Ontario Master Naturalist Program
The Ontario Master Naturalist Program (OMNP) is a community program established by Lakehead University Orillia in partnership with Ontario Nature. The first of its kind in Canada, the OMNP provides naturalists and those interested in nature and environmental stewardship the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and expertise of the natural world through formal training and guidance. The Ontario Master Naturalist Certificate Program is aimed at naturalists and those dedicated to environmental stewardship, empowering them to learn and share knowledge of the natural world, and engage as stewards of their local ecosystems and resources.
Since 2015, the Ontario Master Naturalist Program has expanded to include participant workshops and certificate program offerings in Thunder Bay and the Bruce Peninsula.
Spring 2025 - Course withdrawals more than two weeks before the start of the course will receive a full refund, less a $50 non-refundable administration fee. Two weeks before the course begins, learners will be refunded 50% less the $50 non-refundable administration fee. Once the course starts, learners will receive no refund.
Summer Camp 2025 at Red Bay Lodge - Course withdrawals more than two weeks before the start of the course will receive a full refund, less a $50 non-refundable administration fee. Two weeks before the course begins, learners will be refunded 50% less the $50 non-refundable administration fee. Once the course starts, learners will receive no refund. Red Bay Lodge Cancellation Policy: 48 hour notice for guests to cancel with no charge.
1) What is a Naturalist?
The title naturalist was first defined in 1587 to describe a person who studied the world around us; its phenomena could be explained by natural causes or as Charles Robert Darwin (1809 –1882) stated “by laws acting around us.” Darwin described himself as a naturalist and used it in his 1854 letter to Thomas Huxley but the first known use of the title was in 1857 to describe a student of natural history. The title “naturalist” was a high compliment in its day and was used by many others to describe themselves beside Darwin. Carl von Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), Henry Walter Bates (1825 –1892) and Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 – 1913) were all given the title naturalist. The word “scientist” was not used until the late 1800s to describe the same people documenting their observations of nature, and testing their explanations against those observations.
Today the term scientist or biologist is used to describe someone with formal training who studies the natural world while the term naturalist is used to describe a person who does the same thing with or without the formal training. There are many naturalists today with a high degree of knowledge of the natural world without any formal training but with years of observations and documentation of facts and phenomena in the natural world.
2) What kind of certification do I receive upon completion of the program?
Participants who complete all eight modules will receive a certificate acknowledging the time they have spent learning and practicing to be a naturalist, and naming the different modules in which they have participated. The Ontario Master Naturalist Program (OMNP) certificate is not a university degree or college diploma, and it does not qualify certificate holders to act as an expert in a professional capacity. The name “Master Naturalist” is used, as it is in a majority of states in the USA, in a manner similar to the “Master Gardener” designation. The Ontario Master Naturalist Program is a community-based education program that introduces participants to the role of a naturalist and helps participants to build experience and knowledge.
3) Is there a test or exam participants need to pass to complete the modules?
There is no exam participants must pass to complete the program, but modules may include completion of worksheets that will allow instructors to assess the progress of participants.
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