Texas Master Naturalist
The 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.
The Need: Many communities and organizations rely on such citizen volunteers for implementing youth education programs; for operating parks, nature centers, and natural areas; and for providing leadership in local natural resource conservation efforts. In fact, a short supply of dedicated and well-informed volunteers is often cited as a limiting factor for community-based conservation efforts.
Upcoming Events
Texas Master Naturalist Trainings
Twenty seven chapters are organizing spring training classes. If you are interested, search for a chapter near you and check below to see where spring trainings will be held.
To get even more information about reasons to join the Texas Master Naturalist program, we encourage you to watch the winning submission for the 2015 Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting’s Video Contest. The video was submitted by the North Texas Chapter, located in Dallas.
The following twenty seven chapters are organizing spring training classes:
A NEW Chapter is forming – Join the first class of this chapter!!
Chapter Name: Lower Trinity Basin Chapter
Training Dates: January 10th-April 25th, 2017
Times & Location: Tuesdays, 6:30 pm at Trinity River NWR, Refuge Office, 601 FM 1011, Liberty, TX 77575
Class Limit (if applicable): 20
Registration Fee (if applicable): $150
Registration Deadline: Dec 16th, 2016
Training Contact Name & Email: Laurie Gonzales, Laurie_Lomas_Gonzales@fws.gov
Times & Location: 5:00-9:00 PM at the Urban Ecology Center-Phil Hardberger Park West 8400 N.W. Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78231
Class Limit: 40
Registration Fee: $200
Registration Deadline: February 9th
Training Contact Name & Email: Jeanette Geiman – jjgeiman@icloud.com
and Chapter Website: txmn.org/alamo
Chapter Name: Blackland Prairie
Training Dates: February 8th-May 3rd
Times & Location: Wednesdays from 6:00pm-9:00pm at Heard Museum, 1 Science Place McKinney, TX 75069
Class Limit: 32
Registration Fee: $150
Registration Deadline: January 20th, 2017
Training Contact Name & Email: education@bptmn.org
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/bptmn
Chapter Name: Central Texas Chapter
Times & Location: Tuesdays from 8-3
Registration Fee (if applicable): $150
Training Contact Name & Email: Mary Ann Everett, everett.maryann4@gmail.com
and Chapter Website http://txmn.org/centraltexas/
Chapter Name: Coastal Prairie Chapter
March 25, 2017-George Observatory, Needville, Texas
April 1, 2017-Attwater Prairie Chicken National Preserve, Eagle Lake, Texas
April 8, 2017-Katy Prairie Conservancy, Katy, Texas
April 22, 2017-Baumbartner Ranch, Richmond, Texas
April 29, 2017-Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, Lake Jackson, Texas
May 6, 2017-San Jacinto Battleground and USS Texas, LaPorte, Texas
May 13, 2017-Washington on the Brazos State Park, Washington, Texas
Class Limit: 20
Registration Fee: $150.00
Registration Deadline: March 7, 2017
Training Contact Name and Email: CJ McDaniel (cjm111@crenshawgolf.com)
and Chapter Website: http://www.txmn.org/coastal
Chapter Name: Cradle of Texas Chapter
Chapter: Cradle of Texas
Training Dates: Class begins 1/18/17 and ends 5/10/17
Times & Sites: See chapter website
Class Limit: 20
Registration fee: $100
Registration deadline: 1/5/17
Training Contact: Carolyn May-Monie
Chapter Website: tmn-cot.org
and Chapter Website: http://tmn-cot.org/
Chapter Name: Cypress Basin
Training Dates: January 20th-21st, February 24th-25th, March 31st-April 1st, and May 5th-6th
Times and Location: Fridays 6-9 PM, Saturdays 8:30 AM-5 PM, Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Class Limit: 20
Registration Fee: $130 per person, $200 for a couple
Registration Deadline: December 31st, 2016
Contact name & email: Jill Wright, New Class Director, jillmom8788@hotmail.com
Chapter website: http://txmn.org/cypress/
Chapter Name: East Texas Chapter
Training Dates: Class begins January 24th, 6:00-9:00pm. Classes held at Tyler Nature Center
Cost: $125
Training Contact: Beverly Guthrie, finwren@sbcglobal.net
And Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/etwd/
Chapter Name: Galveston Bay Area
Training Dates: Thursdays, February 9th-April 27th
