Minnesota Master Naturalist

Course Registration

BWBR - Online Summer 2026 PM Section

BWBR - Online Summer 2026 PM Section website

VIRTUAL
, , MN 00000

Join us for an *online* Big Woods, Big Rivers Minnesota Master Naturalist Course. We offer both a Morning and Evening section which you will be able to choose when you pay.

Evening section meets Wednesdays from 6:30 - 8:00 pm

The Big Woods, Big Rivers Course will explore the natural and cultural history of Minnesota’s temperate deciduous forests – the area that runs from the northwest corner to the southeastern region of the state. The class will cover the same topics (geology, water, plant communities, wildlife, human impacts, interpretation) as an in-person class, but will take place mostly online, using Zoom for class meetings and the learning platform Canvas. One in-person field trip is also REQUIRED.

Books and supplies will be sent directly to the address you provide at registration. Please email Julie Larson, larso143@umn.edu, if you would like the materials sent to a different address. The class will meet online every week from May 27 through August 5, 2026. The May 27 session is an informal Tech Check to review technological expectations and skills for the course. Course content begins on June 3. In addition to class meetings, we expect participants will spend an additional 3 hours working independently between online sessions to complete assignments such as reading the text, viewing lecture videos, researching on the internet, visiting a nature location near home, and completing journal entries.

To successfully complete the course, participants will be expected to attend all class Zoom sessions, an in-person field trip and complete a small group capstone project.

There will be one REQUIRED in-person field trip in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. The field trip will be offered twice, on July 10 and 11 from 10 am - 5 pm but you will only need to attend one day.

In order to fully participate in this online class, you will need to have access to technology that allows you to access Zoom, Canvas and other internet locations as directed in class. You may use a tablet, desktop computer, laptop, or a cell phone. The experience will be best on the largest screen possible to navigate between multiple windows open at the same time, so a desktop or laptop is best. You should have a working webcam and microphone on this device. Good internet connection is important. Technical skills required for this course include: ability to access Zoom (including breakout rooms), Canvas, Padlet, Google Slides, ability to mute and unmute yourself, and ability to open and view multiple windows simultaneously.

During the Tech Check on May 27 we will make sure that you are ready to learn at the first class meeting. We will ask you to check in at the normal class time to make sure you can connect properly. This can take as little or as long as you need to be prepared. After that when class is in session, instructors will have limited ability to provide one-on-one technical assistance.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Participants may miss up to one class meeting (1.5 hours). If any class time beyond that, including any portion of the field trip, is missed, the work will need to be made up in order to "graduate" from this class. Communicate your plans to the instructor after the course begins.

If you are having trouble registering, please use the information below. We also have help videos you can watch.

For Registration questions contact Extension Registration, ext-reg@umn.edu
For Username or Password help contact UMN Help Desk, HELP@umn.edu, 612-301-4357.

Help Videos:
 Help with Online Payment Registration.
NOTE: The canvas link they are referring to is only for online classes, not "in person" classes.
Help with Online Payment Password Reset

The course cost is $295 and includes course manuals and supplies.

If the course cost is a hardship, please fill out the scholarship application. After the scholarship is fully processed, you will receive a code to be entered in the on-line registration process. Please wait until you receive that code to complete registration.

Course Dates:

Meeting from 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on:

Instructor Information

Amy Rager

Amy holds a BA in Elementary Education from the College of St. Scholastica and a MEd in Environmental Leadership and Learning from the University of MN. With over 30 years of experience in cooperative extension, Amy's career has been dedicated to intertwining her work with a passion for the environment. Since its inception in 2005, she has been an integral part of the Minnesota Master Naturalist program. Hailing from the Duluth area, Amy is a true native Minnesotan who has always cherished the outdoors, finding joy in sharing her love and knowledge with others.

Andrea Lorek Strauss

I am an Extension Professor with the University of Minnesota Extension with a MSEd in Curriculum and Instruction/Outdoor Education. Since 1992 my career has focused on environmental education in various forms, including past work for the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN, the Prairie Ecology Bus Center in southwest Minnesota, and various naturalist roles in the Boston area, northern Minnesota, and New York state. Ask me about participatory science, outdoor interpretation, universal program design, spring ephemeral wildflowers, or anything wildlife related! And by all means, let's talk about iNaturalist! Outside of work I enjoy anything crafty -- lately I am enjoying quilting, crochet and mosaic arts -- and riding my eBike.

Sponsor Information

Minnesota Master Naturalist

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