The Good Water Chapter had an excellent year in 2014. The Williamson County Pollinator Garden, a joint project with the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT), bloomed beautifully and attracted many insect pollinators and birds. In Taylor, Master Naturalists worked on the beautiful Liberty Garden. At the Georgetown Public Library, NPSOT and Good Water Members planted native plants in the entry gardens. Good Water members are working with the Native Prairies of Texas at the restored prairie just east of Lake Granger adding native grasses to the area.
Members were trained by thee Texas Stream Team to monitor water quality and take readings monthly. At Berry Springs, bluebird houses were monitored, invasive plants were removed, and barn restoration begun. Once a month members meet at Berry Springs to monitor the water quality and listen for amphibians under the Texas Amphibian Watch. Master Naturalists also work with several youth groups educating them about nature and encouraging them to experience it first hand. During the summer, volunteers worked at the McNeil Bridge to educate the public about the Mexican Free Tail Bats that live there all summer.
If these things sound like fun to you, perhaps it is time to become a Master Naturalist.
To become a Master Naturalist, one begins with a training class of over 40 hours of expert training about almost every aspect of the natural world – soils, backyard habitats, prairies, rangeland management, forest ecology, birds, mammals, fish, insects, botany, climate, geology, and archaeology.
Registration is open for the 2015 Training Class beginning on March 3 and continuing through May 28. The class schedule and registration materials are found at the Good Water Chapter website: http://txmn.org/goodwater/ under the link for New Member Training. Cost for the class is $150 and includes a large handbook of information about the natural world in Texas. Spouses pay a discounted fee of $120. The fee includes a one-year membership to the Good Water Master Naturalist Chapter. Online registration is available.
To complete the process of becoming a Certified Master Naturalist, each volunteer completes 40 hours of service and an additional 8 hours of training. Master Naturalists certify each year by doing 40 hours of service and attending 8 hours of training. Many Master Naturalists serve and train far beyond the minimum standards.
Another benefit of becoming involved with the Master Naturalist Program is the monthly chapter meeting with interesting speakers. Good Water meets on the 4th Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m.at the Williamson County Texas A&M AgriLife Meeting Rooms at 3151 SE Inner Loop in Georgetown. Speaker this month is GWMN member, Winnie Bowen. She will speak on how she dug up her front lawn and turned it into a native-scape. Winnie, a garden hobbyist for decades became passionate about native plants after joining the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) several years ago. She will share her mistakes, what she learned and what she’s just going to have to live with. It’s amazing how many neighbors she met and how much information she was able to pass on. Laughingly she says, “If this old lady can do it, you can too.”