Good Morning TMN volunteers and TMN partners,
There is something new brewing in the waters of Texas! The Conservation Education team with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has been hard at work creating a new specialized training curriculum and program – the Texas Water and Watershed Specialist Program! Johnnie Smith, TPWD, and his team have been building this program with the idea to launch it this year with our Texas Master Naturalist volunteers being the first to use it! Eventually, they intend on sharing it with the general public too. Through this training and program, volunteers will have a chance to earn some advanced training hours and the title of a Texas Water and Watersheds Specialist through this new TPWD program! Here is some of the background information about this new program:
The Texas Water and Watersheds Specialist training is designed to provide water and watersheds educational content to the citizens of Texas, initially through the Texas Master Naturalist program. It will allow Texas Master Naturalists to earn a Texas Water and Watersheds Specialization. Our aim is to inform and to educate them about the most precious natural resource Texas possesses, its water. So many challenges face our State concerning water, in particular in our aquatic habitats, the water for wildlife. Texas Parks and Wildlife wants the public to know that we value the natural and cultural resources of Texas and want there to always be drinkable, swimmable, and fishable waters in our great State.
Volunteers will work through the curriculum individually or in small group study organized by the chapter, then will participate in scheduled interactive webinar trainings. Finally, at the Texas Master Naturalist Annual meeting, they will receive advanced training through workshop sessions to finalize their specialist training and certification. In return for this specialist training, Texas Water and Watersheds Specialists will provide their community with volunteer service in the form of educational activities, projects, or demonstrations.
Before the TPWD team launches this new training program, there are a few more details left to decide – and for this, they’ve asked that we turn to you – our Texas Master Naturalists and naturalist community! The survey asks 7 questions related to your participation in the TMN program, your potential interest in this new water and watershed program and your potential engagement with the public related to water education. Please take a quick 5 minutes to help them finish developing this exciting new program!
Find the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TMN-water-specialist-intro
**Please complete this survey by Friday July 3rd!