Master Naturalists Training Class – Fall Schedule 2023
Updates from October Training
Friday, October 6 6-9PM Refuge
6-8:30pm Rangelands & Grasslands (Unit 20) – Carly Aulicky, PhD, NTX Outreach and Stewardship Director, Native Prairies Association of Texas
8:30-9pm Trainee Informational Tidbits
Saturday, October 7 8:30-5pm Refuge
9am-12pm Forest Ecology and Management (Unit 17) – Ricky Maxey, Retired Army Corps of Engineers, LOP
1-4:30pm Herpetology (Unit 15) – Micha Petty, President, Louisiana Exotic Animal Resource Network
4:30-5pm Training Wrap Up
Updates from September Training
Friday, September 15 6-9pm Refuge
6-8:30pm Archaeology (Unit 2) – Shannon Smith, Texas Historical Commission, Site Manager and Archaeologist
8:30-9pm Trainee Informational Tidbits
Saturday, September 16 8:30am-5pm Refuge
9am-12pm Weather and Climate (Unit 8) – Josh Marcisz, Meteorologist for KTAL TV in Shreveport
1-4:30 Ornithology (Unit 12) – David Brotherton, Birder Extraordinaire and author of 100 Birds of Morris County
4:30-5pm Training Wrap Up
Updates from August Training
Here is video from Saturday’s training 
August
Friday, August 18 6-9PM Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge 15600 FM 134 Karnack 75661 Orientation/Program Overview
Intro to TMN program – Caroline Hughes, Co-Training Director & Barbara Judkins, Chapter President
6:15-8:30 Ecological Regions/Concepts/Ecosystems (Units 4-6) – Penny Wilkerson, Wildlife Biologist, TPWD
8:30-9:00 Volunteer Management System and How It Works – Linda Richtsmeier, Chapter VMS Manager
Ethics and TMN Code of Conduct – Barbara Judkins, Chapter President
Saturday, August 19 8:30-5pm Daingerfield State Park (Dining Hall) 455 Park Road 17 Daingerfield 75638 (on TX 49 just north of Hughes Springs)
9am-12pm Ichthyology (Unit 14) – Tim Bister, TPWD, Fisheries Div.
1-4:30pm Plants (Unit 11) – Vanessa Neace, TPWD Wildlife Biologist, Manager WMA Caddo Lake
4:30-5pm Training Wrap Up
October
Friday, October 6 6-9PM Refuge
6-8:30pm Rangelands & Grasslands (Unit 20) – Carly Aulicky, PhD, NTX Outreach and Stewardship Director, Native Prairies Association of Texas
8:30-9pm Trainee Informational Tidbits
Saturday, October 7 8:30-5pm Refuge
9am-12pm Forest Ecology and Management (Unit 17) – Ricky Maxey, Retired Army Corps of Engineers, LOP
1-4:30pm Herpetology (Unit 15) – Micha Petty, President, Louisiana Exotic Animal Resource Network
4:30-5pm Training Wrap Up
November
Friday, November 3 6-9pm Refuge
6-8:30pm Entomology (Unit 13) – Allen Smith, Texas Forest Service
8:30-9pm Trainee Informational Tidbits
Saturday, November 5 8:50-5pm
9am-12pm Laws & Ethics/Volunteers as Teachers/Citizen Science (Units 22-24) – Boyd Sanders, TPWD Refuge
12-1:30pm Hamburger cookout served to all by our fabulous TMN chefs
1:30-4:30 Historical Naturalists of Texas (Unit 3) – Barbara Judkins, Texas Historical Commission, Site Manager of Starr Home in Marshall
4:30-5 Training Wrap Up
**Be prepared for some outside field study (closed-toed shoes/comfortable seasonal clothing/layers). We will provide sunscreen and bug repellent when needed. Please bring a sack lunch for Saturdays. We will have coffee and water.
Please call Susan Sedberry at 972.890.3620 or Caroline Hughes at 903.821.4264 with any questions.
What is a Master Naturalist?
Someone who’s NOT afraid of digging in the dirt and slogging through the mud while giving back to the community. Volunteers with the interest and desire to give back to their community and willingness to attend the training. Volunteers must complete a training course on the area’s natural features and the impact that people have on nature. The course includes presentations by biologists, geologists, naturalists, and others from local, state, and federal agencies and universities. You must complete a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of advanced training during the first 12 months following your completion of the course (to be completed before your course’s graduation anniversary date).
Come join the fun.
11th Annual Earth Day Paddling Flotilla
The 11th Earth Day Paddling Flotilla was another resounding success by the final total of 128 paddlers. The weather was perfect. The food was excellent. YUM! Check in went very smoothly based on the comments we heard about how organized it was. The silent auction and raffle items brought in paddlers with money in their “dry bags”. Set up and tear down were the usual controlled chaos.
The vendor area seemed very busy and I KNOW Jennifer and Jason were busy with their 
cast iron cooking demonstrations. 
YUM!
Thanks again to all the participants and to each and every one of the volunteers for the hours spent getting this thing organized and implemented so seamlessly!
Stella – Flotilla Chairperson
Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Trail-of-the-Month “Starr Ranch”
On May 20 from 9am to noon, Cypress Basin Texas Master Naturalists (CBTMN) will be hosting at beautiful Caddo Lake National Wildlife Ref
uge (CLNWR). Hosts will greet you at the Visitor Center with maps and info. Hosts will also be at the trail head of historic Starr Ranch Trail. There is a dock, a screened pavilion and bathroom. The trail is rated as easy. Guided walks of 1/2 – to 1.7 mile will be available.
There will also be a guided bicycle tour of about 8-10miles that will help you explore the refuge. (Meet up at 9am). Hikers should wear sturdy shoes. Cyclists should be prepared to ride on gravel roads and bring their own water. Admission is free.
Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (CLNWR) is the former Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant at Karnack, TX. It has over 8000 acres of beauty, diversity and historic interest. There are 5 established trails varying in lengths and habitats. You will see both how nature restores itself and how humans can help with restoring natural habitats. The auto tour route takes you to the various trailheads where you can see some of the historic structures from LHAAP and signage discussing both the history and interesting biology of the refuge. The auto tour route is also a great option for bicycling. Paddlers can access Goose Prairie from the dock at Starr Ranch.
You can contact Cypress Basin TMN at cypressbasintmn@gmail.com or http://txmn.org/cypress/ or https://www.facebook.com/CypressBasinChapterTMN/