About Us
This Chapter shall be an educational, non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to fulfilling the state program’s mission to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas with objectives of the following:
This Chapter shall be an educational, non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to fulfilling the state program’s mission to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas with objectives of the following:
- Natural Resource Service. To provide, promote and fulfill volunteer service while recognizing and utilizing sound natural resource management, enhancement and conservation practices in accordance with the partners’ and program’s mission.
- Public Understanding. To improve public understanding of natural resource ecology and management by developing a pool of local knowledge about natural resource ecology that can be used to enhance education efforts within local communities.
- Enhance Education and Outreach. To enhance existing natural resources education and outreach activities by providing natural resources training at the local level, thereby developing a supply of dedicated and informed volunteers.
- Volunteer Network. To develop a Texas Master Naturalist volunteer network that can be self-sufficient.
- Advocacy Prohibition. No part of the activities of the Chapter shall be devoted to advocacy, lobbying, politically or privately promoting issues, agendas or businesses and personal endeavors, by propaganda or otherwise, using the Master Naturalist name or themselves as a Texas Master Naturalist.
Structure
Texas Master Naturalist volunteer receive 40 hours of in-depth training in wildlife and natural resource management, customized to focus on their local ecosystems. In return, volunteers provide at least 40 hours of service in the form of community education and demonstration projects, while pursuing a minimum of 8 hours of advanced training in areas of special interest.
Texas Master Naturalist training is provided by educators and specialists from universities, agencies, nature centers, museums, and other organizations who donate their services. The Texas Master Naturalist curriculum is developed by experts and provides a standardized base of knowledge and skills for all volunteers across the state.
The Texas Master Naturalist volunteer program is sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife and is supported by a variety of local organizations.
Currently, eighteen local chapters of Master Naturalist volunteers are operating in Texas with several in development.