Through the established connections, participants will develop the skills necessary to become lifelong students of nature and environmental volunteers in their community.

Participants completing the course will receive South Carolina Master Naturalist certification and will be eligible to join a local chapter and participate in advanced training courses. Master Naturalist graduates are encouraged to log 30 hours of volunteer service for each subsequent year to maintain their certification.

Where: Classes are held at parks and natural areas throughout the Midlands, and students will meet at the various locations. Most sites are within one hour of Columbia. Students are responsible for travel to and from field sites, although carpooling is encouraged.

• When:  12 classes are held during each session – the class generally meets every Friday from mid-March through late May for 12 weeks.  At this time, only one session is held each year, in the spring.
  • The Spring 2024 classes took place March 8th to May 24th.
  • Classes generally begin at 9:00 am at varying locations listed above. Ending times may vary depending on the field trip, but generally between 1:00-3:00 pm. Classes will be held rain or shine.

• Who:  The course is open to anyone, ages 18 and up.  No pre-requisites or prior knowledge required. Participants come from all walks of life. Students will start with the basics.
  PARTICIPANTS MUST BE IN GOOD PHYSICAL SHAPE – MANY CLASSES INVOLVE LENGTHY HIKES OF SEVERAL MILES WITH MODERATE DIFFICULTY. Because you are training to be naturalists, you will traverse the wild country and should be prepared to encounter moderate heat, briars, mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks, etc.  DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS IF YOU CANNOT SUSTAIN THESE CONDITIONS.We have considerable demand for this class – please ensure that you can attend the majority of classes before registering.