Times & Location: 9:00AM – 3:00PM. Each class will be held at a different venue and will be available upon acceptance. More information is available on our website: http://www.txmn.org/gbmn
Class Limit: 22
Registration Fee: $150
Registration Deadline: December 20th, 2016
Training Contact Name & Email: Debi Shelton – Master-Naturalist-Training@comcast.net
and Chapter Website: http://www.txmn.org/gbmn
Chapter Name: Good Water
Training Dates: March 7th-May 23rd
Times & Location: Tuesdays 1:00 PM-5:00 PM. Extension Training Room, 3151 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown, TX
Class Limit: 30
Registration Fee: $150.00
Registration Deadline: March 3rd, 2017
Training Contact Name & Email:Wayne Rhoden, mgardener@suddenlink.net
and Chapter Website: www.txmn.org/goodwater
Chapter Name: Gulf Coast Chapter
Training Dates: Februaary 6th-May 22nd
Times & Location: Monday mornings at the University of Houston-Downtown
Class Limit: 20
Registration Fee: $175
Registration Deadline: January 15th
Training Contact Name & Email: Julia Trimble, julia.trimble@txgcmn.org
and Chapter Website: www.txgcmn.org
Chapter Name: Gideon Lincecum Chapter
Classes: Begin January 23rd and go through April 24 2017. Classes start at 6:00pm Monday evenings at Winedale Heritage Center, Round Top. Classes are in various locations and field trips encompass a few Saturdays.
Class limit: 20
Registration deadline: 10 Jan 2017
Registration fee: $175.00 per person or $325.00 per couple using shared materials.
Training contact: Cindy Hobbs, (979) 338-9374 cndy_hobbs@yahoo.com
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/glc/
Chapter Name: Guadalupe Chapter
Training Contact: Marilyn Anderson, <marilyna@access4less.net>
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/guadalupe/
Chapter Name: Hays County Chapter
Training Dates: February 7th-October 10th 2017
Times & Location: 10 classes Tuesday evenings, 6:00-9:30, 2 classes Saturday mornings, 9:00-12:00. Classes rotate through various locatiosn around Hays County (including San Marcos, Wimberley, and Dripping Springs), 2 site visits required from 5 scheduled visits, 2 scheduled for Saturday mornings, 3 scheduled for Tuesday evenings
Class Limit: 42
Registration Fee: $175
Registration Deadline: January 6th, 2017
Training Contact Name & Email: Susan Neill, trainingcom@haysmn.org
and Chapter Website: haysmn.org
Chapter Name: Heartwood Chapter
Times & Location: Primary class location: Tx Forest Svc Classroom, 1328 FM 1488, Conroe. Various other locations. Most start times 8:30am.
Class Limit (if applicable): 30
Registration Fee (if applicable): $150.00
Registration Deadline: Monday, February 27, 2017
Training Contact Name & Email: Teri MacArthur, texasnaturelover@earthlink.net
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/heartwood/
Chapter Name: Highland Lakes Chapter
Training: Classes every Thursday, starting on March 2, 2017 and ending on May 11, 2017.
Class Limit: Class if FULL as of 12/1/16. If interested in being added to waitlist, please email Marcy Westcott, marcy.westcott@gmail.com
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/highlandlakes
Chapter Name: Lost Pines Chapter
Registration deadline: December 15th, 2016
Class Limit: 25
Training Contact: Michal Hubbard, Training Coordinator, Michal_firecap@yahoo.com
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/lostpines
Chapter Name: Mid-Coast Chapter
Training Dates: Feb. 4 – Jun. 3, 2017
Times & Location: Various locations in our area
Class Limit (if applicable): n/a
Registration Fee (if applicable): $150
Registration Deadline: 12/15/2016
Training Contact Name & Email: Glenn Gomez / gegomez@me.com
and Chapter Website: http://midcoast-tmn.org/
Chapter Name: North Texas Chapter
Training Dates: February 9th-April 25th
Times & Location: Tuesdays, 6-9 pm, locations vary
Class Limit: limited with earlier applicants getting preference
Registration Fee: $180
Registration Deadline: December 1, 2016
Training Contact Name & Email: Connie Koval, education@ntmn.org
and Chapter Website: www.ntmn.org
Chapter Name: Panhandle Chapter
Tentative Training dates: Mar 25, Apr 8, Apr 22, May 6, May 20, June 24, July 29, Aug 26, Sept 30, Oct 14. Training will be a combination of field trips and classroom instruction in various locations.
