One of the best, and most fun, ways to become an environmental steward and extend environmental education is by becoming a Master Naturalist. To become a Master Naturalists in Mississippi, participants (ages 18+) can take one of the two provided courses in the state – the Central or Coastal Basic Training Course. The Central Course is run by Dr. Adam Rohnke and Ann Smithson (Mississippi State University) during the summer, while the Coastal Course is implemented by Dr. Eric Sparks and me in the fall.
We recently concluded our annual Mississippi Master Naturalist Coastal Training Course and certified 15 new Master Naturalists! To obtain certification, students must complete 40 hours of lecture and field experience. Our course lectures are online and cover an array of topics including entomology, habitat management, marine fisheries, environmental law and general ecology.
During the span of the course students participate in five field experiences to really gain that hands-on experience. Our first field experience was on Dauphin Island to learn about coastal erosion followed by a trip led by Dr. Marcus Drymon (Mississippi State University and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant) on the R/V Alabama to learn how fisheries biologists obtain species data in the bay and beyond.
Other field experiences included visiting The Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, Mississippi, and the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in Fairhope and touring the Weeks Bay Pitcher Plant Bog. Students also spent a day on an ornithology field trip to Ship Island with Dr. Mark Woodrey (Mississippi State University) to practice the craft of shorebird watching and identification. To enhance their knowledge of habitat management techniques, the class visited the Grand Bay NERR to see ongoing restoration projects happening on the NERR, including the wildlife monitoring components associated with those efforts.
To close out the course, students had to come up with an environmental stewardship-focused group project. The purpose of these projects is for the Master Naturalists to provide resources or implement hands-on conservation and restoration efforts in their communities. We had so many amazing projects this year including enhanced recycling resources for the local community, lunch and learn toolkits, foraging guides for local trails, and a karaoke-style educational lesson on the importance of native plants. “Butterflies, Blooms, and Classrooms” focused on increasing awareness of monarch butterflies, native plant garden designs and demonstrating how teachers can integrate butterfly conservation to align with school standards.
This course is made possible by contributions from Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant staff-led lectures and field experiences. For more information about the course, visit our website. If you are interested in participating in the Mississippi Master Naturalist Coastal Course, please reach out to be added to the waitlist. Registration for the Coastal Course opens late summer and fills up quickly!
Meet the author
Mandy Rigsby
Ecotourism and Stewardship Specialist
As part of our Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Engagement Team, Mandy Rigsby works with nature-based tourism businesses to connect visitors to local nature and its wildlife. She also... Read more
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