By Jonathan Moreland, Master Naturalist Class of '24
Each spring, as our southern Maryland flora and fauna emerge from their winter rest, the ACLT begins its Maryland Master Naturalist training program. As staff and volunteers are busy preparing to welcome the next group of budding naturalists, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage interested readers to sign up and experience the arrival of spring like never before.
Weekly classes led by experts in our local ecosystems will provide the foundation for your training. You will learn basic ecology, dendrology, ornithology, herpetology, entomology and many more “ologies”, all in a local context. Each class will include relevant resources, engaging lectures, and hands-on experiences. You will have the opportunity to apply this new knowledge on ACLT field trips. The first of these trips is a nighttime “herp hunt,” where you will visit a vernal pool. Before the Master Naturalist program, I would have called it a puddle in the forest. Now I know from firsthand experience that in late winter or early spring that puddle is absolutely teeming with amphibian life in all its stages. More importantly, I have some understanding of the crucial role it plays in our local ecosystem.
In addition to the herp hunt, there is a bug day, a bird walk, a tree hike, and, of course, a canoe trip on our beloved Parkers Creek. As a result of these field trips, your senses will become more finely attuned to the richness and complexity of our southern Maryland forests and streams.
As part of your training, you will complete a service project with a group of your classmates. ACLT will provide you with several options to choose from. I chose what turned out to be the most physically and mentally taxing option: removing, repairing, and relocating wood duck and prothonotary warbler nest boxes from one part of the creek to another. While removing the boxes, some of our waders sprung leaks and filled with creek water and muck. I was stung by a wasp. Carrying each box along two miles of trail pushed our cardiovascular systems to their limits. We also learned that when you dig a hole in a swamp, it tends to fill right back up with muck before you can put anything in it. Nonetheless, with a great deal of teamwork and a little trial and error, we were able to successfully accomplish our task. Even if a wood duck or prothonotary warbler never moves into the new homes we created for them, the bond we formed through this shared experience made the effort worthwhile.
The Master Naturalist program does include an open-note written exam and a couple closed-notes identification tests, but studying for them won’t feel like work. In May, while sitting in my backyard listening to bird sounds in preparation for the upcoming bird identification test, I heard a persistent call that did not match any of the sounds I had been studying. A little bit of investigation revealed that I was listening to a male scarlet tanager who had just arrived from South America in search of breeding territory and a mate. He soon departed to try his luck elsewhere, but I am glad I was studying when he stopped by.
After completing the training in June, you will have the opportunity to sample from the bounty of volunteer opportunities the ACLT makes available to its Master Naturalists. In the past six months, I have monitored water quality in local streams, surveyed and removed invasive species—including the notorious wavyleaf basketgrass—and guided canoe trips on Parkers Creek. As a recent fledgling, I am still finding my niche in the local Master Naturalist ecosystem, but very much looking forward to the advanced training and volunteer opportunities the new year will bring.
Registration Now Open for the Class of 2025
Learn more about ACLT’s Master Naturalist Program here. Contact ACLT Land Manager Autumn Phillips-Lewis if you have any questions.
Hurry – Registration closes February 1st or when the class is full.
