LEWISTON — The Maine Master Naturalist Program announces the graduation of 37 individuals from intensive, one-year courses held in Lewiston and Belfast. In the next 12 months, each graduate will volunteer 40 hours as a natural history instructor.

Graduates of the 2011-12 course, held in Wiscasset, have donated more than 650 hours, leading walks and giving presentations at land trusts, elementary schools, nature centers, town conservation commissions, scout troops and other sites from Scarborough to Belfast to Winthrop.

Graduates of the Lewiston course include Jackey Bailey, Poland; Kim Bailey, Auburn; Beth Brooke, Hallowell; Roberta Buccigross, Greene; Sue Calhoun, Portland; Jeanne Christie, Windham; Claire Deselle, Sebago; Pamela Davis Green, Wayne; Leigh Macmillen Hayes, Bridgton; Gabriella Howard, Augusta; Penny Jessop, Lewiston; Rebecca Kolak, Portland; Beth Maddaus, Dixfield; Jeff Pengel, Durham; Lisa Pengel, Durham; Cicy Po, Brunswick; Alan Seamans, Lisbon; Jeanette Smith, Winthrop; Ingrid Stressenger, Cape Elizabeth; Lynn Thurston, Phillips; Sharon Thibault, Litchfield; and Roger Zimmerman, Bethel.

“This second year of the program was extraordinary,” said Susan Hayward, coordinator of the Lewiston course. “Bates College was a generous host site for the classes and the Riverlands State Park in Turner and Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary provided excellent venues for field studies of the river, forest and wildlife habitats.”

She said, “All 21 students excelled in mastering the broad spectrum of seasonal topics, completing a comprehensive study of a local habitat, and submitting a capstone project that reflected in-depth scholarship on a natural history topic. It has been a pleasure to work with each student and observe their passion for sharing the joys of nature with others.”

Forty students are enrolled in the 2013-14 courses, which are being held at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm headquarters and its Fields Pond campus. For information about the program, check the website in February at www.mainemasternaturalist.org.