Blackland Prairie Newsletter

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BPTMN Newsletter – November 16, 2025

Hello Blackland Prairie Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists,

Read Rick Travis’s 2025 Year End Review about our record-breaking 2025, surpassing 40,000 volunteer hours and 4,200 advanced training hours. Our chapter also celebrated a big win at the 2025 Texas Master Naturalists Annual Conference, where Kathy Boys’ Journaling Brochure earned first place for its ability to foster connection and stewardship with nature.

Looking ahead, don’t miss the in-person Blackland Prairie Chapter Holiday Party & Potluck on Tuesday, December 9th—a perfect chance to celebrate the year with fellow members and project leaders. Be sure to CHECK OUT the BPTMN Holiday Party 2025 Sign Up Genius.

Volunteers are needed to bring holiday cheer to LLELA’s Christmas at the Cabin on Saturday, December 13th. Join us on Tuesday, December 16th for a Deep Dive with Dr. Jaime Baxter-Slye, sharing exciting updates from the UNT Ecological Action Studio 2025, including a prescribed burn and plant rescue efforts.

Finally, remember to mark your calendar for the Blackland Prairie Chapter Book Club meeting on Wednesday, December 17th, and please update your contact data immediately to be included in the 2026 Membership Directory.

Have a delightful & delicious Thanksgiving holiday!

You can access our latest newsletter from our Chapter’s Home Page at bptmn.org, click on the “Blackland Prairie Newsletter” image, OR by direct link – https://txmn.org/bptmn/newsletters/

Do you have newsletter feedback or want to help? Send us an email – [email protected]

This newsletter will provide:

  • Next Month’s Chapter Meeting
  • Shaking the Trees Member Submissions – Shaking the Trees Newsletter
  • Past Meetings with Business Slides and Recordings
  • Past Deep Dives with Handouts and Recordings
  • Upcoming Advanced Training & Volunteer Hours Opportunities – Member VHAT Calendar.
  • TMN State Program Updates
  • Chapter Advisor
  • Chapter Partners

If chapter members need to share information in the monthly newsletters or provide feedback.
Please send your emails to [email protected].


Michelle Connally
Communications Director
Blackland Prairie Chapter

Next month’s Chapter Meeting information

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!

Who shares our North Texas skies? 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.

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.

Find “shared” slides in our Flickr Album – 2026 Chapter Meeting Slides | Flickr

If you have any additional questions, please email.
Chapter Meeting Host: Marla Layne, [email protected]

Latest Shaking the Trees Newsletter – Member Submissions

Submit your article here

Past Meetings with Business Slides and Recordings

Past Deep Dives with Handouts and Recordings

Upcoming Opportunities on our VHAT Calendar

Click this link to visit the VHAT Calendar https://txmn.org/bptmn/calendar/

TMN State Program Updates

Chapter Advisor

Dr. Curtis Jones, County Extension Agent
825 North McDonald Street Suite 150
McKinney, TX 75069-2175
[email protected] 
972-548-4233

Chapter Partners

Blackland Prairie Raptor Center
[email protected]
https://bpraptorcenter.org/

Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve
Bob Mione | [email protected]
connermaraconservancy.org/wordpress/meadow-nature-preserve

Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary
Laura Ragan | [email protected]
www.heardmuseum.org/volunteer

LLELA Nature Preserve
Erin Piper | [email protected]
https://www.llela.org/research-restoration/volunteering

Send any questions or feedback about this page to [email protected]