Welcome to the Interpretive Naturalists Section!

Are you a member of NAI? Do you interpret "nature" or the natural environment, but you aren't really doing Environmental Education? And you aren't really an Administrator either? Or you are just trying to keep in touch with your Park Ranger/Naturalist roots? Then, the Interpretive Naturalist Section is for you!!

The Interpretive Naturalist Section was created in 2001 to help serve members of NAI who consider themselves "naturalists" either in their career or in their interests (or both!) and to help fill a void within NAI. There were many members who felt that they didn't really fit into one of the Section categories when they joined NAI, so they just picked whichever was closest to their job. But the fit just wasn't quite right. Thus began the Interpretive Naturalist Section of NAI!

Although we have been in existence for a few years, our Section is still finding it's legs--please bear with us while we fully develop this Section for you, our members. One way that you can help us do this is by communicating with your officers. If you have any issues, comments, concerns, suggestions--or you just want to let us know what you want out of the Section--please let one of us know. Our contact information is below. This Section was created for you, so let us know what you think.

And thanks to all of you for making the IN Section great!!

Help us to help you...

Are you interested in helping with the Interpretive Naturalist Section?  We are in need of Committee Chairs and members (see the list below for a summary of committees).  Committees help the IN Section to operate more smoothly and be able to recognize the excellence we all see in the Naturalist world.  Most committee positions don't involve much time...but the investment is well worth the effort.  Help out your fellow naturalists by volunteering for the IN Crowd...

Committees needed for the IN Section:

• Membership:  To develop and implement programs to attract new members and retain existing members.
• Ways and Means:  To act as a support committee to fund-raising activities and projects which will add financial support for the Section and its membership's projects.
• Awards:  To provide peer recognition of notable professional performance, either as an individual or through an outstanding program.  The awards are given annually and recipients must be members, although they do not need to be nominated by members.  (Please note that so far, the IN Section hasn't been able to provide awards to our members, but we hope to in 2004.  The first step, however, is to have an awards committee...)
• Nominating:  To develop a slate of committed, qualified candidates for the sectional offices every two years.
• Archive/Historian Committee:  To preserve documents, photos and items relating to the Section and the Association of Interpretive Naturalists (AIN) and Western Interpreters Association (WIA) sections which preceded it.  This material is to be kept as an archival reference for the history of our sectional group and its members.  (We currently have a historian, but if anyone is interested in helping with this committee, please let Mary know.)
• Training:  To provide and facilitate training opportunities to sectional members in each Region.
• Grants/Scholarships:  To advertise, promote and award grants to those pursuing careers in Interpretation and related fields.  Advertise, promote and award grants to sectional members to attend workshops.  (The IN Section also has not been able to award any grants or scholarships, but we would like to begin this soon.  Please help us by volunteering for a spot on this committee...)  

If you are interested in any of the above positions, please contact the IN Section Chair, Mary Loan, at the address, email or phone listed below.  And thanks for helping make the IN Section great!!

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Another way you can help is by writing an article for our section's newsletter.  Contact our newsletter editor, Mike Hansen, or Director, Mary Loan, at the information below.    

Questions about the IN Section?  Contact one of our officers:

Director, Mary Loan
mloan18@yahoo.com

Deputy Director, Nancy Hadlock
nancy_hadlock@nps.gov

Secretary, Joanie Cahill
jcahill@parks.ca.gov

Treasurer, Shea Lewis
shealewis@yahoo.com 

Newsletter Editor, Mike Hansen
mhansen@einhornresearch.org

Check back on this site for updates, links, news, etc. We will be adding new information for our members as we can--and let me know what you would like to see on this site: email Mary.