Natural Resource Volunteers and Citizen Science: Bringing Together a Community of Practice

This panel discussion will lay the groundwork to bridge two communities of practice: the citizen science practitioner community and the Master Naturalist program community. Master Naturalist programs are state and local... [ view full abstract ]

This panel discussion will lay the groundwork to bridge two communities of practice: the citizen science practitioner community and the Master Naturalist program community. Master Naturalist programs are state and local programs aimed at engaging individuals in natural resource education and service. The programs, now in more than 30 states, are connected through a national network, the Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs (ANROSP). Citizen science and Master Naturalist programs have a great deal in common: both focus on engaging and training volunteers; both strive to engage underserved audiences; both focus on connecting people with science processes and the natural world; and the success of both depends, in large part, on continued engagement. Both communities have much to gain through partnering. Citizen science programs can gain access to a cadre of volunteers with training in natural resources, familiarity with local natural areas, volunteer management infrastructure, and incentives to volunteer. Master Naturalist programs can connect their volunteers to meaningful service opportunities.
In this session, we will (1) provide an overview of Master Naturalist programs and ANROSP; (2) highlight existing successful Master Naturalist – citizen science partnerships; (3) discuss ways that partnerships between Master Naturalists and citizen science programs can support lifelong learning; and (4) gather input on developing sustained collaboration between these two communities. We have selected panelists who represent a range of Master Naturalist program models and geographic locations, and we also have included the volunteer perspective. Following a brief overview of Master Naturalist program models, we will use guiding questions to gather each panelist’s perspectives on the topic. We anticipate that this will be an interactive session during which we will seek specific input from attendees on ways they could partner with Master Naturalist programs and work together to develop plans to move new collaborations forward.