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
Want to suggest a new volunteer opportunity?
Want to suggest a new advanced training opportunity?
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TMN Virtual Volunteer Fair (TMN Tuesday Event)
April 9 @ 10:00 am - 1:30 pm
Our volunteers are ready to volunteer! Our Texas Master Naturalist Volunteers are dedicated to natural resource conservation work. After the innovations of the pandemic, we’re continuing to hold our ever-popular Virtual Volunteer in 2024 Fair where Texas Master Naturalist volunteers are introduced to virtual and distanced service projects offerings of our partner conservation organizations in their communities. This returning feature of our program easily allows members to remain active during the hottest months of the year and provide service opportunities for any ability throughout the year.
During the hottest months of the year, in-the-field service projects become less desirable and hit a lull until cooler months come around. The TMN Virtual Volunteer Fair (VVF) is an opportunity for our partner conservation organizations to present service projects that need volunteers from a distance or virtually! After five successful TMN VVF events, our members are asking for more virtual and distance-based service projects!
The Virtual Volunteer Fair will be an opportunity for our partner conservation organizations to present volunteer service projects that need volunteers from a distance or virtually! Save the Date and plan to join us on Tuesday April 9th 2024, for this series of project presentations showcasing opportunities from across the state and across the spectrum of natural resource topics.
As an attending Texas Master Naturalist what can I expect?
Get ready to volunteer! The Texas Master Naturalist Program is planning to host its fifth Virtual Volunteer Fair this spring: Tuesday April 9th, 2024, with a series of 15-minute sessions highlighting projects by a variety of partner conservation agencies and organizations. Sessions will be recorded and uploaded to our website post-event for those who cannot attend the live presentations.
Virtual Volunteer Fair Agenda
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM Introduction
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Texas Children in Nature Network Virtual Volunteer Opportunities – Alice Jansen, Texas Children in Nature Network
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Bridging Communities: Translating LEAP Program Promotional Material for Education Outreach in the Gulf Coast Region – Alicia Fontenot, Texas Children in Nature Network
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM Pack for Adventure: Volunteer Event to Prepare LEAP Backpacks – Jennifer Larios, Texas Children in Nature Network
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM Armchair Botanist: Mapping the Plants of Texas – Tiana Rehman, Botanical Research Institute of Texas
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM Warnock Herbarium Updates – Sally Baulch, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
11:30 AM – 11:45 AM BREAK
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM 1 Million Acres of Native Plants – Sandy Tibbs, Native Flora Seeds
12:00 PM – 12:15 PM Agents of Nature – A Discovery Challenge – Marla Layne, Blackland Prairie Raptor Center
12:15 PM – 12:30 PM Seasonal Interest Articles on the Coastal Prairie – Mary Anne Piacentini, Coastal Prairie Conservancy
12:30 PM – 12:45 PM Photographers Needed: Help Bring the Coastal Prairie to Life! – Mary Anne Piacentini, Coastal Prairie Conservancy
12:45 PM – 1:00 PM Spanish Translation of Regional Wildlife and Nature Guides – Marisa Oliva, Texas Children in Nature Network
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM Conclusion & Wrap Up
Projects Not Presented During Virtual Volunteer Fair
Time to Restore: Connecting People, Plants, and Pollinators – Erin Posthumus, USA National Phenology Network/Nature’s Notebook
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project – Wendy Caldwell, Monarch Joint Venture
Catalog of Projects
The Catalog of Projects lists ALL service project details along with the Project Contact and their email address. If you are interested in a particular project, please reach out to the Project Contact directly if you did not get a chance to sign up during the event.
In addition, the projects are noted as statewide or by eco-region in the project description. Keep in mind that some site-based projects may offer aspects of the project that don’t require your presence at the site. If they do require your presence to assist, please make sure to consider the project’s location compared to your chapter’s region and your training as a Master Naturalist. Be sure projects you choose are within ecoregion(s) you are trained for and are pre-approved by your chapter.
How do I join?
Registration to attend our Virtual Volunteer Fair is now open. It is free to register! You can attend any or all project proposal presentations – come and go as you please! TMN volunteers will earn Volunteer Service hours for attending all project proposal sessions – please use the “TMN Virtual Volunteer Service Fair” Statewide Project Opportunity for logging service hours.
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How do I Sign up to Volunteer?
At the completion of EACH project proposal and then again at the end of the event, we will share the “Project Volunteer Registration” survey.
Survey link will be posted on our website once available. https://txmn.tamu.edu/blog/virtual-volunteer-fair-2024/
Sign ups close on April 26th!
How do I log Hours?
Texas Master Naturalists can earn hours for attending the Virtual Volunteer Fair and for participating in service projects presented during the fair. A VMS (Volunteer Management System) Quick Guide reference document has been created to help show these opportunities and how to log them: VMS Quick Guide
VMS: TMN Virtual Volunteer Service Fair (Specify: Reviewed/attended project intros at Virtual Volunteer Fair) in 15-minute increments for the intros watched
