Are you a teacher -- in the schools or in an informal setting (summer camps, afterschool, day care, and more)? This course is for you!

This certification course consists of at least 40 hours of instruction in a mix of lectures, in-class labs, independent study, and outdoor field trips. We’ll cover a wide breadth of topics with the goal of giving you an essential foundation of skills and knowledge on which you can build. Our summer session will focus on flowering plants, birds, and insects. We will emphasize learning methods and activities that can be adapted for a wide age range in formal or informal education settings.

Summer 2026 Master Naturalist Certification Course for Teachers

MONDAY, June 22, to FRIDAY, June 26, 2026, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Location: We will meet at the Montana Natural History Center each morning. We will carpool to field sites.

We are able to offer scholarships! Please contact us at 406.327.0405 for details.

We’ll take full advantage of the summer season and spend most of our time afield. We will spend time in the cottonwood galleries of the river’s floodplain and venture to the conifer forest in Pattee Canyon. Get a handle on plant identification by recognizing patterns in form, catch and identify butterflies along the Clark Fork River, and recognize birds by song and sight.

This is a five-day intensive course with pre-course readings and observation activities. Class meets from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. There will also be approximately one hour of independent study each day.

This class is compressed into a short window of time so we will delve deeply into three subjects. Our focus will be on learning the core skills of identification of: 1) flowers, shrubs, and trees, 2) birds, and 3) insects. Instruction will also include time on local geology, mammals, fire ecology, and riparian ecology.

Instructors:

Christine Morris, Community Programs Coordinator and naturalist. Christine teaches the spring and fall Montana Master Naturalist courses, the Certified Interpretive Guide course, and coordinates adult programs and lectures. Guest instructors may include Elena Ulev, Montana Natural History Center Garden Manager and Master Naturalist instructor; Geoff Farinholt, BLM fuels; Ian Watson, geologist; MNHC teaching naturalists, and more.

Master Naturalist Certification Requirements:

The main project for this class is keeping a detailed naturalist handbook with species list. To get the most out of your experience, you should expect to spend a little time in the afternoon reviewing and organizing your daily notes, and tracking your observations.
Full attendance.
Complete the culminating exercise.

Sample June Itinerary:

Monday: flowering plants at Pattee Canyon
Tuesday: birds at Lee Metcalf
Wednesday: conifers and ecology at Bass Creek
Thursday: insects at Greenough Park
Friday: final exercise at Council Grove

Please Note: We will be walking, standing, and sitting outside most of each day. Physical activity level is easy to moderate with some uphill walking on trails. You may be walking up to 2 miles.

Please Bring:

Clothes appropriate for changing Montana weather conditions, good walking shoes or boots, sunscreen, hat, etc.
Water, snacks, and lunch
Something to write with
Binoculars and loupes optional (we will have them to borrow)
Anything you need to be comfortable walking, sitting, standing outside

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Cost: $345 for members; $375 for non-members
We are able to offer scholarships! Please contact us at 406.327.0405 for details.
20 OPI Credits
Full payment due upon registration. The course fee (minus a $100 administrative fee) is refundable ONLY if a cancellation is made 30 days before the first day of class. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. Exceptions will be made for air quality due to wildfires. Read our full cancellation/refund policy.

Contact the host of Summer 2026 Master Naturalist Course for Teachers