Published October 30 2014
Applications are now being accepted for a free Bellevue Parks & Community Services Master Naturalist Training Program designed to build a group of dedicated community volunteers trained in environmental education and stewardship.
The training program is open to interested individuals ages 18 and up. Participants will meet Fridays beginning in January for a series of in-class lectures, field trips, workshops and restoration projects in and around Bellevue parks. The program will provide volunteers with training in our area's ecology, hydrology, geology, natural resource management, native plants, wildlife, cultural history, restoration efforts and much more!
Volunteers who complete the program will be trained to assist park rangers with a variety of efforts, such as environmental education and interpretation, habitat restoration, adult and family environmental education programs, nature hikes, wildlife and native plant restoration monitoring and research, community volunteer projects, canoe tours and wetland monitoring. Upon completion of the Master Naturalist Training program, naturalists are expected to complete a minimum of five hours of community service per month up to 100 hours of service to Bellevue's natural resource programs. Completion of 100 hours is not to exceed a two-year period.
This is the seventh year Bellevue has hosted the Master Naturalist Training program. The program has successfully trained thousands of volunteers throughout the nation and provides opportunities for individuals to make positive impacts in our local community, gain useful and applicable experience, and become active participants in the preservation of their natural resources.
Training sessions will take place on Fridays, January to May, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, 1625 118th Ave. SE. Ideal candidates will have an enthusiasm for learning, and priority will be given to those with some prior education and experience in natural resource sciences. Bellevue residents will have priority for selection.
The application for the training and where to send the form after its filled out are at Master Naturalist Training. Packets must be postmarked by December 1. For more information, please call 425-452-4195.