Registration fee: $95.00
Registration Deadline: March 20
Class limit: 25
Training Contact Name & Email: Joanne Toler, joanne@lswtexas.com
and Chapter Website: http://pctmn.org/
Chapter Name: Piney Wood Lakes Chapter
Training Date: Class scheduling in progress. Will begin January 21st.
Training Contact Name & Email: Susan Tullos, sgtullos@livingston.net
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/pineywoodlakes/
Chapter Name: Red River Chapter
Training Dates: Dates to be announced February 2017
Training Contact Name & Email: J. W. & Roberta Smith, 903-966-2722, greenwoodonthered@gmail.com
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/redriver/
Chapter Name: Rio Brazos Chapter
Registration Fee: $125.00
Registration Deadline: First Day of Class, February 4th
Training Contact Name & Email: Robert Theimer, rltoad@gmail.com
and Chapter Website: http://riobrazosmn.org/
Chapter Name: Rio Grande Valley Chapter
Times & Location: Wednesday evenings, 6 pm to 9 pm at the Cameron County Annex Building, 1390 W Expressway 83, San Benito, TX, Field Trips on Saturdays
Class Limit (if applicable):
Registration Fee (if applicable): $150.00
Registration Deadline: none
Training Contact Name & Email: rgvctmntreasurer@gmail.com or Joni Gillis, jgillis1@rgv.rr.com
and Chapter Website: www.rgvctmn.org
Chapter Name: Rolling Plains Chapter
Training Dates: Classes start March 14, 2017.
Times & Location: Classes meet Tuesday and Thursday nights, 7 to 9 p.m. beginning March 14 through May 4 with 4 Saturday field trips. Classes will meet at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls.
Registration cost: $100.
Training Contact: Robert Mauk, TPWD Inland Fisheries, robert.mauk@tpwd.texas.gov, 940-766-2383
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/rollingplains/
Chapter Name: Sabine-Neches Chapter
Training Dates: Thursday evenings /Saturdays start: late February / early March
Times & Location: 6:30 PM -8:30PM Thursdays / 9:00AM to 3:00PM Saturdays
Class Limit (if applicable): N/A
Registration Fee (if applicable): $70.00
Registration Deadline: first Training class
Training Contact Name & Email: Randy Beehn (beehner@att.net
and Chapter Website: http://txmn.org/sabine/
Chapter Name: South Texas Border Chapter
Training Dates: Third Mondays of the Month. The first class will be Tuesday, January 17, 2017.
Class Limit: 25
Training contact: Becky Reyes, Education Committee Chair, at reyesrebecca52@yahoo.com.
and Chapter Website: http://southtexasborder.wix.com/txmn
3rd Annual Video Contest Winners
Thank you to everyone who participated in our 3rdAnnual Video Contest! The winning submissions can be found on our 3rd Annual Video Contest Winners page or on our Texas Master Naturalist YouTube Channel.
Winning submissions from our 2nd Annual Video Contest can be found on our 2nd Annual Video Contest Winners page or on our Texas Master Naturalist YouTube Channel.
2015 Annual Results
As a result of last year’s reports, there have been 398,811 volunteer service hours provided, 51,431 Advanced Training hours obtained, 12,450 new acres impacted, 80.50 new trail miles, and 5,608 outreach events (78% of those events were direct outreach events, reaching 234,000 youth, adults and private landowners) in 2014 alone.
To date, there have been 9,676 TMN volunteers trained, 2,833,064 volunteer service hours logged, 446,850 Advanced Training hours obtained, over 218,000 acres impacted, 1,946 trail miles, and nearly 400 partnerships. 52 volunteers have given over 5,000 service hours, and 9 volunteers have given over 10,000 service hours.
A full-sized PDF can be found here: 2015 Annual Results Infographic
To see how much we’ve grown since 2014, please view our 2014 Annual Results
