Natural Areas Training Academy

In March, we celebrated NINE new "Certificate in Natural Areas Management" (CNAM) graduates! This certificate often takes over a year to earn, as it requires completion of NATA's four core courses, in addition to a fire training. Congratulations to this group; we are so proud of you (but will miss you at future trainings)!
1. Corwynne Pugh
2. Antonio Rodriguez
3. William "Eddie" Bruce
4. Marrietta Partrick
5. Zach Lepera
6. Amanda Olson
7. Claire Tamburello
8. Jacquelyn Kaucher
9. Justin Pouliot

Last chance to register for "Managing Visitors and Volunteers in Natural Areas"!

This professional development course provides guidance on how to integrate visitors and volunteers into management of natural areas, such as state parks. NATA is a UF/IFAS Extension program (in its 25th year!) with the mission to create a network of natural areas managers with current knowledge and skills to conserve Florida's resources.

This course includes:
• Online coursework: April 22 - May 13, 2026 (approximately 10 hours, at your own pace with deadlines)
• Two day in-person workshop: May 18-19 or May 20-21, 2026; at Gold Head Branch State Park in Keystone Heights, FL.

Registration has been extended to April 21st: https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/nata/courses-and-certificates/core-courses/managing-visitors-and-volunteers/

Please share this announcement!

Bat roosts in Florida are protected as of April 16th (TODAY)!

Late spring and summer is when female bats give birth to their “pups” (aka, baby bats). Female bats often live together in a group (known as a colony) to raise their pups.

While it is illegal to kill, harm, or harass any bats at any time of year, from April 16th to August 14th, it is additionally unlawful to destroy bat roosts or block the exit/entrance to bat roosts. This is to protect maternity colonies with newborn bat pups. If roost exits are blocked, the bats can be trapped inside or the mothers may fly out in the evening and be unable to return. Either way, the pups will die of starvation. Hence, bat exclusion is banned until August 15th.

Read more about bat protection, maternity season, and community monitoring efforts on Dr. Shelly Johnson's most recent blog post.

Bat roosts in Florida are protected as of April 16th - UF/IFAS Extension All bats in Florida are protected year-round. From April 16th to August 14th, it is unlawful to destroy bat roosts or block the exit/entrance to bat roosts.

From March 23-26, 2026, NATA facilitated two sessions of in-person workshops for one of its core courses: "Managing for Diversity Across Florida's Unique Landscapes!" The in-person workshop, held at Morningside Nature Center and Longleaf Flatwoods Preserve, followed three weeks of online coursework, where participants gained knowledge that they built upon in the in-person sessions. Congratulations to the 47 course graduates for their hard work!

The Natural Areas Training Academy 2025 Annual Report is now live!🥳
2025 was an incredible year for the Natural Areas Training Academy, as across our 11 offered courses, we had 422 participants from over 100 organizations, 58 instructors, and 25 Certificate in Natural Areas Management Graduates. Check out our blog post first for a summary of the report before heading over to the NATA website for the full post!
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/wecdept/2026/03/30/natural-areas-training-academy-2025-report/
https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/nata/2025-annual-report/

Natural Areas Training Academy 2025 Report - UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department The Natural Areas Training Academy shares highlights from their 2025 Annual Report, including participant quotes and course overviews.

Congratulations to our 9 newest graduates who have earned the Certificate in Natural Areas Management. We are so proud of these individuals and cannot wait to see what they accomplish!
Congratulations to Christopher Trapasso, Dallas Parker, Heather Palmer, Jackelyn Keller, Tammy Burton, Kyle Black, James Friese, Kala Neighbor, and Samantha Rider!

From January 25-28, 2026, we held two workshop sessions at Austin Cary Forest for our Conservation Site Assessment and Planning course. We had 48 attendees total! Thank you to all who came out!

Congratulations to our latest graduates who have earned the Certificate in Natural Areas Management. We are proud of these professionals for dedicating countless hours to ensuring their natural areas function holistically and protecting everything from biodiversity to recreation.
Congratulations to Rochelle Hood, Teresa Good, and Elizabeth Gandy!
For more information about our graduates, visit the CNAM Graduate page on our website here:
https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/nata/people/graduates/ .en.976435

NATA recently hosted Collaborating to Manage Ecosystems, a multi-day training where participants explored ecosystem management principles, examined strategies for addressing landscape-level threats, and practiced collaborative approaches that unite organizations, landowners, and community partners. The course also strengthened participants’ communication, facilitation, and conflict-management skills and included a canoe field trip that offered a firsthand look at Florida’s natural systems.

View the NATA website for information on future NATA training opportunities. To receive updates about upcoming courses, sign up for our LISTSERV.

NATA recently hosted the S-112 Wildland Fire Chainsaw course, a National Wildfire Coordinating Group training. Over the multi-day workshop, participants built a strong foundation in safe and efficient chainsaw operation—practicing skills such as bucking, limbing, brushing, slashing, and felling under the guidance of certified instructors.
This hands-on training prepares wildland firefighters to perform low-complexity projects and fireline tasks with confidence and competence. We’re proud of the hard work, focus, and dedication each participant brought to the course!
View the NATA website for information on future NATA training opportunities. To receive updates about upcoming courses, sign up for our LISTSERV.

Congratulations to all 102 NATA PARTICIPANTS who received their "S-130/S-190/L-180: Basic Wildland Firefighter" certificate. We had one participant, Michelle Metzler, who also received their Certificate in Natural Areas Management (CNAM). Congratulations, Michelle!
Here are some photos of some of our amazing participants and field day instructors during their in-person training. Thank you to our field day hosts for all their hard work; We could not do this without you.