On April 5, the NU Board of Regents announced that it will receive a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust for the Nebraska Master Naturalist Program's statewide expansion and specialized training in habitat management.
The Trust Board announced funding for the project at its meeting on April 3 in Lincoln. This is the first year of award with a potential for second- and third-year funding totaling $89,656 and $91,947 respectively. The project is one of the 132 projects receiving $21,750,000 in grant awards from the Nebraska Environmental Trust this year. Of these, 56 were new applications and 76 are carry-over projects.
Conservation agencies and organizations manage tens of thousands of acres of land in Nebraska and are tasked with preserving and restoring native habitats, waters and critical areas while balancing the interests of many stakeholders. They are understaffed and have a significant need for specialized, dedicated volunteers to help them meet the demands of managing publicly and privately owned natural resources.
The Nebraska Master Naturalist Program has recruited, trained and managed 224 certified volunteers in Nebraska, who have educated 300,000 individuals, and saved more than $300,000 in professional staff salaries through its 25 partner organizations.
However, most of the benefits have been realized in eastern Nebraska, and specialized training is necessary to meet the needs of its conservation partners. The program's next phase will significantly expand the existing Nebraska Master Naturalist Program by engaging and empowering people statewide to conserve native habitat, critical areas and waters, with a particular emphasis on the North Central region.
Over the next three years, they will 1) certify 200 new volunteers throughout Nebraska, 2) provide specialized training to 300 certified volunteers, expand service opportunities, and retain 85 percent of all volunteers, and 3) impact 30,000 acres, save $300,000 and educate 300,000 people through volunteer conservation actions throughout Nebraska.
They will continue certifying Master Naturalist volunteers through primary training sessions, and develop a new online delivery format that supplements components of the primary curriculum. Additionally, they will conduct specialized skills training sessions in habitat management, conservation outreach, citizen science and outdoor skills. They will evaluate the impacts of the Nebraska Master Naturalist Program, including extended benefits to the general public. Through on-the-ground volunteer service, Master Naturalists will provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary savings through habitat management in Nebraska.
The Nebraska Legislature created the Nebraska Environmental Trust in 1992. Using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery, the Trust has provided more than $213 million in grants to over 1,600 projects across the state. Anyone – citizens, organizations, communities, farmers and businesses – can apply for funding to protect habitat, improve water quality and establish recycling programs in Nebraska. The Nebraska Environmental Trust works to preserve, protect and restore our natural resources for future generations.
— Matt Jones, Nebraska Master Naturalist
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/xpnr