Our Missouri Master Naturalist projects are all geared toward our overall mission and objectives.
The Missouri Master Naturalist Program Mission:
To engage Missourians in the stewardship of our state's natural resources through science-based education and community service.
Missouri Master Naturalist Program Objectives
1. Improve public understanding of natural resources ecology and management by developing a pool of local knowledge about natural resources ecology that can be used to enhance education efforts within local communities.
2. Enhance existing natural resources education and outreach activities by providing natural resources training at the local level, thereby developing a team of dedicated and informed volunteers.
3. Develop a self-sufficient Missouri Master Naturalist volunteer network.
Stewardship Projects: These projects involve natural resource management activities such as trail development, invasive species removal, natural community restoration, tree planting, and native plant seed collection.
Education/Interpretive Projects: These projects include public or school presentations of natural resource information, educational materials development, leading interpretive hikes or exhibiting at special events.
Citizen Science Projects: These projects focus on volunteers gathering data and conducting research. Examples include flora and fauna surveys, species monitoring, water quality monitoring, bird banding, and fish tagging.
Program Support: This includes time spent conducting chapter leadership and administration functions such as serving as an officer, conducting committee work, maintaining a chapter website or newsletter, and attending chapter meetings.