Tennessee Naturalist Program

The Tennessee Naturalist Program is a corps of volunteers providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities. Tennesseans interested in this program become Tennessee Naturalists through training and volunteer service.

Mission of the Tennessee Naturalist Program
The mission of the Tennessee Naturalist Program is to teach Tennesseans about our natural world; to inspire in them the desire to learn; and to instill in them an appreciation of the importance of responsible environmental stewardship.

Who Sponsors the Tennessee Naturalist Program?
Center for Environmental Education at Middle Tennessee State University
Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary
Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation
Tennessee State Parks
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

What is a Tennessee Naturalist?
A Tennessee Naturalist is a person who has undergone specific training and who regularly volunteers time toward various projects. Typically, Tennessee Naturalists seek to make a difference in helping to maintain the quality of our native ecosystems through training designed to help ‘read’ the landscape of the state. This includes understanding the underlying geology specific inhabitants (birds, plants, mammals, etc.), ecology and the impacts of humans on the landscape including how we conserve our amazing natural environments. Once trained, Tennessee Naturalists volunteer in a variety of projects. In essence, the Tennessee Naturalist program aims to turn out volunteer citizen scientists who can positively impact the natural resources of the state.

What do Tennessee Naturalists do?
Individuals who participate in the program bring diverse skills and experiences that contribute time, energy and ideas in maintaining the native ecosystems throughout the state. After receiving training, Tennessee Naturalists may participate in many different types of volunteer activities. These might include assisting in a nature outreach program at a park, museum, nature center or school; assisting a scientist collecting bird census data; collecting data on water quality or many other activities.

How Do I Become a Tennessee Naturalist?
To become a Tennessee Naturalist, a person must complete a training course of a minimum of 40 hours and complete 40 hours of volunteer service. The first classes have begun at Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary just outside of Nashville, but there will be additional classes starting in Spring 2011.

Learn more about Tennessee Naturalist Program Curriculum and Courses

Cost: $200.00 per person which includes all classes, a notebook, course handouts and some field guides.

Additional Information
For general information about the Tennessee Naturalist program, contact David Hill, TN State Parks Biologist, at david.r.hill@tn.gov.

For specific information about the program courses being offered at Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary, contact owlshill@bellsouth.net or learn more from the Owl’s Hill Web site at www.owlshill.org/tnp.