Once you’ve familiarized yourself with who we are and what we do, and you think the Texas Master Naturalist Program is right for you, you can begin the next steps to start your journey towards becoming a Certified Texas Master Naturalist.
Registration for the 2022 Volunteer Training Course is closed at this time.
Trainees are reminded they will need reliable access to a computer with Internet and some basic computer skills to navigate our online system for reporting training and volunteer hours to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and our chapter communications.
All Texas Master Naturalists must pass an annual background check (initiated and paid for by Texas Parks and Wildlife). Texas Parks and Wildlife uses the Volunteer Management System (VMS), an online tool, to report volunteer and advanced training hours to a central location as part of grant requirements for the Texas Master Naturalist Program. Instruction in the use of the VMS is provided in the training course sessions.
Completion of the training course and initial certification as a Texas Master Naturalist is not the end, but the beginning of many enjoyable hours volunteering with other Texas Master Naturalists to protect and preserve the outdoors of Texas.
The 2022 Volunteer Training Classes will be held March 22 through June 4th. Classes and field trips will be in-person most Tuesdays, with live WebEx webinars on three Tuesdays, along with three Saturday field trips . Our evening graduation ceremony will be our June 14th chapter meeting – trainee families are encouraged to attend this celebration! This schedule is subject to change to ensure the best training experience, and to changes in procedures mandated for our safety by Texas A&M AgriLife and Texas Parks and Wildlife.
2022 Volunteer Training Course Schedule
Steps to become a Certified Master Naturalist
- Submit the Volunteer Training Course Application – closed at this time. Since the Texas Master Naturalist training is ecosystem-based, this Course is only available to those who reside in Bell or a nearby county.
- ONCE YOU ARE ACCEPTED INTO THE TRAINING COURSE, pay the one-time training fee of $150.00. You may pay the course fee online through this website (be sure to select the Volunteer Training Course button – dues are included for new trainees) or mail your course fee payment directly to the CTMN Treasurer:
Central Texas Master Naturalist Chapter
ATTN: Bruce Polikoff
PO Box 4344
Killeen, TX 76540
Please make checks payable to Central Texas Master Naturalists - ONCE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO, Register as a Texas Parks and Wildlife Volunteer with the Central Texas TMN Chapter
- Complete the full 40+ hour Volunteer Training Course to become a Master Naturalist Pledge.
- After graduation, become a Certified Master Naturalist by providing a minimum of 40 hours of Volunteer Service and completing a minimum of 8 additional hours of Advanced Training by one calendar year from the last scheduled class of the 2023 Initial Training Course.
Have more questions? Contact Zoe Rascoe, our Chapter Registrar, and she will get back with you shortly.
Membership in the Chapter is open to qualifying individuals regardless of race, age (must be 18 years of age or older), gender, religion, disability, or national origin.