Impact Summary
Overall, master naturalist/watershed steward class members donated 4,015 hours to area agencies and organizations in 2005, with a dollar contribution to the community, county, area agencies and organizations in excess of $70,714, using the federal volunteer compensation rate of $17.61/hour. By December 2006, the volunteers in the Master Naturalist/Watershed Steward program had doubled their volunteer hours to 8,000, with a dollar contribution (using the same compensation rate) of $140,880.
Issue
Many communities, agencies and organizations rely on citizen volunteers for implementing youth education programs, operating parks, nature centers and natural areas, and for providing leadership in local natural resource conservation efforts. The Master Naturalist/Watershed Steward program in Coconino County is directed at creating a corps of well-informed volunteers to deliver quality environmental education programs and to assist in the stewardship of Arizona's watersheds and natural environment.
What has been done?
Coconino County Cooperative Extension initiated a program called Arizona Master Naturalists in fall, 2003. In 2005 this program partnered with the University of Arizona Master Watershed Steward program and modified the name of the program to reflect this change. Volunteers undergo 12 weeks of training focusing on plants (invasive weeds and ethnobotany), wildlife habitat, water and drought issues, stream processes, geology, soils, climatology, forest health and fire ecology, geospatial mapping, interpretation and education, and the natural and cultural history of the region. At the end of the training, class participants give back a minimum of 40 hours in service to organizations and agencies of northern Arizona, including The Arboretum at Flagstaff, The Museum of Northern Arizona, Arizona Game and Fish, the National Park Service, Grand Canyon Trust, The Nature Conservancy and many other organizations.
Arizona Master Naturalists/Watershed Stewards continue to maintain the Web log site http://azmasternaturalist.arizona.edu, initiated by a Master Naturalist in 2004 and used as an information and communication tool to class members and the general public. In addition, a video library of classes has been established due to the efforts of another Master Naturalist.
Impact
Overall, master naturalist/watershed steward class members donated 4,015 hours to area agencies and organizations in 2005, with a dollar contribution to the community, county, area agencies and organizations in excess of $70,714, using the federal volunteer compensation rate of $17.61/hour. By December 2006, the volunteers in the Master Naturalist/Watershed Steward program had doubled their volunteer hours to 8,000, with a dollar contribution (using the same compensation rate) of $140,880. The program Web log site was accessed 3,900 times.
Funding
- Arizona Dept. of Environmental Quality's Water Quality Division
- Flagstaff Community Foundation Arizona
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
Contact
Wade Albrecht, Natural Resources Educator, Instructional SpecialistCoconino County Cooperative Extension
The University of Arizona
2304 N. 3rd Street
Flagstaff, AZ 86004-3605
(928) 774-1868 office
(928) 774-1860 fax
Email: walbrech@ag.arizona.edu