BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSION
NEWS RELEASE
Parks and Recreation Division ▪ 950 N.W. 38th St., Oakland Park, FL 33309-5921
Phone: 954-357-8100 ▪ Fax: 954-561-5359 ▪ www.broward.org/parks
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 22, 2012
From: Michael Mills
Phone: 954-357-8115
E-mail:mmills@broward.org
Registration Open for Two Master Naturalist Professional Certification Courses
Broward County Parks and Recreation Division’s Extension Education Section, in partnership with the
nongovernmental organization Tanawhá Presents, announces the two offerings of Florida Master
Naturalist Specialized Short Courses, 24 contact hours each, to train and certify natural resource
managers, land stewards, and avid wildlife biologists. Upon completion of each, participants will
receive state certification toward their Florida Master Naturalist Land Steward title. The courses do not
have any prerequisite training.
The first, Wildlife Monitoring, will comprise four evenings and one Saturday, September 4-8, at Hugh
Taylor Birch State Park (3109 E. Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale 33304). This course will include
lectures, hands-on activities, and live field training in establishing baseline inventory and monitoring
protocols for mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as how to analyze the data create
reports and compare methods used at local, state, regional, and national levels. There will be original
supplementary materials provided that enable students to formulate decision matrices based on
inventory and monitoring data, including the vital signs protocol used by the U.S. National Park
Service.
Habitat Evaluation will meet four evenings and one Saturday, September 24-25 and 27-29, also at
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. This course will cover large- and local-scale habitat assessment and
evaluating water quality, and will have extensive field portions to teach participants how to sample to
assess for maximum biodiversity vs. sampling for species richness. Protocols for current local, state,
national, and international sampling programs and analytical tools used by U.S. National Parks, Fish
& Wildlife Service, Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International will be discussed.
The course instructor, Kristen Hoss of Tanawhá Presents environmental education firm, has more
than 25 years of experience in the management of natural areas and wildlife. The co-instructor is Dr.
John Pipoly from Extension, who is a co-author of the North American Botanic Garden Strategy for
Plant Conservation, and is an expert in tropical forest biodiversity measurement and monitoring. As
the co-founder of the Caribbean Vegetation Monitoring Network, he has written more than 120 original
research publications during his 34-year biological career.
Registration for these courses is $150 payable only through a secure University of Florida-IFASFlorida Master Naturalist Program Website: http://www.masternaturalist.ifas.ufl.edu/, where you will
follow the link “current course offerings,” then choose “Wildlife Monitoring,” then “Broward” and/or
“Habitat Evaluation,” then “Broward” to bring up the course, its instructors, venues, and link to a
secure server to register and pay online. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and
closes on August 30 for Wildlife Monitoring and September 19 for Habitat Evaluation. For
further information, contact Kristen Hoss at kristenhoss@yahoo.com or John Pipoly at
jpipoly@broward.org, or call 954-357-5270.
Founded in February 1956 and accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation
Agencies, Broward County Parks and Recreation Division manages nearly 6,500 acres, encompassing 19
regional parks and nature centers, six neighborhood parks, and 21 natural areas at various stages of
development. Facilities include water parks, campgrounds, a target range, a stadium, a skate park, an
observatory, mountain bike trails, an educational farm with stables, and a velodrome and other sports facilities.
Hours and fees vary by location. For more information, visit www.broward.org/parks.
Find Yourself – At a Broward County Park
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations in order to participate in County programs, services, and
activities must contact the Special Populations Section at 954-357-8170 or TTY 954-537-2844 at least 10
business days prior to the scheduled meeting or event to request an accommodation.