Become a Virginia Master Naturalist

CURIOUS? BECOME A VIRGINIA MASTER NATURALIST

Learning about wetlands. Photo by Jennifer Trevino.

People who are curious about nature, enjoy the outdoors, and want to volunteer in stewardship, outreach, and citizen science projects supporting natural resource management and conservation in Virginia are perfect candidates to become Virginia Master Naturalists.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

June 1, 2026

The application for 2026-2027 Historic Rivers Chapter Basic Training is now available! Follow this link to the application on BetterImpact, or use the QR code below. The application will be live until June 30 or until the class is filled. We encourage you to apply early – we have more people interested than we have space for.

Note that will need to have a MyImpactPage.com account to access the form – if you do not have one, you will need to create one in order to view the form.  If you’re accepted into Basic Training, you will use these login credentials, however, they can be changed later as necessary upon request.

Prepare to devote approximately one hour to completing the online application. It must be completed in one sitting. You will not be able to save your responses to return later.

Once you have completed the application, you will be directed to the Variable Pricing Questionnaire, to determine the fee you will pay for the training if you are accepted into the program. The standard fee of $175 covers the approximate cost of the training, but if that amount would impose a hardship, Variable Pricing will offer alternative rates. There will also be options for paying more than the standard fee, but the amount you select to pay will have no bearing on whether or not you are accepted into the program.

We encourage you to carefully review this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to decide if this program is for you, and if you want to apply.

Polyphemus Moth. Photo by Mike Powell

HISTORIC RIVERS BASIC TRAINING

Basic training covers the background knowledge and skills that every naturalist needs to have. We tailor our course to fit our local environment and community.

The Historic Rivers Chapter Virginia Master Naturalist’s training includes:

  • Introduction to Virginia Master Naturalist Program
  • Risk Management
  • Building Master Naturalist Skills
  • Biodiversity and Evolution
  • Virginia Geology and Biogeography
  • Ecology Concepts
  • Climate & Weather
  • Forest Conservation
  • American Naturalists
  • Dendrology
  • Botany and Native Plants
  • Wetlands Ecology
  • Entomology
  • Freshwater Ecology and Macroinvertebrates
  • Butterflies
  • Ichthyology
  • Herpetology
  • Ornithology
  • Mammalogy

Io Moth Caterpillar. Photo by Susan Powell

Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility.