ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Volunteers, especially those working to improve and protect the environment, are important, Michele Richards said.
But trained volunteers are even better.
- A Pennsylvania Master Naturalist Program is coming to Lehigh County later this year
- The nonprofit is partnering with the Lehigh County Conservation District to host the training
- Organizers hope to educate and empower volunteers
“The idea behind the program is that we're training volunteers and sending them out into the community to do great work,” said Richards, president of Pennsylvania Master Naturalist.
“These programs are really designed for us to train the volunteers to manage them, to try to retain them, to keep them active in the organization or their work, which is natural resource conservation and education.”
For the second time, nonprofit Pennsylvania Master Naturalist this year is partnering with the Lehigh County Conservation District to host a Master Naturalist Volunteer training. The certification, which includes rigorous coursework and field training over several weeks, aims to support local conservation efforts by providing education and hands-on experience for volunteers.
“The idea behind our program is that we're training volunteers to be volunteer leaders,” Richards said. “Our hope is that they'll be able to take on projects. They'll be able to lead planning a project from the very ground up, which could be finding funding, planning it, developing it, creating it and then implementing it, to following up and doing assessments.
“We really want our volunteers to be leaders in the community, and that's why we have this rigorous intensive training.”
"We really want our volunteers to be leaders in the community, and that's why we have this rigorous intensive training."Michele Richards, president of Pennsylvania Master Naturalist
Officials at the Lehigh County Conservation District are excited to host the program, said Laura Hopek, the organization’s environmental education and outreach coordinator.
“We look forward to connecting residents of Lehigh County to the importance of protecting our natural resources through hands-on education,” Hopek said. “It is important that we teach the community to become better stewards of the environment, so that future generations can enjoy the beauty and value it brings to the Valley.”
The 50-hour course starts Aug. 8 and runs through Oct. 24. Classes meet weekly on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Trexler Nature Preserve, 5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, and four Saturday field sessions on Aug. 19, Sept. 9 and 23, and Oct. 14.
COVID safety protocols will be followed, and proof of vaccination is required, organizers noted.
The program costs $400, and the final deadline to apply is May 29. However, those who register Monday will receive a discounted rate of $325.
After the course, participants must complete 30 hours of service and eight hours of continuing education to become certified as a Master Naturalist. To maintain the certification, participants must complete 20 hours of service and 12 hours of continuing education each year.
Barbara Malt, a professor emerita of psychology and cognitive science at Lehigh University, was part of the first Lehigh County class in the fall 2021.
An avid bird-watcher who has worked with the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society and also a native plant enthusiast, Malt said she was interested in “looking to deepen my understanding of how ecosystems work, since everything interacts in the end.”
“The course has definitely deepened my understanding of natural systems, which allows me to be better informed when people ask questions at Audubon programs I run, and when I write articles for our newsletter,” she said. “Also, I think the title PA Master Naturalist impresses people.
“I hope it helps them take me more seriously when I explain to them the importance of using native plants instead of the ornamentals from other countries commonly sold at nurseries, and when I raise other conservation issues.”
Malt was one of nine volunteers to train in 2021, Richards said. So far, that class has contributed back 432 hours of volunteer work to Lehigh County.
“The independent sector volunteer hourly rate is about $29 an hour,” said Rachel Nelson, communications specialist with the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist Program. “That’s about $40,000 or so worth of work. So that's what it's valued at. That's what their work is valued on.”
Collectively, the statewide program has produced volunteers that have completed more than 96,000 volunteer hours, tabulating to $2.5 million worth of service.
“We want to get people involved in our program and giving back to the community because there's a lot of need when it comes to nature conservation,” Richards said. “ … We are trying to connect people with nature and give them more opportunities to explore and discover nature in their life.”
For more information, or to register, visit pamasternaturalist.org.
