get in touch to stay up to date regarding our latest efforts.