Bois d'Arc Master Naturalists
Images by Jessica Wormack
Our members are a diverse group of individuals who all care deeply about our environment and how to improve and protect it. Click here to see a list of our Committee Heads who will be able to answer any questions you might have about our chapter or the Master Naturalist program. We are hard at work making our website a resource for studying and enjoying what Fannin County has to offer, as well as providing links to other sites with useful information about the plants and animals that bless (and sometimes curse!) our habitat.
We hope you’ll join us in our quest. Clicking on this link will take you to the Texas Master Naturalist application where you can apply to join.
Mission Statement
“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. 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.”
Since the organization’s founding in 1998, Texas Master Naturalists have contributed more than 1,003,409 hours of service on 90,000 acres of wildlife and native plant habitats, and reached more than 1.2 million Texas residents of all ages. These volunteer efforts are worth more than $20 million.
Currently 5,306 Texas Master Naturalist™ volunteers serve in 39 local chapters across the state, and new chapters are opening all the time.
The program has earned the Wildlife Management Institute’s Presidents’ 2000 Award, the National Audubon Society’s 2001 Habitat Hero’s Award, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission’s 2001 Environmental Excellence Award, and Texas A&M University’s 2001 Vice Chancellor’s Award of Excellence in Partnership. In 2005 program earned the U.S. Department of Interior’s “Take Pride in America” award.