“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 2025!
2026 February Chapter Meeting with Laura Johnson | Raptors in North Texas
We are talon you—you won’t want to miss our February 10th meeting!
Join us as we welcome Laura Johnson, Executive Director of the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center.
🦅 Presentation: Raptors in North Texas. From the silent flight of owls to the soaring agility of hawks, raptors are vital members of our local ecosystem. Laura will guide us through the species found right here in North Texas, helping us identify them and understand the critical roles they play in our environment.
About Our Speaker: Laura Johnson is a dynamic leader committed to conservation and education. As the Executive Director at the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, she spearheads initiatives dedicated to raptor rehabilitation and prairie conservation. Laura is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis and holds an MBA from Texas Woman’s University. Her unique blend of wildlife conservation and leadership expertise ensures the Center remains at the forefront of its field.
Help Keep Our Chapter Meeting Snack Table Thriving! 🥨
As our chapter continues to grow, so does our love for sharing a bite together! To keep this welcoming tradition going, we invite you to bring a small snack to share—whether store-bought, homemade, sweet, or savory, every contribution makes our meetings more enjoyable. If you’re able to help out at an upcoming gathering, please sign up below to help us build a more connected community!
Sign Up Genius: 2026 Snack Donations
When: Tuesday, February 10, 2026 – 7:00 PM
Click here to view our Calendar.
- SRC Doors will open at 6:30 PM
- The Zoom meeting waiting room will open at 6:45 PM
- The Business Meeting will begin at 7:00 PM
- Naturalist Talk will start at 7:30 PM (approximately)
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, past the parking lot and museum building, and continue until the road ends at the large white SRC building.
Register in advance for this Zoom meeting:
Use the email address associated with your personal Zoom account.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Z7BrnoA7R0mMCCmAg05GQQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing 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.
If you have any additional questions, please email.
Chapter Meeting Host: Marla Layne, [email protected]
Past Chapter Meeting Speakers and Topics
Deep Dive on From Backyard to Blackland: Raising Natives for Restorations with Heather Fell and Katelyn Miller
Join us on Wednesday, February 25th at 7 PM CST for a Deep Dive with Heather Fell and Katelyn Miller, presenting From Backyard to Blackland: Raising Natives for Restorations, online via Zoom.
Click here to view our Calendar.
Topic: From Backyard to Blackland: Raising Natives for Restorations
Speakers:
Katelyn Miller is a member of the Blackland Prairie Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists from the class of 2019. Currently, she is an Environmental Professor at Collin College and has 10 yrs experience teaching a diversity of biology. Her educational background includes a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation, an M.S. in Biological Sciences, and additional M.S. certifications in Agricultural Plant and Soil Science. Her volunteer focus for the past 7 yrs has included years of teaching the Junior Master Naturalist program and, more recently, leading the Collin College Farmersville Prairie project with Heather Fell. Additionally, she focuses on running a sustainable homestead with a focus on permaculture practices, including foraging and cultivating native species with agricultural cultivars.
Heather Fell is a member of the Blackland Prairie Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists from the class of 2021. She has also completed her Texas Waters Specialist certification. She currently serves as the VH/AT Director for the chapter. Her lifelong love of geology started in middle school when she first learned about plate tectonics in earth science class. She’s been fascinated by Earth processes ever since. She has a master’s degree in environmental geoscience, with a special interest in paleogeology. She spent most of her career as a geophysicist working in seismic imaging of the Gulf of Mexico. She now works at Collin College in McKinney, teaching physical geology and Earth science. She also helps teach geology and environmental science outdoor labs at the Heard Natural Science Museum. Heather and Katelyn work together on a prairie restoration project at the Collin College Farmersville campus.
When: February 25, 2026, at 7 PM CST
Online Zoom Meeting Registration
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/bNDW_52ZQUWMH0lyjOQjRw
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.
(This meeting will be recorded, and a link will be posted here within a week of the event.)
Logging AT: Approved for 1 hour of AT to be logged as AT: BPTMN: Other Pre-approved Training with the speaker’s name and topic in the description box.
Advanced Training is only for the LIVE session with Q&A, not the recorded video.
If you have any additional questions, please get in touch.
Chapter Meeting Host: Marla Layne, [email protected]
Past Deep Dive Speakers and Topics
Current News
🐦 Upcoming Event: Great Backyard Bird Count 2026 🐦
Cooper’s Hawk
Move over chiggers, there is a new ITCH in town!
Focus on the Future!
Snow Wonder It Works: The Magic of Winter Sowing 🌱
Blackland Prairie Chapter Book Club Details – 2026 Dates