The Kentucky Master Naturalist (KYMN) program was developed by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension with valuable input from stakeholders at public and private organizations. The mission of the KYMN 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 combined classroom and field instruction and 40 hours of approved volunteer service. After this initial training, Master Naturalists are asked to complete 40 hours of volunteer work annually and 8 hours of continuing education. We now have a community of over 400 people who have gone through the KY Master Naturalist Volunteer Program, and we wanted to bring this group together with the opportunity to learn, network, and recognize volunteer service. 

To facilitate this, in 2024 we hosted our second KY Master Naturalist Conference. We hosted this conference March 22-23 at Natural Bridge State Resort Park, collaborating with the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves and Kentucky State Parks to offer a range of talks, hikes, and more. These included:

1. Hike to Pilot Knob Preserve
2. Morning talks on Natural Bridge, archaeology, geology, hydrology, botany and more
3. Afternoon field programs on natural history, geology, and mindfulness.

About 60 people attended this conference and 37 attendees completed a post-conference survey. In this, 95% said the conference met or exceeded their expectations and all indicated that they were likely to attend again in a future year. At this conference we recognized new master naturalists who completed their training in the past year.  We also recognized those up to date with their volunteer hours.  In total, Master Naturalist Volunteers reported 3,905 hours of volunteer work in 2023, providing an estimated benefit to natural areas in the state of over $124,170.  This work occurred all over the state including activities reported in at least 35 Kentucky counties.