NHMU Museum Ecologist - For Utah Teachers!

The Natural History Museum of Utah is proud to offer Utah public and charter school teachers the opportunity to meet with scientists and explore nature through engaging in-field experiences - for free!

Program Overview

NHMU Museum Ecologist is an in-depth teacher professional development field course offering certification in Desert Ecology and City Ecology for Utah teachers. 

At NHMU Museum Ecologist, our mission is to inspire curiosity about the natural world and promote responsible stewardship of Utah’s landscapes. Through the Museum Ecologist program, we cultivate a community of dedicated citizen scientists who are committed to education, conservation, and advocacy. By participating in hands-on field experiences, classroom learning, and online coursework, Museum Ecologists strive for a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, skills, and meaningful engagement with nature.

This new pilot program currently offers two field courses for teachers across the course of a year:

Museum Ecologist: Deserts  

• 2025 course completed – click here to learn more about our desert program

Museum Ecologist: Cities 

• Applications open  Monday, January 5, 2026
• Applications close  Monday, February 2, 2026
• Virtual Zoom classes weekly – Monday, March 2 through Monday, April 6 from 5:30-7:00 pm.
  • Please note that the first Zoom class on Monday, March 2  is mandatory in order to help educators get the most out of the program
• Field Excursions (day trips) – Friday, April 10, Saturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 12
• Click here for the full details and application instructions for Cities

Each module consists of interactive online coursework culminating in a field course led by NHMU educators. Museum Ecologist: Deserts includes a weekend trip to the Bonderman Field Station at Rio Mesa outside of Moab, Utah. Museum Ecologist: Cities includes day trips April 10, 11, and 12 around Salt Lake City.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the modules and field courses look like?

Each module consists of six weeks of online coursework culminating in three days of in-the-field experience with NHMU educators, scientists, and partner organizations. To become a certified Museum Ecologist, and be awarded the full USBE credit, you must commit to completing both the online portion and field days for each course. In situations where only the online portion is completed you will be awarded 0.5 USBE credit.

What does participation and attendance look like?
The Museum Ecologist program is best experienced by joining the online Zoom classes, making 5 observations a week in iNaturalist, and completing assigned readings. All Zoom classes will be recorded for participants needing an asynchronous option, though we strongly recommend joining our classes live. By completing the homework and joining us for our field excursions, you will receive 2 USBE credit; if you complete the online portion, you will be awarded 0.5 USBE credits.

What do I get for participating in Museum Ecologist?

Upon completion of the requirements, you will receive a certificate identifying you as a NHMU Museum Ecologist! In addition to receiving certification, Utah teachers will earn 2 USBE credits for attending each field course and completing the coursework, or teachers can earn 0.5 credits for completing the online portion only. You will also gain valuable knowledge and resources to bring back to your classroom.

How do I register?

Applications will open three months before the field course, and will be linked from this page to a detailed description of the module. We'll update dates and registration information as soon as we know them. We want to hear from you in your own words, so application answers generated with AI will not be considered.

Who should I contact if I have additional questions?

For questions about NHMU's Museum Ecologist for teachers, please click here to email Museum Ecologist!