OutdoorNebraska

6 T he Nebraska Master Naturalist Program (NMNP) is excited to announce the development of its youth program. The NMNP, since its inception has been focused towards adults ages 19 and older. Thanks to many partnering organizations, such as the Papio-Missouri River NRD, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the Hubbard Foundation, the Nebraska Master Naturalist Foundation, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the NMNP is evolving and will be prioritizing the next generation of explorers, leaders, and educators. In the summer of 2021, the NMNP was also awarded a two-year grant from The Nebraska Environmental Trust, to aid in the development and piloting of a much-needed youth naturalist program. The goal of the Master Naturalist Junior Program is to take the strong foundation built over the past decade and expand it to a youth audience. Many current environmental issues can partially be attributed to declining environmental awareness in the general public. To combat this trend and foster more environmentally conscious citizens, the goal of this program is to instill the importance of conservation from an early age in a diversity of audiences. One of the structural advantages of the program is that it allows opportunities typically not afforded to rural and underserved communities in our state. The training content will be adaptable and simple to utilize for users anywhere in the state. Each training opportunity provides educators with activities, learning objectives, and lesson plans that meet state of Nebraska education standards. To encourage participation, youth will have the opportunity to earn badges as they complete lessons in five categories: Zoology, Botany, Earth Science, Water, and Skills. Categories will have a variety of sub-topics to engage students in hands-on activities as they work toward each badge. For example, while learning about Zoology, students will focus on at-risk and threatened species and develop a plan for how they can help protect native plants and animals in their own neighborhood. During Water lessons, students will have the opportunity to explore local waterways and learn about the effect of society's pollution and waste on water quality. All content will be specific to topics of environmental concern in Nebraska. This provides youth with shared interests an opportunity to interact and grow their knowledge of their local environment, together gaining personal satisfaction and a tangible investment in our community through service opportunities. The foundation of the curriculum was sourced from Master Naturalist and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate Carly Horstman, who wrote the initial program lesson plans as a part of her graduate work. In the spring of 2021, Dayna Berry was hired to be the Coordinator of the Junior Program. Dayna's background in naturalist programing, design and environmental education has made her a great fit. In 2021, significant headway has already been made in developing the full curriculum. Much more will be in store in the spring of 2022 when the Junior Program is launched in schools around the state. To learn more about the Junior Nebraska Master Naturalist Program visit: https://www.nemasternaturalist.org/jr-nebraska- master-naturalist/jrnmnp.html 4 Or contact: • Matt Jones Program Coordinator for the Nebraska Master Naturalist Program Mjones30@unl.edu • Dayna Berry Program Coordinator for the Jr. Nebraska Master Naturalist Program Dberry4@unl.edu Engaging Nebraska's Youth as Naturalists By Matt Jones, State Program Director, Nebraska Master Naturalist Program Student Matthew Greiner at the Aquatic Ecology session. KAREN KLEIN,THE NATURE CONSERVANCY NIOBRARA VALLEY PRESERVE

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