A Minnesota Master Naturalist volunteers 40 hours and attends 8 hours of training per year
In 2020 there were 1,241 active Master Naturalists
about 0.02% of the population of Minnesota
The three biomes of Minnesota
Big Woods, Big Rivers
Northwoods, Great Lakes
Prairies and Potholes
In 2020, 138 people earned the title of Master Naturalist
74% through a Big Woods, Big Rivers course
6.5% through a Northwoods, Great Lakes course
19.5% through a Prairies and Potholes course
In 2023, from July to November, Minnesota Naturalist certification courses were offered at
Big Woods, Big Rivers(12 million acres)
Whitewater State Park near Altura, Minnesota
Camp Fire in Chanhassen, Minnesota
Northwoods, Great Lakes(23 million acres)
Sax-Zim Bog in Meadowlands, Minnesota
Cook County Community Center in Grand Marais, Minnesota
Prairies and Potholes(16 million acres)
River Bend Nature Center in Faribault, Minnesota
Saint John's Outdoor University in St. Joseph Minnesota
How Far?
Big Woods, Big Rivers classes are offered within 30 minutes at Camp Fire and 30 minutes from Rochester at Whitewater State Park.
Prairies and Potholes is offered 1 hour from both Minneapolis and Rochester at River Bend Nature Center. Saint Johns’ class is 30 minutes from St. Cloud and 1 hour from Minneapolis.
To take a Northwoods, Great Lakes class someone from Minneapolis would need to travel 2 hours and 45 minutes to the Sax-Zim Bog or just over 4 hours to Grand Marais.
In May 2023, the
‘Outdoor School for All’
bill was introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature
The bill funds a three-day, two-night outdoor experience for fourth through eighth grade students in Minnesota
“only 30% of Minnesota students are able to access these types of outdoor learning experiences”