Are you curious about the natural world around you and interested in becoming a certified naturalist? Are you already a student of Tin Mountain’s Naturalist Certification Program and interested in the upcoming programs and courses Tin Mountain has to offer? Join us for a pot luck dinner as currently enrolled naturalists, and folks interested in signing up, sit down together for a relaxing evening of natural mysteries. Along with a food dish, Tin Mountain asks each participant to bring along an artifact found in the natural world whose identity might stump the group. Together we will see if we can solve each other’s nature mysteries.

Program Description:

The Tin Mountain Conservation Center Naturalist Certification Program encourages community members to increase their
understanding of the natural world while developing new skills to share as Certified Naturalists. Participants attend various Adult Nature Courses, Nature programs, and special workshops to fulfill their certification.

In the future, Certificate candidates may also be able to pursue a more specialized Niche Naturalist certificate that develops expertise in a focused area of natural science/natural history.

The Naturalist Certification reflects a well-rounded understanding of local landscape and processes and the ability to share the
knowledge with other members of the community.  It is ideal for residents of the Mt. Washington Valley given the area’s emphasis on recreational activities and opportunities to disseminate its natural history with visitors.

Certification Requirements:

The Naturalist Certification Program allows participants to fulfill requirements through a number of different course combinations and indulge their areas of interest. While there are no core class requirements, the following must be fulfilled before participants are awarded their Tin Mountain Conservation Center Naturalist Certification:

•        Complete a total of 50 contact hours; hours are synonymous with real time and can come
from a combination of Tin Mountain Nature Courses, Nature Programs, and Workshops.
A maximum of 10 lecture-based and 15 field-based Nature Program hours will be
allowed towards the completion of the 50 hours.

•        Attend at least one Nature Course focusing on each of the following areas:

Plant (eg. Orchids), Animal (eg.Birding by Ear), System/ Ecosystem (eg. Old Growth Forests)

•        Participate in a minimum of 4 field-based programs, one in each season.

•        Complete a project exhibiting an understanding of natural history and the ability to share that knowledge with others. Examples of possible projects include completing an ecosystem inventory, leading a nature walk, and creating interpretive materials.

Final Outcome: At the completion of the program, Naturalists will be stewards of the environment and resources for the community.  Participants will be awarded Tin Mountain Conservation Center Certified Naturalists diplomas and official apparel. Naturalist Certification recognizes proficiency in basic ecological/natural history principles that can be put to good use.
By sharpening observational and discussion skills, Tin Mountain Certified Naturalists become more marketable in nature-based tourism, restoration, research, and interpretive positions such as raft/trail guides, park staff, research field assistants, and more. Participants increase their ecological literacy about northern New England, share experiences with kindred spirits, and develop a network of natural science professionals.

For more information on the Naturalist Certification Program, please call or email Sarah Frankel at (603) 447-6991 or sfrankel@tinmountain.org