A Brief History

Nearly two decades ago, a group of visionary natural resource professionals recognized the value of developing a standardized training program for natural areas managers in Florida. These enterprising individuals convened a group of experienced land management professionals representing numerous agencies and organizations to summarize the expertise and skills they believed job candidates would need to be competitive for jobs in their respective agencies and organizations, which was then packaged into a series of multi-day workshops. To meet the demand for trained personnel, the Natural Areas Training Academy was developed to deliver these workshops through a partnership of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the University of Florida IFAS Extension. 

Resources

Helpful Resources for Land Managers/Natural Resource Professionals:

Archeological Research Management (ARM) Training for state land managers

• This is a webinar-based certificate course, created to assist state land managers with management of Florida's archaeological resources. ARM training is available to those who work on state lands. This course introduces state land managers to the nature of archaeological resources, the laws that protect them, and how to manage their own historic sites.

American Trails

• A nationwide coalition of trails organizations, agencies, and individuals who offer grants, webinars, professional development/networking opportunities, and resources to continue to connect and transform communities through the power of trails.

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants

• Created to share plant information through searchable atlases with photos, and state-specific, county-level databases of plant species.

Florida Certified Prescribed Burn Manager training

• Offered by the Florida Forest Service, this is a certification program for individuals who practice prescribed burning.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)

• With a wide range of responsibilities, FDACS works to protect Florida's agricultural and natural communities. FDACS offers a variety of resources, with curated topics for consumers, businesses, agriculture professionals, and natural resource professionals.

Florida Forest Service (FFS)

• Working as a branch under FDACS, FFS shares resources on fires, recreation, forest conservation, and forest landowning.

Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI)

• FNAI is a resource for information regarding the conservation of Florida's biological diversity. FNAI shares a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database, including over 32,000 occurrences of rare plants/animals, high-quality natural communities, and boundaries/statistics for federal, state, local, and privately managed areas in Florida.

National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center (NIPFTC)

• The NIPFTC provides programs that combine prescribed burning field experience with curriculum for prescribed fire practitioners and fire and fuels managers. These programs include 20-day Field Sessions, and an Agency Administrator Workshop.

NatureServe

• In collaboration with other organizations and professionals, NatureServe offers a source of information on biodiversity in North America to inform conservation efforts. They share resources of their classification, mapping, and threats to biodiversity, as well as their conservation priorities. 

School of Forest, Fisheries, And Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS): Outreach and Research (CFEOR)

• Responsible for educating the public about sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, UF's SFFGS shares their research and extension initiatives.

Southern Fire Exchange

• Serving the 11 Southern US states, their committed to increasing the use of science and research in fire work. They offer access to resources ranging from webinars/podcasts, workshops/conferences, research publications, and a variety of models.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

• TNC provides resources on how to steward the land through innovative science/tech, policy, the private sector, indigenous communities, finances, and youth.

UF/IFAS Extension Solutions for Your Life

• The UF/IFAS Extension offers a variety of resources (research, blogs, opportunities) on innovations within agriculture, natural resources, youth, gardening, work/life, and online learning.

Instructor Organizations

NATA instructors are managers with many years of experience in public and private land management agencies. One of the virtues of our workshops is that seasoned managers teach individuals at earlier stages in their careers to become better at what they do. Knowledgeable, experienced instructors are key to the success of NATA. Check out some of the organizations our instructors work with below!