News Release

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District will once again be sponsoring an Indiana Master Naturalist program.

The Indiana Master Naturalist program is an opportunity to learn about nature from experts, give back to the community through conservation volunteerism and meet like-minded people who also have a passion for natural resources. The program is intended to be informative and fun.

The mission of the Indiana Master Naturalist program is to bring together natural resource specialists with adult learners to foster an understanding of Indiana plants, water, soils and wildlife, and to promote natural resource volunteer service within the state of Indiana. This year, topics will include birds, wildflowers, soils, geology, water, wetlands, trees, mammals, habitats and astronomy.

Classes meet once per month, March through October, and will be followed by an assessment and potluck dinner to celebrate the completion of the program in November. Class meetings will include a lecture from experts in topic areas followed by a field experience with hands-on learning in locations across the county. Those who complete the coursework and 24 hours of approved volunteer work will achieve Indiana Master Naturalist certification.

Classes are scheduled the evenings of March 14, April 11, May 5, June 3, July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12, Oct. 10 and Nov. 7. Most sessions will require moderate walking; for accommodation requests, contact the office at (574) 267-7445, ext. 3, prior to enrolling in the program. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. The cost of the program is $175 per student or $250 for two students within the same household who choose to share books. The cost for the program covers books for most topics covered throughout the program. The class is limited to 20 participants and fills up quickly. We will accept applications will be accepted until Monday, Feb. 19, or until the class is filled.

For more information about the Indiana Master Naturalist program, contact the Soil and Water Conservation District office at (574) 267-7445, ext. 3, or visit the website at kosciuskoswcd.org/imn.