The Washington State Naturalist program aims to educate individuals seeking to volunteer with organizations doing environmental education, stewardship, and research. This is a WSU legacy-program that is a collaboration between WSU Extension and the WSU School of the Environment. The program works to increase public awareness and knowledge about the environment, conservation, scientific inquiry, and ecosystem function to promote stewardship. The program graduates will gain skills and knowledge to make informed decisions on environmental issues and be able to serve their communities as environmental educators, stewards, and community scientists. Please note, this is still a burgeoning program, so we are only able to accept applicants who can commit to volunteering with our partner organizations in select areas. We’re working to secure more partnerships statewide so that we can then offer this program to anyone in Washington.
What does the course look like?
As a Washington State Naturalist apprentice, you are starting an extensive research-based training program designed to give you a background in ecology and ecosystem management. As a certified Washington State Naturalist, you will have the credentials to offer your services as a volunteer to park districts, land-trusts, local jurisdictions, and environmental not-for-profit organizations. The Washington State Naturalist training consists of a series of online modules and supplemental field learning experiences. The field learning experiences include both WSU Extension-sponsored field tours and experiences independently sought out by program participants.
We require a tuition fee to participate. Program applicants are admitted on a first come and first approved basis. You will have three days to pay your course fee and register. Currently, we have a wait list from 2025, and those applicants will have priority. If you are not accepted this year, you will be added to the wait list.
Program overview
| Program Components | Component details |
|---|---|
| Cost | $325 for online learning due once accepted to program + $100 for field experience and continuing education fee due January 2027 |
| Canvas online learning requirement | Must complete 6 Canvas modules, which includes the core 4 modules and the 2 other modules of your choice |
| Field learning requirement | Must complete 20 hours of field learning |
| Volunteer requirement | Must complete 20 hours of volunteering with the partner organizations below. Volunteering can include environmental education, stewardship and/or participatory science |
| Partner organizations involved | Great Peninsula Conservancy, Dishman Hills Conservancy, Spokane County Water Resources, Wenatchee River Institute, Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, Spokane Conservation District |
| Number of participants selected | 30 – 40 total, 5 – 15 per organization |
Program requirements
Core Modules
There are four core modules and four advanced modules. You have a choice in which advanced modules you complete. Each module may consist of WSU faculty presentations, readings from the WSU Naturalist Manual, curated videos, exercises, and other resources.
Core modules include:
- Ecosystems of Washington | Module Author: Dr. Mark E. Swanson
- Introduction to Ecology | Module Author: Dr. Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens
- Scientific Inquiry and Methods | Module Author: Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott
- Watershed Management | Module Author: Sue Blake (retired)
Advanced modules include:
- Stream Ecology | Module Author: Dr. Katherine Strickler
- Limnology (Lake Systems) | Module Authors: Dr. Barry Moore (retired) and Dr. Sarah Roley
- Oceanography | Module Author: Dr. Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens
- Forestry (in development) | Module Authors: Oregon State University Extension staff and faculty: Glenn Ahrens, Daniel Leavell, John Punches, Jacob Putney, John Rizza, and Thomas Stokely
- Adapted for Washington State forests by Dr. Patricia Townsend. Edited by Jacob O’Brien.
Attend Zoom Meetings every other week
Discuss the material, share resources, and meet others in the course from across Washington State.
Field Learning
Complete 20 hours of professional and self-guided learning out in the field. Learn more at our Field Learning page.
Volunteer Commitment
Connect with a partner organization in your area to fulfill your volunteering requirement. We require WANAT participants to complete volunteer hours in a variety of activities, namely environmental education, stewardship, and participatory science. Some administrative volunteer hours are allowed, but the majority of volunteering should involve a naturalist focus. Learn more about the partner organizations at our Partners page.
Where are we located?
The Washington State Naturalist Program currently operates in four counties through our partner organizations and online through WSU Global Campus. When reviewing applications, priority is given to applicants that reside in the same counties and/or within a commutable distance to our partner organizations.
The counties include:
- Wenatchee River Institute in Chelan County
- Great Peninsula Conservancy in Kitsap County
- Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group in Mason County
- Dishman Hills Conservancy, Spokane Conservation District, and Spokane County Water Resources in Spokane County
WANAT participants may live outside of the county a partner organization is based in but still be in a commutable distance that makes completing 20 volunteer hours feasible. For example, several WANAT participants who live in Seattle (King County) volunteer at Great Peninsula Conservancy (Kitsap County), since it’s based in Bremerton and they can take the ferry and/or drive to volunteer locations within an hour.
More information on each of these communities and the organizations that we are working with is available on our Partners page. The Naturalist Program will expand to more locations in Washington State in the future.