For those with a strong interest of the natural surroundings, a desire to sharpen their outdoor
interpretation skills and a willingness to share their knowledge with others, they may wish to consider
becoming a Wood County Park District Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist (OCVN).
Beginning in early April, Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist training will be offered for residents of
Wood County and surrounding areas. The OCVN program is a volunteer program which provides an extensive
course in the natural sciences in exchange for a donation of volunteer hours to share your skills and
knowledge with others through OCVN sponsored activities. The Wood County OCVN program is a cooperative
venture between Ohio State University Extension Wood County, and the Wood County Park District.
Training sessions covers 47 hours of instruction and will be held both Saturdays and Tuesdays beginning
April 5. The Tuesday session begin April 8 and run through May 20. Each session will run from 6-9 p.m.
The first class will be a Saturday session on April 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other Saturday class
sessions include April 19, May3, and May 17. Locations will include various Wood County parks.
To become an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist, you must attend all the training sessions, pass
examinations and volunteer 40 hours to projects designed for the skills learned via programs through the
Wood County Park District.
Class topics include ecological concepts, geology and soils, herpetology, forests, ornithology,
entomology, mammals, aquatic life, plants, stewardship, and interpretation skills. There is an
enrollment fee of $200 to cover the cost of training materials, speakers and facilities plus a mandatory
volunteer criminal records check. Class size is limited to 20 applicants.
Those who want to know more about this volunteer opportunity, have additional questions, or would like an
application contact Craig Everett at the Wood County Extension office, at (419) 354-9050 or email:
[email protected].