“Education, Restoration, Conservation”
Our Mission
The Texas Master Naturalist Program’s mission 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.
Our Commitment to You
The Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalist chapter is strengthened by the diversity of our members. We are committed to providing a welcoming environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion are a core part of everything that we do. We strive to be an organization that reflects the communities we serve and encourages multiple ideas and viewpoints.
The Texas Master Naturalist program is a partnership between the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and other local partners.
Congratulations to the Blackland Prairie Chapter Class of 2024!
Monthly Chapter Meetings
2024 November Chapter Meeting with Max Anton | Mollusks: Lone Star Land Snails
Join us for an insightful presentation by Max Anton on the fascinating world of mollusks. Max will delve into the diverse species, their unique adaptations, and their ecological significance. Whether you’re attending in person at the Heard Museum or joining us online via Zoom, this is an event you won’t want to miss!
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 – 7:00 PM
Click here to view our Calendar.
- SRC Doors will open at 6:30 PM
- Zoom meeting waiting room will open at 6:45 PM
- Business Meeting will begin at 7:00 PM
- Naturalist Talk will begin at 7:30 PM (approximately)
Topic: Mollusks: Lone Star Land Snails – A quick overview of Texas’ most remarkable terrestrial mollusks.
Speaker: Max Anton is a museum exhibit developer and amateur naturalist from Houston, Texas. In 2009, Max built the first online field guide to Texas land snails, www.molluskman.com. He is also involved in art, paleontology, and theology.
Physical Meeting Location: Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary,
1Nature Place, McKinney TX 75069, Science Resource Center (SRC) building.
Directions to SRC: Drive through Heard gates; go past parking lot and museum building; continue until the road ends at the large white SRC building.
Online Zoom Meeting Registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqc-yrqT4rHtzVMlNaWFk_mL0NlAjq0Lpj
Please register ahead of time for this meeting using your Zoom Account Email address.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.
Logging AT: The monthly meeting presentation will allow members to earn 1-hour of AT. Log as AT: BPTMN Chapter Monthly Meeting Only (1 hour) with the speaker’s name and topic in the description box.
For any additional questions, please contact.
Chapter Meeting Host: Cali Bakker – calib@bptmn.org
Past Chapter Meeting Speakers and Topics
2024 November Deep Dive – Mycology 101 with Jean Suplick
A Beginner’s Guide to Encountering the Wild World of Mushrooms
Join us as Jean Suplick shares how she traveled that path and what she learned along the way to becoming a Texas Master Naturalist. She will discuss what kind of mushrooms to expect in our area and when, what to know about mushroom identification, tools for the field, and helpful resources.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vce6oqD8rEtU9RVoVxEDvM06e_-bOY3EP
Tuesday, November 18 – Mycology 101 with Jean Suplick
Click here to view our Calendar.
Topic: A Beginner’s Guide to Encountering the Wild World of Mushrooms
Speaker: Jean Suplick has been a Texas Master Naturalist, Blackland Prairie Chapter since 2017. Her inveterate inquisitiveness about all things wild led to a journey of exploration into our local mushrooms.
Online Zoom Meeting Registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtd-GvpzssGNx7VCkoBC7csgEVRGSfSo7j
Please register ahead of time for this meeting using your Zoom Account Email address.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.
Logging AT: Approved for 1 hour of AT to be logged as AT: BPTMN: Other Pre-approved Training with name of speaker and topic in the description box.
Current News
Message from our Librarian
Attention BPC/TMN members! Please do not donate any new books without checking with the Chapter Librarian Linder Orourke or Training Director Nancy Casillas. The library is in the process of being updated, plus we are out of storage space at the Heard Museum for books. Be sure and stop by the Book Table at the next chapter meeting and explore the new and updated books. Thanks, Linder Orourke, Librarian
Exciting Partnership for Pollinator Conservation in Texas! Grant Application Now Open!
Dear friends, We’re thrilled to announce that H-E-B is teaming up with the Texas Master Naturalist (TMN) Program to launch the “Pollinators for Texas” program, aimed at supporting native pollinators that sustain our ecosystems! Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and more, play an essential role in maintaining biodiversity. In Texas, they are crucial for the pollination of local flora and contribute significantly to our agricultural production. H-E-B is proud to provide $50,000 to the TMN Program, allowing TMN chapters across the state to apply for micro-funding of up to $3,000 for pollinator conservation projects. These funds will support community-based…
Texas Pollinator Bioblitz, October 11th – 27th, 2024
Rewilding Sticker Hill: Trying to Succeed at Succession
Article and Photos by Karen Glenn, Blackland Prairie Master Naturalist; Submitted by Patricia Crain, Class of 2018 One thing I really love about the concept of rewilding is the opportunity to take things slow. It is a process of working with nature and looking at a habitat from the perspective of native flora and fauna. Farming and gardening are mostly based on a human perspective of land use. Permaculture practices were movements towards rewilding, and while building a permaculture is much better for the native habitat, the practices still focus on a human-needs perspective. While I add my own food…