Catawba SC Master Naturalist Program
Register Here
The Catawba Master Naturalist Class, hosted by the Anne Springs Close Greenway ℠, is a 12-week course held on Wednesdays from 9:00am to 3:00pm, late February through mid-May.
The goal of the course is for participants to develop a reasonable understanding of environmental and ecological concepts, which they can then apply toward developing community relationships through volunteering and environmental stewardship. Taught by local experts in ecology, natural history, botany, forestry, wildlife biology and other related disciplines, participants will learn identification skills and ecological concepts, and will explore local, national and cultural historical points of interest.
While much of the instruction will take place on the 2,100 acres of preserved land at the Anne Springs Close Greenway℠, the course includes field trips to locations around the South Carolina Piedmont area, including Forty Acre Rock, Landsford Canal State Park, the Museum of York County, Congaree National Park and more (subject to change).
Participants will be responsible for their snacks/meals and transportation to and from study sites. The course fee covers all entrance fees, a complimentary full-year membership to the Greenway℠, and all course materials, including course manual, hand lens with lanyard, field notebook and several field guides. The only prerequisite for this course is curiosity and a desire to learn about the natural world - no prior knowledge is required. Registration opens 9:00am on December 11, 2024, for the 2025 Spring class.
Please Note:
The Catawba Master Naturalist Program is a classroom and field-based program. Access to some sites visited by the class requires hiking on trails of moderate difficulty. The first weeks of this program will be spent in the classroom before taking information into the field at various locations.
Participants must be in good physical condition and able to:
- Hike 1-2 miles, without difficulty or assistance
- Hike over terrain with steep sections, where footing will be uneven, with frequent tree roots, rocks, muddy areas and fallen tree trunks to climb or step over
- Sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots are required
- In addition, some sites do not have restroom facilities requiring use of the woods
2025 Information
When:
Wednesdays
February 26 - May 14
9:00am-3:00pm
Where:
Anne Springs Close Greenway℠
(Specific location varies)
Cost:
$600 per participant
Includes Master Naturalist toolkit (hand lens with lanyard, Master Naturalist manual, write-in-the-rain notebook and several field guides)
Contact us with any questions related to the program.