The Frozen Head Chapter of the Tennessee Naturalist Program recently concluded its Inaugural Tennessee Naturalist Certification Course. Thirteen students successfully completed 40 hours of classroom instruction and fieldwork. However, their journey doesn’t end there. To achieve full certification, these students must now contribute 40 hours of volunteer service with an approved organization.
“Although the certification course is over, a Naturalist’s education is never really complete as this is life-long learning,” Chapter Coordinator George Hawver said. “Tennessee has such a diverse ecology, there is always something new to discover, appreciate and share.”
This year’s cadre of instructors shared a wealth of information in various disciplines. Retired State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath and Hawver began the first class, “Becoming a Naturalist” and discussed the program and the skills necessary to become a naturalist. Retired schoolteacher and herpetologist John Byrd taught the class on Reptiles and Amphibians assisted by Jerry Klein.
In the second week of the program, the Geology and Ecology class was taught by geologist and professor Jeff Warren of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The invertebrate class was taught by Kris Light, the Outreach Instructor for the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. Seven Islands State Birding Park Ranger Clare Datillo came to the park to teach the Birding class, followed by Living Waters taught by Larry Everett of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The third week began with a Wildflower and Plant class taught by Margie Hunter, one of the co-founders of the Tennessee Naturalist Program and an expert on Frozen Head’s wildflowers as she did a comprehensive survey of the parks flora in 2019. Jackie Broeker of the Tennessee Department of Forestry taught the Forests and Trees class. The final day of class began with the mammals class taught by former ranger Kristen Garrison. The final class, Nocturnal Naturalist was taught by retired Park Ranger Rick Ryan and was followed with a nighttime visit to Obed Wild and Scenic River to observe nocturnal wildlife and to observe the stars and Pink moonrise.
The students must now complete 40 hours of volunteer time to become fully certified. The volunteer hours must be for a qualified organization, typically parks or other nature oriented non-profit organizations. Once certified, the Tennessee Naturalists can earn milestone pins, signifying their commitment to ongoing education and environmental stewardship.
Park Manager Jacob Ingram added, “I am excited to offer a program that brings visitors to Frozen Head to learn more about the natural world around them. The Tennessee Naturalist program not only educates students in our natural resources but also creates wonderful stewards and volunteers for the future. Frozen Head State park and Natural Area is honored to host such a promising program for years to come.”
As the inaugural class concludes, plans are already in motion for the next session, scheduled for Spring 2025. Interested individuals can email George Hawver at hawverg@hotmail.com to join the mailing list and receive updates when registration opens. More information on the Tennessee Naturalist Program can be found at https://tnnaturalist.org.
