Who We Are
Dr. Martin Main
Program Leader
Dr. Main began developing the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) in 1999 following a 1998 south Florida eco-heritage workshop. He realized the great need for a professional development education program on Florida's natural history. "I believe that most people are genuinely interested and concerned about nature, and that as they learn more, their level of interest and concern increases. I was surprised, however, at the tremendous response to the FMNP, which I think is a very good indication that Floridians will work hard to ensure healthy environments, clean water, and diverse wildlife are available for future generations to enjoy."
Dr. Main has since contributed to the development of Master Naturalist programs in many other states and has won many awards. He is a Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida.
Chad Truxall is the Executive Director of the Marine Discovery Center (with responsibility for implementing the organization’s mission to protect and restore Florida’s coastal ecosystems. Prior to his role as Executive Director, Truxall served as the Director of Programs for MDC and was responsible for developing and implementing hands on, feet-wet education and conservation programs. Truxall holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation with a specialization in Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida and has more than 20 years of experience as a biologist, educator and non-profit manager.
Sarah Falkowski is the Education Coordinator for Rookery Bay Reserve. Sarah manages the Education Department, including K-12 field trips, as well as naturalist and public programs at the Environmental Learning Center, within the 110,000-acre Reserve. She creates the calendar of events and trains interpretative volunteers, in addition to serving as the Reserve’s education liaison with the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center Network.
Amanda grew up in Ontario, Canada, just an hour outside of Toronto. For the last 18 years, Amanda has been immersed in learning, training, and developing environmental education programs for a wide variety of audiences. Throughout her professional life, she continues to build long-lasting and meaningful partnerships with like-minded organizations. 
