Naturalists and kiosks in state parks

Research suggests that more children can identify cartoon characters than they can trees or wildflowers, said Jamie McBride, president of the Minnesota Naturalists’ Association.

McBride told the House Environment Policy and Oversight Committee March 17 that although Minnesotans care about the environment, they don’t know much about it, and they think they know more than they do. He supports HF1612 that would more than double the number of naturalists working in state parks, create summer naturalist jobs for college students and build electronic informational kiosks near campgrounds.

Sponsored by Rep. Kate Knuth (DFL-New Brighton), the bill would establish a Minnesota Naturalist Corps under the supervision of the Department of Natural Resources. Thirty college students would be hired as summer naturalists to lead nature hikes, campfire programs and other educational and interpretive events at a cost of $270,000 each year of the 2010-1011 biennium. Corps naturalists would be paid for their work.

Another $640,000 would be used each year of the next biennium to double the number of full-time naturalists from eight to 16 in state parks.

A third aspect of the bill would allocate $760,000 for the construction of informational kiosks to be placed near campgrounds in various regions of the state.

Funding for all of the projects would come from the Parks and Trails Fund, dedicated money resulting from the constitutional amendment voters approved last year for a three-eighths of 1 percent sales tax increase.

“If we’re looking at ways to connect people to the out-of-doors, we need naturalist programming,” said Judy Erickson, a Parks and Trails councilmember.

The bill was referred to the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division. The companion, SF1663, sponsored by Sen. Katie Sieben (DFL-Newport), awaits action in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.