The Fall 2025 cohort is full. If you would like to be on the waitlist for a cancellation, or to be notified of future offerings of the Master Naturalist program, please email Lauren Strickland: lauren(at)ogeecheeriverkeeper(dot)org.
Join Ogeechee Riverkeeper and the UGA Chatham County Extension Office for a ten-week program to become a Certified Georgia Master Naturalist.
Each Wednesday, starting on September 3, 2025, participants will engage in field trips and hands-on activities with topic experts.
Registration fee includes all entry costs to locations, all instruction, and a notebook for the program. The fee also includes one ticket to ORK’s annual oyster roast, which will also serve at the graduation celebration, with certificate, for all participants who successfully complete the course.
The fee is $425 per person, or $395 for ORK members. The minimum age is 14; the class is limited to 20 participants.
Not an ORK member yet? Join now for discounts, members-only events, and more.
Course Schedule
Though severe weather or other extreme events may require rescheduling or altering locations, every effort will be made to keep to original plans or reschedule as closely as possible.
Planned locations include Oatland Island Wildlife Center, Savannah-Ogeechee Canal, Canoochee Sand Hills WMA, SkIO UGA Marine Science Research Center, and more. Planned topics include dendrology, macroinvertebrates, medicinal herbs, aquaculture, and more. There will also be an optional week that will train participants to become certified Adopt-A-Stream scientists. Field trips will take place at locations no more than about an hour away from Savannah.
Classes will be held on Wednesdays, usually 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Participants should bring a packed lunch unless otherwise noted. Participants are also reminded to wear outdoor clothing appropriate to weather and conditions, bring plenty of water, and wear sunscreen and bug repellant.
Georgia Master Naturalist Class List
Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., unless otherwise listed
September 3, 2025
Week One: Greetings and introductions at Chatham County Extension Office.
September 10, 2025
Week Two: Dendrology and Forestry at Canoochee Sandhills WMA. Guest speakers: Casey Corbett, Ogeechee Technical College; Mel Sparrow, Georgia Tree Council; Sam Smith, Georgia Forestry Commission.
September 17, 2025
Week Three: Field Ornithology and Melittology at Oatland Island.
September 24, 2025
Week Four: Fish at DNR Fishery in Richmond Hill.
October 1, 2025
Week Five: Freshwater Ecology and macroinvertebrates at George L Smith State Park.
October 8, 2025 – Bi Week. Optional Adopt-A-Stream Training Day
Week Six: Adopt-A-Stream Water Quality Monitoring Workshop at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro Campus.
October 15, 2025
Week Seven: Medicinal herb walk at Savannah-Ogeechee Canal with expert Peter Brodhead.
October 22, 2025
Week Eight: MAREX UGA Extension and SkIO UGA Marine Science Research Center.
October 29, 2025
Week Nine: Wastewater treatment at City of Statesboro.
November 5, 2025
Week Ten: Tybee Island Marine Science Center and beach dune walk with Dr. Joe Richardson.
November 12, 2025
Week Eleven: Graduation Day at Ogeechee Riverkeeper’s annual oyster roast.
A complete schedule and syllabus will be provided to participants.
In partnership with:
