Congratulations on enrolling in The Herpetology Collective’s Certified Herpetological Guide or Certified Junior Herpetologist Programs!
These distance-learning experiences are designed to achieve four primary goals:
- Familiarize you with foundational herpetological information, answer frequently asked questions, and dispel myths surrounding reptiles and amphibians.
- Introduce you to conservation concerns affecting these animals and encourage you to find active ways to partake in their protection.
- Orient you towards citizen science initiatives.
- Better prepare you to communicate the intrinsic value and current plights of these fascinating animals with others in your daily life.
The course consists of three parts plus a final exam. The three parts of the course are a written (reading) portion, a video lesson portion, and self-led fieldwork. Each section consists of multiple units and should take approximately twenty hours each to complete, for a total of sixty hours. These hours do not all need to be completed consecutively. You may take as much time and proceed at your own pace until you have completed all the requirements.
Part One: Reading Requirements
A Primer on Reptiles & Amphibians: A Collection of Educational Nature Bulletins
This is the core textbook for the course. You may download a copy of the textbook here. If your tuition included a physical copy, you should receive that within the next week or so.
All sections of the book are required reading except the one on herpetoculture. The bulk of the questions on the final exam will come from the Primer.
The final exam is open-book, so you may reference the Primer during your test to achieve a passing score.
The Natural World
In addition to the textbook, we also have several articles housed on our online publication, The Natural World. This publication allows anyone to read up to three stories per month for free. Currently, only the two stories below are required reading for the course. You are also encouraged to read the rest of the stories we have published.
Part Two: Video Lessons
We are still producing videos, but you are not required to wait for them all to be produced in order to sit for your exam. Currently, the only video you will be tested on is What is Wildlife Interpretation and Why is it Important?
Part Three: Self-led Fieldwork
You will need to complete the list of activities found on the Activities page. Once complete, you will need to submit links to the citizen science records you produced and contact information to the organization where you logged your volunteer hours.
Completing The Course
Once you have completed the above requirements, the next step is to take the final exam. Respondents must score at least 85 points (Junior Program) or 95 points (Guide Program) to pass. You may edit your answers or retake the test as many times as needed to achieve a passing grade.
After passing the final exam, simply submit your completion survey and you will receive your certificate within two weeks (usually faster).
What Happens Next?
You can earn your Certified Herpetological Guide (CHG) certification as a stand-alone achievement, but we hope that this is just the first step towards your being an ongoing valued member of the Collective.
Anyone who wishes is free to simply complete the course and receive their certificate with no further obligation. You may list your certification on your CV, resume, or any place else you would like. However, we hope you will continue learning and stay involved with The Herpetology Collective.
We are currently developing a Certified Herpetological Interpreter course. This course, which comes after the CJH and CHG courses, focuses on honing your skills in sharing your knowledge and passion about reptiles, amphibians, and environmental conservation. Graduates of the CHI course are eligible to teach portions of available THC content in-person in their local areas.
If you need assistance at any time to enroll or complete your course, simply message Micha at m.me/micharpetty or email learnaboutcritters@gmail.com or text us at 318-745-9393. We will be excited to help in any way we can!
Proceeds from tuition and textbook sales support environmental education and direct animal assistance.