Registration

2026 Lake County Master Naturalist Application

Thank you for your interest in the University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalist Program. This program will provide science-based educational opportunities that connect people with nature and help them become engaged environmental stewards. As a Master Naturalist, you'll earn volunteer hours participating in citizen science activities, restoration work days, and nature programming. During the training, you'll learn from local and statewide experts to acquire environmental knowledge, interpretation skills, and connect with other nature enthusiasts across the county.

Once application materials have been reviewed, you may be invited for a short 30-minute question and answer session with Extension staff.
Accepted applicants will attend all training sessions, online and in-person, from August-November (see schedule below) and pay the $275 course fee.
Complete 60 hours of volunteer service on approved volunteer projects over the course of two years.

The 2026 Master Naturalist Training is scheduled to run from August 17th-November 6th. Please note that this schedule is tentative and subject to change. The training is conducted in a hybrid format, with field days and in-person classroom instruction supplemented with a self-paced, online course. Classroom instruction will typically take place at the University of Illinois Extension Office (100 S US Highway 45), while field days are held at various locations around Lake County. Most classroom sessions will be held on Monday evenings, and most field days will take place on Saturday mornings. One in-person session will take place each week (with occasional, bonus sessions), alternating between classroom instruction and field work. Tentative dates are as follows:

August 17th – Introduction and Welcome. Extension Office. 6-8pm

August 29th – Field Day. Location TBD. 9am-12pm

August 31st – Classroom Instruction. 6-8pm

September 12th – Field Day. Location TBD. 9am-12pm

September 14th – Classroom Instruction. 6-8pm

September 26th – Field Day. Location TBD. 9am-12pm

September 28th – Classroom Instruction. 6-8pm

October 10th – Field Day. Location TBD. 9am-12pm

October 13th – Classroom Instruction. 6-8pm

October 24th – Field Day. Location TBD. 9am-12pm

October 26th – Classroom Instruction. 6-8pm

November 2nd - Classroom Instruction. 6-8pm

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Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Street Address

Street Address 2

City

State

ZIP

Daytime Phone

Evening Phone

E-mail Address

Why do you want to become a University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalist?

Have you been in a Master Naturalist program in another county or state? If so, when and where?

Do you have any previous involvement or affiliation with the University of Illinois and/or Extension, as a volunteer, employee, student or program participant? If yes, please describe what your involvement has been.

List any skills, training, volunteer activities, hobbies or education relevant to the Master Naturalist program:

Are you able to commit to attending all in-person classroom and field sessions scheduled from August-November 2026?

Yes

If you are accepted into the Master Naturalist program and you successfully complete the minimum hours of training, do you agree to fulfill the required hours of volunteer service (60 hours) in approved activities within 2 years of course completion?

Yes

There are many opportunities for volunteering on different projects. At this time, you may be unsure of how you want to spend your volunteer time as a Master Naturalist. Please check all activities that interest you.

Direct education with youth (workshops, classes)

Help develop and maintain demonstration gardens (native/pollinator gardens)

Direct education with adults (workshops, classes)

Citizen science (plant/wildlife/weather observations)

Habitat restoration initiatives

Environmental advocacy

Other

Please share anything else that you would like us to know about you that would make you a good fit for the program:

Civil Rights Compliance - Participant Info

As part of our commitment to providing equal opportunities in our programming, University of Illinois Extension is required to collect and report overall statistics about the race, ethnicity, and gender of program participants. Your responses are voluntary and appreciated.

Gender

Ethnicity

Race

Illinois Extension

Registration

101 Mumford Hall (MC-710)

1301 W. Gregory Dr.

Urbana, IL 61801

Phone: 217-333-5900