Next Course: January 2026
Online coursework: January 6-22, 2026
Live virtual welcome session: January 7, 2026 (2:30-3:30 or 3:45-4:45).
In-person workshop days (2 options): January 25-26 or January 27-28. See agenda below.
Link to registration pages: January 25-26, 2026 or January 27-28, 2026
- REGULAR registration will open December 18, 2025.
- EARLY registration is available for previous NATA graduates*. You must email the NATA Training Coordinator by December 9 to request early registration access.
- Registration will close when capacity is reached, or January 2; we expect this course will fill to capacity.
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Course Description:
This is a NATA Core workshop, leading to a Certificate in Natural Areas Management. This training builds a foundation of skills useful in conducting site assessments and developing resource management plans.
Participants will:
- Learn how to conduct a rapid site assessment
- Discover sources of information useful when conducting site assessments
- Gain experience classifying the condition of forest vegetation communities
- Identify site-specific threats to natural resources at small and large spatial scales
- Develop management objectives and design management strategies that effectively address these objectives
- Identify components of effective management plans based on program needs and goals
- Learn about a variety of management plans used by county, state, and federal agencies
This workshop is presented in a hybrid format (Both the online and in-person trainings are REQUIRED)
Online coursework:
Approximately 8 hours across 3-weeks (on your own, with weekly assignment deadlines); reliable internet connection and computer required.
Attend 1-hour live virtual welcome session (via Zoom), during the first week of the online coursework.
In-person training:
Two days of in-person training at University of Florida's Austin Cary Forest Campus northeast of Gainesville, FL.
2026 Agenda draft: CSAP 2026 Field Day Agendas
Registration Information:
$335 (does not include lodging)
- You must pay with a CREDIT CARD online at the time of registration on the Eventbrite website. The confirmation email from Eventbrite is your receipt.
- NO REFUNDS will be offered after registration closes.
- NO CREDITS will be issued for those who do not complete the course.
- Eventbrite processing fees are NONREFUNDABLE, meaning that if you need a refund, you will receive a partial refund, minus the Eventbrite processing fees. For more information, visit Eventbrite's policy .
*EARLY registration is available to any person who has graduated from one or more of the NATA core courses. Fire training (e.g., S130/190) is not considered a core course for early registration eligibility. You must email the NATA Training Coordinator by December 9 to request early registration access. Early access expires the day before regular registration begins.
Lodging:
Participants are responsible for securing their own lodging. When selecting lodging, note that Austin Cary Forest is located 20-minute drive northeast of downtown Gainesville. For convenience, we recommend a hotel near downtown/central Gainesville (University Ave & Main St, or SW 13th St).
For more information, contact:
Training Coordinator
Natural Areas Training Academy
