We are no longer accepting applications for this year’s training! Our next training will start August of 2026.
Be looking for the application to be available starting in June!
The Texas Master Naturalist program offers many opportunities to learn and teach others. Training includes entomology, ornithology, mammalogy, botany, ecology, archaeology, geology, meteorology, and astronomy.
If you live in Taylor, Callahan, Coleman, Eastland, Fisher, Jones, Haskell, Knox, Nolan, Runnels, Shackelford, Stephens, Throckmorton, Concho, Brown, Coke or Tom Green County, you are eligible to apply.
Classes typically start the 2nd or 3rd Thursday of August and end the 1st or 2nd Thursday in November. We meet every Thursday from 6 pm until 9 pm and we also have 3 Saturday field sessions. Most classes are held at the Taylor County Extension office in Abilene but some classes are held at other locations.
Please see page 3 of the 2025 Master Naturalist application for an example of our 2025 schedule. Big Country Master Naturalist 2025 Training Application
If you have additional questions, please call our office at 325-672-6048 or e-mail Dawnyel Luckie at [email protected].
Be sure to stay informed of upcoming events and trainings by signing up for our newsletter. Sign Me Up
What is a Master Naturalist?
Someone who loves being outdoors, loves native plants & wildlife and has a passion for habitat restoration and community outreach. Someone who is interested in citizen science, hiking, astronomy & outdoor activities.
The mission of the Texas Master Naturalist program is to train 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 program currently supports 10,400 volunteers in 46 local chapters across the state. Many communities and organizations rely on these citizen volunteers for operating parks, nature centers, and natural areas; and for providing leadership in local natural resource conservation efforts.
What does it take to become a Master Naturalist?
Initial requirements to become a Certified Texas Master Naturalist and member of the Big Country Chapter:
- 40 hours of basic training (including field studies)
- 40 hours minimum of volunteer service on approved projects in the first year of the start of basic training (Note: you must attend at least one training class before beginning volunteer work.)
- 8 hours minimum of approved advanced training in the first year of the start of the training Session
- $150 application fee (includes one copy of Texas Master Naturalist, a 760-page reference manual edited by Michelle M. Haggerty and Mary Pearl Meuth) and annual background check
Annual requirements to maintain active, certified status in the Big Country Chapter are:
- 40 hours minimum of volunteer service on approved projects
- 8 hours of approved advanced training
- $35 annual dues