Blackland Prairie Master Naturalists
Blackland Prairie Chapter
“Education, Restoration, Preservation”
2020 Dues Information or Pay via PayPal 
2019 Fall Newsletter Now Available!
KERA’s Miguel Perez report on the BPTMN class of 2019.
“North Texas Ecology Course Creates
A Team Of Master Naturalists”
The mission of the Texas Master Naturalist program is:
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 Texas Master Naturalist program is a partnership between the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and other local partners.
Become a Texas Master Naturalist
The Blackland Prairie Chapter appreciates your interest in the Texas Master Naturalist Program. We are primarily focused on Collin and Hunt Counties.
Join our Chapter
Completion of our training program is required to become a Texas Master Naturalist. Applications for the 2020 training class will be accepted later this Fall. Please check back on November 1st.
Please consider attending Chapter meetings as a guest. It’s a wonderful way to meet our members, learn about the projects they’re involved in, and to enjoy interesting presentations from knowledgeable speakers. We look forward to your continued interest.
Chapter Meetings
2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Heard Museum Science Center in McKinney
(Links to Directions & Map for the Heard Museum below)
The Heard Natural Science Museum
Science Resource Center Building (SRC)
1 Nature Place
McKinney, TX 75069
Directions to Museum
Directions from the Heard Entrance to the Science Resource Center (SRC):
Stay on the drive, go past the main parking area, the museum building and maintenance area, continue to follow the curve, once on top of the hill, there are multiple areas to park in the circle drive or to the right. The SRC Bldg is on the North Side of these parking areas.
Click to view the Heard Museum Guide Map to locate the “SRC Bldg”
(The SRC Bldg is in the middle of pg 1 and top of pg 2 of the Heard Museum Guide)
2019 Monthly Meeting Topics
November 12: “Frisco Wetlands Environmental Restoration Project: Signs of Success” – Lynde Dodd and Jim Frisinger
Lynde Dodd is a Research Biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center. Her work includes researching invasion and restoration ecology, invasive species management, and aquatic ecosystem restoration with an emphasis in native aquatic and riparian species suitability and restoration implementation techniques.
Related Link – https://www.friscotexas.gov/DocumentCenter/View/17789/US-Army-Corp-of-Engineers-1135-Project-Fact-Sheet
Jim Frisinger was a longtime daily DFW newspaper journalist who recently retired as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public affairs specialist. He administers and contributes to iNaturalist Project sites that cover Army Corps ecosystem restoration sites in Frisco, Dallas and Laredo and volunteers at the Southwest Nature Preserve near his Arlington home.
Stewart Creek Wetlands Frisco iNaturalist Link
December 10: “Fire Ecology of the Blackland Prairie and How Prescribed Fire is Being Used to Restore the Prairie” – Brandon Belcher
“Fire Ecology of the Blackland Prairie and How Prescribed Fire is Being Used to Restore the Prairie” – Brandon Belcher. Brandon Belcher is the North Texas Preserves Manager for the Nature Conservancy. Among the areas Brandon manages are Clymer Meadow Preserve, Matthews Prairie, and Parkhill Prairie. Brandon has a BS in Biology-Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, and a MS in Biology-Ecology, both from Texas A&M-Commerce. In addition to managing prairie preserves for the Nature Conservancy, Brandon is also an Adjunct Instructor teaching Plant Diversity and Conservation at Texas A&M Commerce.
