KAEE 50th Annual Conference

The mission of the Kentucky Master Naturalist Volunteer Program is to develop a cohort of well-informed volunteers to advance education, research, and outreach efforts dedicated to the conservation and management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 
Becoming a KY Master Naturalist Volunteer requires an initial training with 40 hours of instruction and 40 hours of volunteer service. This training covers core content related to Ecoregions of Kentucky, Ecological Concepts, Archeology, Geology, Soils, Entomology, Weather and Climate, Water Resources, Botany (woody and herbaceous), Safety and Health, Invasive Species, Wildlife, Environmental Education and Ethics, Citizen Science and more. This program was developed by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension with valuable input and contributions from stakeholders at public and private organizations. Currently, there are over 550 Kentucky Master Naturalists, with at least one new training cohort offered each year. In 2025, Master Naturalists volunteer 7,903 hours with an estimated value to the commonwealth of $275,945.