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Iowa Master Naturalists (IMN) is a 501c3 nonprofit run entirely by volunteers.  Our mission to educate a corps of adult volunteers about Iowa’s environment and natural history, thus empowering them to promote awareness, appreciation, and stewardship of the natural world in their communities.

The Iowa Master Naturalists (IMN) program offers approximately 40 hours of instruction.  This includes laboratories, field trips, as well as traditional classroom presentations. There are additional optional online educational opportunities for the more academically-inclined students.  The in-person components of the course is mandatory for all students. There is weekly “homework”.  Students must be 18 or older to register.  Some walking on unpaved ground is required for this course.

The Fall 2025 Iowa Master Naturalists (IMN) basic training course will be hosted by Linn Co Conservation at Wickiup Hill Learning Center, but off-site field trips are also scheduled.  Classes meet between 12:30 and 3:30 PM on Saturdays beginning on Sep 20 and continuing through Dec 6.  There is a $250 fee for the program (due the first class).

Each session is a little different, but topics covered in recent courses include:
Iowa Geology
Iowa Insects
Iowa Mammals
Iowa Fish
Iowa Aquatic Invertebrates
Iowa Amphibians and Reptiles
Iowa Birds
Iowa Fungi
Iowa Foraging
Iowa Prairies
Iowa Woodlands
Iowa Archeology 

Certification requirements:

  1. To be certified as an Iowa Master Naturalist, a student must attend at least 11 of the 12 in-person sessions.
  2. Certification Iowa Master Naturalist also requires the completion of at least 40 hours of approved volunteer work in areas of environmental education, stewardship or citizen science (or some combination thereof) within 12 months after completing the basic training course. Eight hours of approved advanced training are also required.  

To register for the Fall 2025 course in Linn county, click on the “Application Form” tab in the top menu.  Return your completed application form by email to info@iowamasternaturalists.org .  Since this program is designed for adults, we require that applicants be 18 or older.

Iowa Master Naturalists is a 501c3 nonprofit, and is run entirely by volunteers.