The Wrack
The Wrack is the Wells Reserve blog, our collective logbook on the web.
Environmental Educator Certified as Maine Master Naturalist
Posted by
| April 16, 2019
| Filed under: News
Just last week, Linda Littlefield Grenfell was certified as an esteemed Maine Master Naturalist. Congratulations, Linda! What a grand accomplishment, and it will be a wonderful complement to your Registered Maine Kayak Guide and Certified Interpretive Guide certifications.
Over the past year, Linda has been devoting lots and lots of time toward achieving her Maine Master Naturalist milestone. And over the next year, she will be completing 40 hours of volunteer teaching based on her newfound knowledge. That's in addition to all of the teaching she already does as an integral member of the Reserve's education staff!
Here's a look at how the Maine Master Naturalist program describes the time and effort trainees need to dedicate to learning about Maine’s ecological systems, plants, animals, insects, geology, conservation biology, and related topics:
How much time does the program involve?
A lot. Plan on devoting at least 300 hours and probably much more to the following components:
- 100 hours: Classes and field trips
- 200+ hours: Completing assignments at home and at delimited study site; keeping track of phenology; writing and drawing in a nature journal, practicing using keys, bird watching, attending relevant seminars or outings, shadowing leaders on nature walks, and spending time outdoors observing as much as you can
- 20 hours: Capstone project
If you would like to learn more about the Maine Master Naturalist Program, check out their website at mainemasternaturalist.org. Plans are in the works to host the 2021 training here at the Wells Reserve, so stay tuned for more on this as details unfold!
Would you like to have Linda share her rich natural history knowledge with you this spring and summer? She is scheduled to lead a bunch of walks and kayaking programs. Hopefully you can join her for one or two… or more!
Walks & Kayaking with Linda
- Tuesday, May 14: Early Spring Wildflowers
- Friday, May 31: Mindful Walk
- Friday, June 28: Wonderful Weeds
- Wednesday, July 3: Kayaking on the Little River Estuary
- Monday, July 8: Estuary Discoveries Walk
- Tuesday, July 16: Night Hike
- Thursday, July 18: Kayaking on the Little River Estuary
- Monday, August 5: Kayaking on the Little River Estuary
- Tuesday, August 6: Mindful Walk
- Monday, August 19: Kayaking on the Little River Estuary
- Tuesday, September 3: Kayaking on the Little River Estuary
- Tuesday, September 10: Estuary Discoveries Walk
- Friday, September 20: Ferns
- Monday, September 30: Kayaking on the Little River Estuary
The Meaning of Life
It has been nearly two months since Linda Littlefield Grenfell, the Reserve's Environmental Educator, presented her Lunch 'n Learn entitled, "What Do I Want to Do Next?" It followed our tremendously successful Volunteer Fair, where community members gathered to learn more about the varied year-round volunteer opportunities available at the Reserve.
Linda's presentation was centered around retirement, aimed at providing useful tips for retirees. Two months later, I am still reflecting upon the content of her talk.
Four new Registered Maine Guides in Sea Kayaking
A big congratulations to Stephanie, Suzanne, Sue, and Nancy for passing the Registered Maine Guide Sea Kayak exam. Maine is one of the few states that requires outdoor guides to be licensed to maintain a quality of outdoor recreation for visitors, as well as to protect our natural resources when visiting wild spaces. It is one of the most difficult guide exams to pass. Usually, half of the people taking the test fail on their first try. Not these ladies! They will continue to hone their guide skills this summer during our kayaking programs.