Service
Wyoming Naturalist Program Awards Two Naturalists for Outstanding Service
The Wyoming Naturalist Program awards Kathy Lichtendahl and Jennie Lawrence for service in Wyoming and the program.
Wyoming Naturalists put their skills and time to work, making a difference for plants, animals and habitats in Wyoming. To achieve and maintain certification, Wyoming Naturalists are required to contribute 40 hours of service each year, but many Naturalists do more.
To qualify, the service must be
- Unpaid
- Organized by an agency or non-profit NGO
- Have a direct or indirect impact on Wyoming wildlife or wildlands.
Service must fall into one of the four categories below:
- Stewardship
Examples of stewardship include habitat improvement such as fence or weed removal, invasive species inspections, trash removal, and trail maintenance.
- Education and Outreach
Examples of education and outreach include leading interpretative hikes, teaching workshops, and creating educational materials or interpretive displays.
- Community Science
Community scientists help to collect or analyze data on a variety of survey and research projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, amphibian surveys, and Monarch caterpillar monitoring. Since these projects are more open-structured then others, they are subject to a limitation on number of hours counted for service.
- Program support
These types of projects are ones that directly support the Wyoming Naturalist Program, such as serving as one of the instructors for a topic or helping with behind-the-scenes program management.
To find a volunteer opportunity, visit the volunteer opportunities page. There are many more organizations with volunteer opportunities available that are not included on the list. Contact a member of the WNP steering committee to confirm that the opportunity qualifies for WNP hours. If you know of opportunities that should be included, contact a steering committee member.
If you belong to an organization that could use the service of Wyoming Naturalists, please Partner with Us.
Recognition of Service
We appreciate the dedication of Wyoming Naturalists to steward the state's natural resources through conservation education and service. Certification and service milestones are recognized each year at the Annual Meeting.
In addition to pins, the Wyoming Naturalists Program recognizes exceptional service with two awards:
Wyoming Stewardship Award
for exemplary service to Wyoming conservation
This award recognizes a Wyoming Naturalist whose volunteer service has had a real impact on conservation in Wyoming, above and beyond the requirements of the Wyoming Naturalist Program.
The awardee will have provided service that has accomplished one or more of the following:
- Made a significant difference in improving the quality of the environment in Wyoming.
- Demonstrated a long-term commitment to conservation service.
- Provided information to educate the public about the environment.
- Contributed to protection of the environment for future generations.
- Demonstrated coalition-building skill to maximize involvement by others.
- Served as a role model.
Wyoming Naturalists are invited to nominate themselves or a colleague by submitting a letter of nomination to Wyoming-Naturalists@uwyo.edu. The letter should include a complete and concise description of the nominee's activities as they relate to the aboove criteria. Nominations are due by August 15.
Sagebrush Sheep Moth Award
for service to the Wyoming Naturalist Program
This a
Wyoming Naturalists are invited to nominate themselves or a colleague by submitting a letter of nomination to Wyoming-Naturalists@uwyo.edu. The letter should include a complete and concise description of the nominee's activities that have resulted in improvement or exansion of the WNP. Nominations are due by August 15.