Criteria for Volunteer Service

The activity needs to:

• relate to Montana’s natural or environmental cultural history
• occur in Montana unless you live out of state
• be sponsored by an organization
• be unpaid

Each volunteer service activity may fit under one of these categories:  Citizen Science, Stewardship, Education, Organizational Support, Other.

Citizen Science involves volunteers assisting with scientific research.  These projects usually involve gathering data and returning it to researchers.  Examples include:

• Assisting with any kind of natural history/biological survey (iNaturalist, eBird)
• Participating in a Christmas Bird Count
• Collecting monarch larval monitoring data
• Monitoring water quality or macroinvertebrates
• Collecting/interpreting biological data for any number of projects through SciStarter, Zooniverse, or other local or nationwide projects

Stewardship includes natural resource management activities. Examples include:

• Removing invasive weeds
• Helping develop a school forest management plan
• Assisting with restoration (collecting native seeds, planting native species)
• Improving trails to reduce erosion
• Helping maintain a community native plant garden

Education includes the presentation and/or development of educational materials.  Examples include:

• Assisting in teaching visitors about wildflowers at a nature center
• Writing a Field Note or educational article for publication in a magazine or newsletter
• Creating a brochure for a natural area
• Assisting with an environmental education program for a school group (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H, church group, etc.)

Organizational Support projects include working to ensure the functioning of any conservation/environmental organizations. Examples include:

• Preparing mailings
• Answering phones
• Computer work
• Organizing a digital library
• Serving as a board member
• Assisting with events, lectures, fundraising

Other projects should be described when you submit hours

Criteria for Continuing Education

Montana Master Naturalist continuing education needs to:

• focus on an aspect of Montana’s natural, environmental, or cultural history
• be a formal training or class

Most activities will:

• occur in Montana
• have an outdoor component

Examples include:

• Project WET, WILD, or Learning Tree training
• Plant or animal identification course or presentation
• Water quality monitoring training
• Montana geology or climate course or presentation
• Volunteer orientation for a nature center
• Forest management course or presentation
• Environmental sustainability lecture
• Naturalist Field Days through MNHC, MT Audubon, or other organizations
• Because we have some great documentary film festivals in the state, we will allow up to two continuing education hours from watching a natural history-focused documentary film at a film festival, ideally focused on Montana (or at least the West), and even better if there’s a discussion forum afterwards!

Where to find continuing education opportunities in the Billings’ area:

• Montana Audubon Center
• Montana State Parks
• Montana Native Plant Society
• MSU-B and Rocky Mountain College — classes and lectures in Biology, Environmental Studies, Wildlife Biology, etc.
• Pompey’s Pillar National Monument
• Western Heritage Center
• Wild Montana (formerly know as Montana Wilderness Association)
• Yellowstone Art Museum
• Yellowstone Forever Institute