About Us

Mission

The mission of the Michigan Naturalist Program is to educate and involve a diverse community of individuals in environmental and conservation issues in Michigan. As a certified Michigan Naturalist, participants will be encouraged to share their knowledge gained through outreach activities in their home communities.

 

About

Michigan Naturalist program is organized and coordinated by Michigan State University Extension. The program strives to create a cadre of individuals dedicated to instituting sound environmental practices on their properties. MI Naturalists are encouraged to share knowledge gained with others by helping to interpret their natural surrounding and implementing conservation practices that are appropriate for their local habitat.

Originally,  Naturalist style classes were individually hosted by a few counties. These proved to be wildly successful with growing requests for more to be offered across the state. In 2018, the program was reorganized through MSU Extension with a new statewide coordinator. It began with a pilot training in 2019, while at the same time, developing the current program. Michigan-specific curriculum is still under development as we successfully expand to new areas across the state.

The program is physiographic in its education design and seeks local partnering organizations to help coordinate and deliver training. 

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