As the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) celebrates its 25th anniversary, the Cedar Key community is celebrating recent contributions made by Master Naturalist students and partners. This spring, students in the FMNP Coastal Shoreline Restoration course completed a three-day field trip to Crystal River and Cedar Key, gaining hands-on experience in coastal restoration and resilience. Participants included engineers, ecotour guides, educators, volunteers, and waterfront property owners working alongside UF faculty and staff to learn and apply living shoreline techniques.

What is the Florida Master Naturalist Program?

Developed by University of Florida professor and Extension specialist Dr. Martin Main, the Florida Master Naturalist Program is an adult education curriculum that promotes awareness and understanding of Florida’s ecosystems and wildlife. Since 2001, thousands of citizens, environmental professionals, educators, tour guides, and visitors have graduated from one or more of FMNP’s 24-hour and 40-hour courses. Subject-matter experts around the state serve as program instructors, using presentations, videos, hands-on activities, and field experiences to share science-based information with participants.

A Hybrid Experience

FMNP’s Coastal Shoreline Restoration (CSR) course highlights the ecological importance of salt marshes, oyster reefs, and mangroves, emphasizing the methods and monitoring techniques used to implement living shorelines and restore coastal wetlands. Historically, FMNP classes were taught in-person and limited by geographic region, but many instructors now facilitate hybrid courses that can accommodate participants across the state. After completing a series of live online Zoom classes and reflection activities, this group of CSR students joined their instructors Dr. Savanna Barry and Haley Cox for a three–day, in-person field experience. During this time, participants toured active restoration projects, built practical skills, and connected with other professionals and volunteers working to protect Florida’s coast.

Putting Knowledge to Work

To kick off their long weekend, students toured Duke Energy’s Crystal River Mariculture Center and harvested native marsh grasses for ongoing restoration work in Cedar Key. Originally a multispecies fish hatchery, the mariculture center has expanded its mission to include submerged aquatic vegetation for freshwater restoration projects as well as mangroves and marsh grasses for living shorelines. The facility also supports an oyster shell recycling program with Florida’s Coastal Conservation Association, an initiative that allows local restaurants and seafood processors to assist in oyster restoration projects by providing shells that would otherwise be disposed of.

The next morning, students planted the grasses they harvested in Crystal River along Cedar Key’s Airport Road living shoreline. These plantings will support an experimental study led by coastal ecologists at the Nature Coast Biological Station, as well as the enhancement of a critical nature-based infrastructure project that has helped Cedar Key weather recent storm events.

UF Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences professor Dr. Mark Clark also led a reef construction workshop later that day. The class assembled several reef prisms—artificial reef structures made from jute fiber and calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement molded into modular units. In addition to supporting oyster growth, reef prisms can help stabilize shorelines by reducing wave energy and erosion. 

Student Testimonials

After the course concluded, several students shared valuable feedback on their overall experience during the program. These comments highlight how FMNP instructors and participants apply science, collaboration, and stewardship to support coastal resilience through action.

• “The hands-on field work was excellent! It was very beneficial and interesting to participate in several steps of coastal shoreline restoration: harvesting, planting, creating and installing reef prisms, and seeing the success of previous installations.”
• “It was a great learning opportunity, and I am very glad that I got to complete the course and be involved with ongoing restoration projects in Cedar Key to improve resiliency. Thank you!”
• “I am leaving this course feeling inspired and ready to continue interacting with the instructors and classmates I met. I am excited to continue the FMNP courses and be part of the solution to a changing world.” 

Become a Master Naturalist!

Interested in joining the Florida Master Naturalist Program network? Register for an available course near you! FMNP courses are posted throughout the year, and prospective students are welcome to contact lead instructors in nearby counties for more information on course scheduling. Scholarships are available to students who meet eligibility requirements. FMNP graduates can also join their local Friends of FMNP group to foster environmental education and appreciation while supporting local conservation efforts.

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