A Master Class in the Outdoors
Dawna Blackstone might be forgiven for feeling a little – well, intimidated – after driving nearly two hours to Orono for the first meeting of the 2024 Maine Master Naturalist Program. There, she found herself surrounded by the people who would be her classmates: current and retired professors, lifelong birders, and accomplished outdoor artists.
“I never feel that I know as much as others, even if I do,” Blackstone said, recalling that flicker of doubt amid all her excitement. Did she, an educator from the small town of Shirley (population 251), really belong here?
Of course she did.
Since its first class in 2012, the Maine Master Naturalist Program has offered training to nearly 300 individuals. While most are empty-nesters or retired, students hail from all corners of the state and a diversity of professional backgrounds. After completing the intensive 10-month program, MMNP graduates join what the program website describes as a “nexus of naturalists,” well prepared to share information about Maine’s natural history with others.
