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
Applications are now closed for the Basic Training beginning in September 2026. The application window for our next training cohort (beginning September 2027) will open on June 1, 2027.
In the meantime, 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