The Gideon Lincecum Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists
We are a corps of volunteers working to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within our communities for the State of Texas. That’s our mission. Our chapter territory comprises 5 counties in south-central Texas and we have more than 120 members.
Service
As our mission states, we are about service and education. That means we work as volunteers at a wide variety of service projects, provide educational presentations for diverse audiences, reach out to our communities to help people learn about good stewardship of our natural environment, and so much more. One of the requirements for members to maintain their certifications each year is a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service. Just last year, our members gave more than 5,900 hours of volunteer service to the Texas Master Naturalist program! Learn more about our Activities.
Education
Texas Master Naturalists are always learning. We start by taking the TMN basic training course consisting of a rigorous curriculum spanning topics from archeology to zoology and comprised of 40+ hours of classroom study and field trips. Then every year, to meet the requirements for certification, we earn a minimum of 8 hours of advanced training credit. But our continuing education goes way beyond that as we learn by doing, studying, researching, reading, field work, and more in our favorite topics whether it be birds, bugs, bats, or prescribed burning. Learn more about our basic training class and the road to Becoming a Master Naturalist.
Leadership
Each Texas Master Naturalist chapter is governed by its members with designated roles to help get the business of the chapter done. That means officers, board members, committee chairs, project leaders, and helpers like webmasters or newsletter editors or committee members. All of the leaders are volunteers too so the opportunities to get involved and be an active master naturalist are endless. Learn more about Who’s Who in the Gideon Lincecum chapter.
Community
Chapter membership meetings are held every odd numbered month on the third Saturday, 9 – 11 a.m. Typically these meetings are followed by an advanced training program providing members the opportunity to earn AT hours. The program is generally free and open to the public. Check this website’s Calendar of Events for upcoming meetings.
Giving
As volunteers, all chapter members give countless hours in service to the state and our local communities. The Gideon Lincecum chapter, as a non-profit organization, has also chosen to offer financial support to qualified high-school students in our 5-county region. Learn more about Scholarships for Students.
Join Us
The first step to becoming a master naturalist is to enroll in the Training Class. The chapter began training its first class of 11 students in April 2005 and now has trained over 300 individuals. Our training is held at various venues in our five-county region. Training sessions (a 40-hour course) for new members begin in January and are complete each year by May. For the Class of 2024, training sessions are scheduled for Saturdays with the addition of four or five Monday evening online sessions. Each year’s class size is limited to 25 so it’s best to apply early to ensure your place in the class. Learn more about Joining Us or go directly to the online Training Application.
We invite you to go through our website to find out more about what we do, and What’s New.
Please contact us for more information about any specific aspect of the chapter.
If you are not familiar with the Texas Master Naturalist program and want to learn more about this statewide program sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, please visit the state website.
Read our latest Chapter Newsletter – The GLC Tidings – to see what our members are up to!