Posted by Mary Leslie on February 8, 2006

Q: Hello,

I am giving a presentation for my outdoor program at Sonoma State and its on being a naturalist. I was wondering what it meant to be a Naturalist and if you could give me any ideas on what to present for that. Thank you very much.

Mary

A: The term "naturalist" is a rather loose term so it will be interpreted differently by different people and disciplines. Here is my own interpretation and one that I think covers it reasonably well.

Naturalists work in a wide variety of places but most often in nature centers, zoos, parks, or museums. Naturalists help people learn about the natural world around them so their responsibilities usually revolve around education for both adults and children. When I envision a naturalist at work, I see him/her taking a group on a walk through the woods, helping them understand a bit about the plants and animals and their relationship with the environment that they encounter as they move along. These responsibilities may also include writing, public speaking, animal care, exhibit design, even trail maintenance. There are plenty of career opportunities and, as you can guess, those with the best schooling and work experiences are the ones that get the best jobs.

It's not necessary to have a masters degree but a college education is very important. It's important to have a good grounding in biology but also some of the 'ologies under your belt. In other words, courses in ornithology, herpetology, entomology, botany, and ecology are extremely important. You don't need them all but you'll want to be conversant in more than just one or two specialized areas of biology. There are no specific programs for becoming a naturalist, that Iím aware of, but majoring in natural resources, conservation, biology, or environmental education are ways of accomplishing this goal. Of course, it's important too that you have experience in nature observing the natural world firsthand. Being a naturalist is an extremely rewarding occupation although itís certainly not one of the better paying ones but youíll always have interesting things to learn and see. Hope this helps.

John Wiessinger ( February 9, 2006)