2027 MS Master Naturalist registration is now open
September 4th-October 16th
Register now before spots fill up!
About the Program
In 2008, the Mississippi Master Naturalist Program started on the coast and expanded to create the Coastal and Central Mississippi Chapters. This Coastal Chapter consists of 130 Master Naturalist participants that have volunteered thousands of hours to service and environmental education projects within their local communities. Naturalists are helping to monitor our beaches, forests, and wetlands through conducting bird, amphibian, and terrapin surveys, water quality monitoring, and other citizen science activities.
Program Objectives
Improve public understanding of Mississippi’s natural resources and management by developing a pool of local knowledge that can enhance education efforts within local communities.
To develop a trained volunteer network.
To expand the educational capabilities of Extension by the dissemination of natural resource management information to individuals and groups in Mississippi’s communities.
Who is a Master Naturalist?
An adult interested in nature.
An adult who wants to learn more about Mississippi’s fish,
wildlife, & ecosystems.
A person who has passion to give back to their community.
Become a Master Naturalist
The Coastal Chapter course is held in the fall
(September – October)
The Master Naturalist Program provides natural resource training to individuals in exchange for outreach and service educational efforts in natural resources and environmental awareness programs in your community.
- Register for a Basic Course nearest to you
- Complete 40 hour Basic Course (Field and classroom instruction)
- Complete 8 advanced training hours annually
- Complete 40 hours of volunteer service annually
Get Involved!
About the MS Gulf Coast Otter Spotter
This project seeks to enhance understanding of the North American river otter population in coastal Mississippi’s bays and tributaries. By engaging the public in monitoring, we will assess otters as indicators of ecosystem health.
As apex predators, they are vital for biodiversity and need clean water and natural habitats. The project will evaluate otter distribution, habitat preferences, and the health of these ecosystems, while promoting community involvement in environmental education.
How to Participate
- Use the free INaturalist App to enter your observations. (available on iOS & Android)
- Enter observations on the Inaturalist “Mississippi Gulf Coast Otter Spotter” project. (You can either search for the project in the app or click the button below.)
Point of Contact
Mandy Rigsby, Environmental Stewardship Specialist and Coastal Chapter Coordinator
About the Bat House Monitoring Project
The goal of this community science project is to identify species use and occupancy rates of bats in bat houses across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Bats are the primary predators of night flying insects providing invaluable ecosystem services such as natural pest control. Bat houses provide an alternative roosting option with natural roosts are destroyed or limited.
The current region for this project includes Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson County.
How to Participate
If you have a bat house on your property, please complete this survey to be added to the Bat House Monitoring project.
Point of Contact
Mandy Rigsby, Environmental Stewardship Specialist and Coastal Chapter Coordinator
Other Resources
contact us
Follow Mississippi Master Naturalist on Facebook:
Mandy Rigsby
Environmental Stewardship Specialist and Coastal Chapter Coordinator
Partners:
