10 people have already earned their Certificate in Natural Areas Management (CNAM) in 2019! While a few of these participants have been able to accomplish this in just a year, the majority have taken multiple years to earn their certificates—one person having taken 5 years to do so! Participants represent a variety of agencies, including the St. Johns River Water Management District, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the City of Palm Bay, and the counties of Sarasota, Manatee, and Orange.
![Vincent Taliaferro earns his CNAM at the 2019 Managing Visitors and Volunteers workshop at Gold Head Branch State Park.](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/wecdept/files/2019/05/Vincent-graduate-compressed-for-blog-222x300.png)
We were so proud to present them with their certificates at two of our spring workshops: Conservation Site Assessment & Planning and Managing Visitors and Volunteers in Natural Areas.
Interested in learning more about the steps involved in earning your own Certificate in Natural Areas Management? It’s simple! In order to earn your CNAM, you must do the following:
- Attend the 4 core NATA workshops offered throughout the year: Managing for Diversity Across Florida’s Unique Landscapes, Conservation Site Assessment & Planning, Managing Visitors and Volunteers in Natural Areas, and Collaborating to Manage Ecosystems.
- In addition to taking these required workshops, you must take the Florida Certified Prescribed Burn Manager (CPBM) training administered by the Florida Forest Service.
Once you’ve attended and earned your certificate from all four core NATA workshops and received your CPBM, you are eligible to receive your CNAM!
To date, NATA has had 163 workshop participants earn their certificate. Congratulations to all of you! We hope that you are using the skills and knowledge gained in the NATA workshops in your work today as a land manager or natural resource professional!