Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Course (online & In-Person) Summer 2025

Cincinnati Nature Center is proud to be a host site and partner with Ohio State University Extension for this 40-hour educational course that encompasses the topics of Ohio’s watersheds, aquatic life, geology, soils, plants, forests, insects, and animals (reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals). Each topic is taught by experts and community stakeholders from across the region.

Program Benefits:

• Meet like-minded new friends and get to know Nature Center staff while taking your commitment to nature a step further!
  
• Learn about the biology, ecology, and natural history of Ohio and how to share the knowledge with others.
  
• Become part of a local and statewide network of dedicated volunteers.
  
• Apply your talents and passion to protecting, restoring, and understanding Ohio’s natural treasures.
  
• Meet experts in a variety of fields.

Please note:

This program is available to adults and mature teens 16 and up; however, only participants ages 18 and up who complete the course will receive certification through OSU.

All courses require a computer or tablet for you to watch videos and take quizzes at home.

What to Expect: Summer Cohort 

This schedule lets you do much of your learning online over your lunch break, and includes three lovely field experiences. If you have the flexibility to take a long lunch break twice a week, you’ll enjoy live 90–minute online lectures every Tuesday and Thursday in June and July. The required field sessions will delight you with an evening of fireflies, spider eyeshine, and owls calling, plus two early Saturdays exploring fields, forests, ponds, and streams in late May-early June before things heat up.

Course Runs May 17 – July 22, 2025 and includes:

Three required in-person Field Experiences at Cincinnati Nature Center (all required-no make-ups)

• • Saturday, May 17, 8 am–2 pm
    
  • Saturday, June 7, 8 am –2 pm
    
  • Friday night, July 11, 6–10 pm

Every Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 am–1 pm on Zoom on the following days:

• May 22 (first online session), 27, 29 (4.5 hours)
  
• June 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26 (12 hours)
  
• July 8, 10, 15, 17, 22 (7.5 hours)

Attendance is mandatory; do not register if you will miss more than 4 hours of time, as you cannot make these classes up at a later date.

To receive certification, upon completing the OCVN course, participants must document 40 hours of volunteer service and/or continuing education at any Ohio organization with a compatible program mission. In addition, after certification, 30 hours of volunteer service and/or continuing education are required annually to remain certified.

If you choose not to pursue certification, you are still welcome to take this course for your own knowledge and enjoyment.

More information about the OCVN program can be found on Extension’s Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Page. To understand more about the certification requirements, visit the OCVN’s Frequently Asked Questions Webpage.

The mission of the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program is to “promote awareness and citizen stewardship of Ohio’s natural resources through science-based education and community service.”

The course is offered throughout the state, and Cincinnati Nature Center is the largest provider. Here, we offer four different formats—one is sure to fit your needs! 

Plan ahead and mark your calendars to register, because each cohort sells out quickly!