Summer 2026 Master Naturalist Course for Teachers

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.
Dates: 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.
Cost: $345 for members; $375 for non-members. You can purchase a membership when you register.
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.