This calendar includes Heartwood’s scheduled chapter, volunteer, and training events.

For a list of unscheduled (work at your own pace) volunteer activities, check out the approved chapter activities: Heartwood Volunteer Projects

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2023 Annual Meeting

October 12, 2023 - October 15, 2023

Get excited for our Texas Master Naturalist 2023 Annual Meeting – to be held Thursday, October 12th through Sunday, October 15th this year at the southernmost point of the South Texas Plains ecoregion, surrounded by mesquite and prickly pear brush country in McAllen, Texas.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley is famous for its diversity of birds, butterflies, and endangered species like Ocelots, Texas Tortoises, Sabal Palms, and Piping Plovers that call the region home. McAllen offers some of the best birding and nature exploration opportunities in Texas, with its sunny subtropical climate and prime location along the Central Flyway. For our 24th Annual Meeting, we are excited to gather at the McAllen Convention Center, which sits between multiple nature centers and wildlife refuges along the Rio Grande Valley. McAllen also offers a unique opportunity this year as a prime location to view an annular solar eclipse!

The Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for the Texas Master Naturalist volunteers from around the state to gather, participate in hands-on educational seminars, and receive all their Advanced Training requirements for the year in one weekend. It’s also an opportunity for program participants and supporters to network, share new ideas, and to learn from chapters in different regions of the state.

VMS:  AT: TMN State Meeting AT Sessions
Note:  Travel time can not be counted for AT.

Check the website for updates to the following information:

Awards and Contests

We host four Annual Meeting contests each year. All award winners for last year can be seen here in the Annual Meeting 2022 Awards Wrap Up. Details for each are linked below. Pre-Annual Meeting Entries – all due by 5pm on Friday, September 15th.

 

Sponsors

All sponsorships received special recognition through conference communication, fliers, announcements, and programs. Sponsors could make a general contribution to support and sponsor the TMN Annual Meeting at any of the following levels with recognition at each level as given:

https://txmn.tamu.edu/2023-annual-meeting/#sponsors

To be a sponsor, please contact, Mary Pearl Meuth – mpmeuth@tamu.edu

Vendors

We are once again hosting our event with the opportunity to invite a few key vendors and exhibitors with naturalist related goods, artwork, projects, plants, educational materials, and outreach from partnership organizations. The vendor booths will be located in the main conference reception area at the McAllen Convention Center. Vendors will receive one 6’ table and two chairs. Electricity and other display needs may have additional costs and can be discussed if needed.

Vendor setup will be on Thursday, October 12th from 8am-12pm with take down and move out by 10am on Sunday, October 15th. Vendors will be responsible for their own move in, set up, take down, and move out. There will be ample time throughout the conference for attendees to browse the vendor areas, with breaks and socials scheduled to be held in the vendor space. We kindly ask that all vendors donate an item for the Silent Auction. The money raised from the silent auction will be used towards scholarship funds for Master Naturalists expressing a need to be able to attend our conference the following year.

https://txmn.tamu.edu/2023-annual-meeting/#Vendor

Vendor Booth – $300 for commercial ; $150 for non-profit

The vendor fee is a nominal fee but does not include lodging or meals. Lodging and meals will be available through our registration system once posted in August. Registration is needed to attend sessions as well.

Please email Mary Pearl Meuth, mpmeuth@tamu.edu if you’re interested in being a vendor at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

 

Transportation

Knowing this year’s meeting is at a far reach for many of our traveling Master Naturalists, we’ve put together some ideas for you to consider as you plan your travel to McAllen:

  • Plane
  • Bus
  • Carpool
    • Check with your local chapter members, or chapters in your surrounding area and carpool together! Share the driving responsibilities and learn more about your master naturalist friends.

Our TMN Program Office is also looking into a discussion board to allow attendees to connect for ride sharing. This would be a self-serve discussion board to allow for connections. Also, because we will not be able to provide field session transportation – we are also looking into field session transportation discussion boards for meeting up.

Lodging

This year’s Annual Meeting will be hosted at the McAllen Convention Center, situated in the center of a multi-facility complex of hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers. Conference lodging arrangements have been made at five (5) hotels within walking distance to the Convention Center. Lodging reservations can be made through the links below, and room blocks are being held at first come, first serve.

*Note – if there are issues with the links for hotels, please call their front desks to book under our Texas Master Naturalist block.

https://txmn.tamu.edu/2023-annual-meeting/#Lodging 

Agenda

The full agenda for the Annual Meeting will be posted in early July; however, our skeleton agenda is below:

https://txmn.tamu.edu/2023-annual-meeting/#Agenda

Registration

Registration for this year’s Annual Meeting will open the first week of August. Registration prices will be released in July. Stay tuned!

Join our TMN Email Listserv to be the first to hear about the Annual Meeting registration and more – https://txmn.tamu.edu/about/contact/

Or follow us on social media to hear news about the upcoming event –

Details

Start:
October 12, 2023
End:
October 15, 2023
Event Category:

Venue

TX United States + Google Map

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