Workshops on Wheels (WOWs)
Along the Upper Texas Gulf Coast, spring is the time of renewal and regrowth, and nature welcomes people outdoors again after a long winter break. Texas Master Naturalist™ Coastal Prairie Chapter (TMNCPC) partners with many conservation and community organizations within our service counties of Fort Bend, Waller, and Wharton, and for many events, youth and the public are involved. That’s fulfilling all three goals of our mission to natural resources conservation with one event: education, outreach, and service.
When training to become Master Naturalists, mentors and fellow members reinforce that the place for our newfound knowledge is not within our heads but out of our heads and into our communities. To better accomplish this, members over the years have pieced together suitcases full of touch-and-feel items with listen-and-learn information provided by friendly volunteers to supplement a variety of nature topics for kids and adults alike: Workshops on Wheels or “WOWs” for short. We set up the table, unpack the contents, and wait for people to arrive with their curiosity, asking questions about nature where they are, and engaging in some hands-on learning from passionate amateurs!
Our most popular WOWs are Skins and Skulls and Butterflies. There are also tabletop presentations on Birds, Bees, Bats, Water Conservation (a/k/a/ Enviroscape), Backyard Wildlife, Pond Life, and Living Soil. Ask us about setting up a WOW table at your future community event, or visit us during these upcoming days to see what they’re like:
- First Colony HOA Members: “Butterfly WOW” in Sugar Land on 4/20, 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM, at 4350 Austin Parkway (RSVP in your First Colony HOA app)
- HMNS Museum Visitors: “Enviroscape WOW” at Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land 4/22
Interested in having a chapter WOW table and friendly volunteers at your future event? Reach out to us for more information.
Other Public Engagement by TMNCPC
JOIN US for any number of these free and for the public, in-person events in the upcoming weeks. Look for Texas Master Naturalists Coastal Prairie Chapter to be ready for your curiosity and questions, happy to connect you to nature right where you are.
- Backyard Birds Presentation at Fort Bend Library Missouri City 4/21
- Earth Day Celebration in Fulshear 4/22
- Earth Day Photography Walk at Katy’s Willow Fork Park 4/22, 8:00 – 9:30 AM
- Arbor Day Celebration (Fort Bend Green) at Kitty Hollow Park 4/28
- Insect Hike at Seabourne Creek Nature Park 4/28
Partner, James B. Harrison Foundation
Hannah Muegge (pronounced MIG’-ee) and the folks at James B. Harrison Foundation (JBHFound) have become like extended family to our volunteer organization. As a conservation partner, they have kindly and regularly hosted two training classes per year several years straight. Their venue provides more than classroom training; the infamous “people-hauler” rides us out to nature hikes and birding hotspots at the Long Point Ranch property in Needville, saving the extra hiking so we can spend more time nature-ing.
Hannah knows that when the new class members learn new skillsets as a TMN volunteer, they will return to shadow mentors and other chapter members, helping JBHFound in return with their signature events: scout merit badge workshops, conducting plant surveys for the property, participating in bird surveys for the property, are just a few. Training classes have dubbed her “Hostess with the Mostess” as she and the entire staff make it easy to accept volunteer opportunities that further conservation education. Just like our outreach tables and WOWs, Hannah does all the hard work. All we do is show up and fulfill the TMN mission!
As long as there are spots remaining, sign up and JOIN US this month at these JBHFound events in Fort Bend and Wharton Counties.