MANSFIELD — Interviews for candidates to be apart of the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program will take place in August. Applications are due by July 1.
The program, an extension program of The Ohio State University, will hold training for North Central Ohio volunteers in August.
Ginger Long, a volunteer with the program, said she loves being a naturalist because of the knowledge she has learned in the program.
“The training I received was wonderful. The instructors were are nice and smart,” she said.
Classes for the program will run weekly from Aug. 16 through Oct. 25, on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. There will also be two all-day Saturday classes. Participants will meet and learn together at various locations, including Gorman Nature Center, Ohio Bird Sanctuary, Malabar Farm and Pleasant Hill. Classes will feature a variety of expert speakers, and will include opportunities for discussion and for hands-on activities in the field.
OCOVN program promotes awareness and citizen stewardship of Ohio’s natural resources through science-based education and community service. An OCVN is an individual with a passion for the natural world who wishes to attend training and use their knowledge by giving back to the community through volunteer service.
Subjects of the classes will consist of plants, birds, reptiles, insects, mammals, aquatic life, stewardship, geology and ecological concepts.
Participants are required to fulfill 40 volunteer hours the first year, and 20 hours per year thereafter, with 8 hours of advanced training annually.
The cost for the course and materials is $165, with full payment due upon acceptance to the program.
“This program is not just sitting and watching a flight movie,” Long said. “It’s going out and doing. It’s what people who do this are into.
“It’s nice to get knowledge and share it with other nature weirdos. ‘Oh, I’m not the only one who likes this.’”
