FMNP Spotlight
NSU Undergraduate Florida Master Naturalists Aim to Educate the Public and Protect
Florida’s Natural Resources
By: Paul Arena
In South Florida where urbanization is constantly threatening our ecosystems, educational
outreach has become a crucial tool used to conserve the diverse flora and fauna
found in local natural areas. Nova Southeastern University undergraduates have been
given the opportunity to learn about Florida’s coastal, upland, and wetland systems
by taking the “Natural History of South Florida” course offered by Dr. Paul Arena.
Dr. Arena’s expertise is in marine biology, specifically reef fish populations,
but he is best described as a naturalist and is passionate about learning and teaching
others about the wide variety of species in our area. In fact, Dr. Arena is an official
Florida Master Naturalist. He was certified through the University of Florida’s
Florida Master Naturalist Program. Dr. Arena and Dr. Main have worked together to
allow NSU undergraduates in the Natural History of South Florida course to become
certified Florida Master Naturalists. The course combines all three modules into
a 16 week semester course.
Dr. Arena explained that “after becoming a certified master naturalist myself, I
realized there was a whole population of college students who could utilize the
information in this program in a beneficial way and at the same time gain local
knowledge that could help them obtain a job after graduation.” Dr. Arena encourages
his students to pass on the information they learn and educate the local community
in Broward County. Dr. Arena requires his students to have an educational outreach
component to the three mandatory final projects required to complete the course.
“Students addressed a specific need for particular natural areas, such as developing
a fern identification guide for Fern Forest Natural Area or developing an informational
brochure for Secret Woods Natural Area. Many of the students travelled to marinas,
parks and other public areas to talk directly to citizens about a variety of important
environmental topics. The projects were very diverse and impressive. I really enjoyed
seeing the students having a direct impact on the community” said Arena.
“The knowledge I have gained from this class has armed me with the ability to educate
others, and take action”, said Betsy Gonzalez, a Nova student who completed the
course.
One of the most intriguing and entertaining parts of the course is the heavy field
component. In addition to four weekend trips, the students travel to a local natural
area every Friday morning. The students visited many natural areas in Broward County,
which were all impressive in their own way. Many of these natural areas were tucked
away within a dense South Florida metropolis and were saved from destruction due
to the relentless efforts of local residents.
The majority of students in the course have described this as the most enjoyable
class of their college career. Jennifer Anders, an NSU student who completed the
course and is now a graduate student at Dauphin Island Sea Lab summarizes her experience,
“We all have taken away an immeasurable amount of crucial information about Florida
Ecosystems and have learned the importance of educational outreach to bolster support
for the protection of our remaining and constantly dwindling natural resources.”
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