I don't have any experience with that particular program, They may very well be great. I wonder what they mean by naturalist, though. In my experience "naturalists" are either park/resource managers or natural area interpreters. Either of these prositions require a degree form an acredited school.
I think when considering any educational persuit, you should ask yourself:
Why do I want to do it? - New job? Personal enrichment?
If it is for personal enrichment, find a school that teaches what you are interested in, make sure the teachers are qualified, and go for it. If you are planning on getting a job in the field, you should also ask:
Is the program certified?
What will this program get me - will I be better qualified to do what I want if I do this program?
Are there people working in the field that have taken this program?
Can the program provide references?
Is the cost comparable to other programs?
I personally am leery of the self taught/correspondence courses. There are plenty of acredited programs in natural science/natural area interpretation to choose from, if that is what you are interested in. They probide a bona fida degree on completion. For primitive skills, there are plenty of books on the topic, and you can likely find local folks who will help you without charge (e.g. re-enactors, state park staff, scout trooops, folks here online, etc.). For birds, Audobon offers courses leading to a Master Birder's certification - they are a recognized organization. States often provide inexpensive training for hunters that includes some game tracking, etc. and there are collge level courses on wildlife that likely will provide more in the way of wildlife skills than you will get from most short term courses.
Pat
