Home

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 for a cost of $250, which also includes all materials. 

The Spring 2023 Iowa Master Naturalists (IMN) basic training course will be hosted by Indian Creek Nature Center in Linn county.  Off-site field trips are also scheduled.  Classes meet between 12:30 and 3:30 PM on Saturdays beginning on April 1 and continuing through June 17.  This 12-week course offers elements of both online and in-person instruction. The in-person component is mandatory, but the online instruction is often negotiable, and is geared toward the more academically inclined students. There will be weekly “homework” for all students.  Some walking on unpaved ground is required for this course.  Students must be 18 or older to register.  The cost of the program is $250.00 (due the first class).  This fee covers all materials.

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.  If students have difficulty meeting this requirement, because of Covid-related closures, we will cheerfully grant an extension.

To register for the Spring 2023 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 ask that applicants be 18 or older.

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