A naturalist is any person who studies the natural world. Naturalists make observations of the relationships between organisms and their environments, as well as how those relationships change over time. Well-known examples of naturalists in history include Charles Darwin, John Muir, Rachel Carson, and William Batrum. Notable naturalists in recent history include Janisse Ray, Steve and Terri Irwin, Christian Cooper, and many more.
Being outside, observing, learning, and using your senses and tools can bring deeper meaning to your own nature walks. The most critical part of being a naturalist cannot be bought. It is a lifetime of curiosity. In an effort to help you develop your naturalist skills, the Paulding County Extension offers residents the opportunity to gain experience studying local ecology and to become a local Naturalist expert. Through a series of weekly programs with specific environmental topics and hands-on environmental education, the Master Naturalist course explores habitats and ecosystems in northwest Georgia and human interactions and impacts on those environments.
This fall Paulding County UGA Extension is partnering with Extension Offices in Cobb, and Douglas to offer the 2025 Northwest Georgia Master Naturalist Program. The Georgia Master Naturalist program is an adult environmental education course developed by the UGA Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources and UGA Cooperative Extension for people who wish to be more informed about habitats, natural resources, and the natural environments of our local community and state. The class dates are: August 29-Orientation meeting, September 5, 12, 19, and 26 and October 2, 9, 16, an overnight trip to the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center from the 23-24 October, and October 30 as a make-up day for any inclement weather cancellations. The fee for this class is $325.
The sessions are designed around local and regional habitats, including swamps, ponds, rivers, wetlands, mountains, forests, farms, and urban landscapes, as well as the issues affecting these habitats. In the program, participants will learn about local watersheds, geology and hydrology, ecology of our region, native and invasive plants, forestry, wildlife, birding, agriculture, local history, urban forestry, and other topics that will help them become advocates and stewards of our natural resources. Previous participants now work as volunteers in our community, conducting stream monitoring, teaching others about how to make their yards more environmentally friendly, and helping youth learn about environmental stewardship through 4-H, Scouts, and school programming. This Master Naturalist enjoys sharing his gifts of nature photography and writing wildlife and birding articles for our community.
Contact 770-443-7616 or email msheff@uga.edu to learn more or find details, including registration information, online at www.ugaextension.org/paulding.
Remember John Muir’s quote: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”