NAI Interpretive Naturalist Section

Cindy Blobaum
Dallas County Naturalist

Hello fellow interpreters!
I am writing Explore Night Science: with 25 Great Projects a hands-on science activity book for 6 – 9 year olds. The publisher is Nomad Press.
They have asked me to find at least 10 people to Preview and endorse/blurb the book.

I know that a least a few of you are familiar with my other books, Geology Rocks, Insectigations, and Awesome Snake Science from past NAI workshops where I have presented sessions. I am really excited by the possibility of getting other interpretive naturalists involved in this book before it is done!

If the topic sounds interesting and you have experience working with kids (preferably including ages 6 – 9) PLUS knowledge about the (mostly) natural world at night and you like doing hands-on activities/experiments, contact me by email before February 1, 2012 for more information.

NAI Region V $2,000 in funding available for mini-grants for agencies, organizations, and institutions that are current members of Region V. They will be funding up to 8 Mini-Grants (up to $250/ project) for interpretive programs and projects. Find out more on the NAI Region V Website.

Interpreters are great, they’ll do almost anything! Interpretive Naturalist Section Members pose for a picture during the section meeting.

The 2011 NAI National Workshop in St. Paul, Minnesota was a great week of sharing, learning, catching up with old friends and making new. If you were there, share you favorite memory of NAI 2011. For those of you who couldn’t make it we’ll post some highlights soon!

Great News for Students!

Steve Dimse has made a very generous five-year contribution that gives 20 student memberships a year to deserving individuals who are not and have not been NAI members before. If you are or know of any students who would benefit from this generous contribution, please direct them to apply apply here.

Deadline to apply is December 1st.

Do you have a project in mind, but just don’t have the budget? For example, would you like to create a butterfly garden, expand your track program, purchase birdfeeders for a wildlife viewing station, day camp craft supplies, or publish a self-guided track brochure?

We’d like to help out! The Interpretive Naturalist Section Mini-Grant Program can help you reach your goals. Recipients will be recognized at the national workshop in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in the IN Section Newsletter.

Deadline to apply is October 15, 2011. Find out more by visiting our Scholarships and Grants page.

The being draft by-laws submitted by the Restructure Task Force for discussion by the Board of Directors and the membership are available for comment. These bylaws result from input from the Board, the membership and the staff.

These by-laws are not in complete form and were written for clarity. Items in red indicate areas with the least resolution. You can find “Questions” and comments in bold. Please share your comments via the NAI Restructure Task Force Blog.

The Task Force will be holding listening sessions on Wednesday and Thursday at the National Workshop in St. Paul.  The listening sessions will concentrate on items in this document.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the NAI National Workshop in St. Paul is asked to contact Volunteer Coordinator Deb McRae by email debra.mcrae@ces.uwex.edu or by phone 414-425-8550. 

Volunteer Opportunities Include:

Speaker Hosts/Room Monitor – Introduce concurrent session speakers to the audience and thank them with a gift from NAI; hands out and collects evaluation forms; posts “session full” sign when room fills; assists with AV and anything else speaker needs.

Marketplace of Ideas Monitor – Staffs Creative Corner to assist presenters with anything they might need.

Newsletter writers – great way to always be “in the know”; Use the newsletter template to fill in latest changes and news from the previous day; Late afternoon activity

Newsletter Circulation Assistants –a great job for night owls; Serve as “runner” for the newsletter staff by delivering newsletters under doors of NAI National Workshop participants after they are printed each night; task will take place after 10 pm. (newsletter will be developed by publicity/promotions committee

Opening Reception Greeter/Checker – Greet participants as they arrive at the opening reception; check for workshop nametags.

Packet Stuffer – great opportunity for early arrivals and you don’t miss anything; Stuff registration packets on Sunday afternoon/evening and haul them to registration area.

Volunteer sign-Up Table Volunteer – Staffs table and encourages volunteers to sign up to assist with NAI National Workshop tasks.

Ticket/Nametag Checker (need 2/entrance at each event or meal function) – Monitor doors at meals, keynotes, and events to ensure that all participants have purchased a ticket to be there.

Ticket Trader Table – Staff Ticket Trader Desk in one-hour shifts to assist participants who want to buy or sell tickets to special events and off-sites.

Volunteer sign-Up Table – Staffs table and encourages volunteers to sign up to assist with NAI Workshop tasks.

The Interpretive Naturalist Section was created in 2001 to help serve members of NAI who consider themselves “naturalists” either in their career or in their interests (or both!) and to help fill a void within NAI. There were many members who felt that they didn’t quite fit into one of the Section categories when they joined NAI, so they just picked whichever was closest to their job. The fit just wasn’t quite right; thus began the Interpretive Naturalist Section of NAI.

Although we have been in existence for a few years, our Section is still finding it’s legs–please bear with us while we fully develop this Section for you, our members. One way that you can help us do this is by communicating with your officers. If you have any issues, comments, concerns, suggestions–or you just want to let us know what you want out of the Section–please let one of us know. Our contact information is below. This Section was created for you, so let us know what you think.

Please be patient with us as we update our website.