What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?
— Henry David Thoreau
Earth Day approaches
Our planet needs us now more than ever. As the Earth Day summit approaches, our thoughts turn to issues threatening our environment. What can we as individuals do? Acting locally has never been easier. Organized groups in communities across the nation arrange regular activities to help clean and support the environment. How best to connect? Consider becoming a Master Naturalist. Almost every state in the nation has a chapter, often coordinated by a university.
The mission: To develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities.
The Master Naturalist certification program empowers volunteers to help our environment. Among the benefits you can enjoy:
Low-cost, accessible training to expand your knowledge and skill base
A community of like-minded people to exchange ideas with and to work beside
Leadership roles — lead projects and teach others
Become a Master Naturalist
Master Naturalists receive education in ecology, climate and weather, land stewardship, ecosystems, and more. Program requirements may vary from state to state, though generally, certification is achieved after completing the program and volunteering a set number of hours.
Trailblazers
If you decide to become a naturalist, you will find yourself in good company. Henry David Thoreau, Freeman Tilden, John James Audubon, and Rachel Carson, to name a few, were naturalists whose passions helped change how we care for our environment. Ever hear of John Chapman? Perhaps you know him by his nickname: Johnny Appleseed. Legends abound (as do cartoons) but Chapman was a real person and a skilled nurseryman.
Many naturalists practice environmental work as an avocation, in the sense that it is thing they are most interested in and feel the most passion for. Take Carl Jung's advice:
What did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? Herein lies the key to your earthly pursuits.
Running barefoot on the grass? Discovering newly hatched baby ducks swimming with their mother in a pond? Running headlong out into the first snow of the season? Finding the side of the road awash with the color of spring flowers? If nature has ever — even once — thrilled you, offered you hope, or stirred your heart, now is the time to honor that experience.
Monarchs need you
Did you know the most helpful thing you can do to support Monarch Butterfly migration is to provide clean water? Our environment has become so challenged in this area, that Monarchs must burn additional energy hunting for clean water during their migration. Their energy reserve which is meant to last through their migration is depleted as they go hunting. It is the lack of clean water, more than nectar, that is threatening their survival. The simple act of individuals keeping a source of fresh water in their yards can make all the difference to a variety of insects and to wildlife in general.
Bees need you
An unexpected cold front recently left the South in a deep freeze that threatened wildlife. A widely-circulated social media post urged support for local bee populations by setting out a shallow dish of makeshift nectar in your yard. Luckily, Master Naturalists plug in to an exhaustive community of experts. Entomologists advise against putting out a sugar and water solution for bees. Better to provide clean water, with a setup especially safe for bees.
Many bees drown trying to drink from bird baths, fountains and other containers of water. Water set in a shallow glass dish — like a pie plate — with brightly colored marbles is not only beautiful but can be a life-saver to local bee populations. The bees can perch on the marbles while safely drinking. By the way, yellow is a bee’s favorite color! Setting out a makeshift nectar solution may discourage bees from seeking plant nectar, so experts advise against it.
Friends and neighbors need you
Master Naturalist chapters vary by locality and are influenced by the volunteers that support them, which means opportunities exist to make a change. One community that focuses on effective water management hosts free spring seminars for homeowners on managing sprinkler systems. The man who spear-headed this event had a reputation around the neighborhood for keeping his sprinkler system in tact. As neighbors approached him for advice, a Master Naturalist suggested teaching the community. Attendees report significant savings on their utility bills, and this means less water is being wasted.
There is something uniquely satisfying about these kinds of grass-roots efforts. This represents Americans at their best — caring and helping for the greater good. That’s the true nature of life in America. It’s the nature of Americans.
Photo courtesy of Sandie Clarke on Unsplash.com.
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