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Advanced Training Opportunities and Reporting – Out of date

Advanced Training (AT) and Where to find them on this site

  • AT provides Texas Master Naturalists an opportunity to focus their interests
  • AT promotes continued learning and development
  • AT provides experienced Texas Master Naturalists with tools to volunteer in more advanced ways

Every Texas Master Naturalist must complete 8 hours of Advanced Training (AT) each year to recertify. Normally, 4 hours must be in-person training, but due to COVID-19, all 8 hours may be completed by webinar for 2021. 

More than 200 chapter-approved AT opportunities are available each year and are posted on the Chapter Calendar.

Annual Conference AT reporting

To report your attendance at Annual Conference events, just consult this handy guide: Annual Conference AT Codes for VMS.  In this .pdf document, you will find all Annual Conference  events that qualify as an AT for the Hill Country Chapter, along with corresponding information you will need to make your entries in VMS.   
Click here to view Annual Conference AT Codes for VMS.

2016 class trip-learning outdoors

Where to Report Advanced Training

All AT opportunities completed should be record in the VMS system. Please read the Step-by-Step How To instructions for entering the AT hours in VMS before you log in to the system.

Report AT Hours

Criteria for Approving an event as an AT opportunity

AT opportunities come from the hill country Chapter Service Area and beyond. The AT Director reviews and approves each opportunity before posting them on the Chapter Calendar. Every opportunity must

  • Promote continued learning and development of naturalist skills
  • Provide knowledge and skills to work in volunteer efforts
  • Provide an opportunity to focus interests
  • Build on the core curriculum initially provided by the local chapter
  • Focus on resource management issues and information applicable to the chapter’s local community or ecoregion
  • Be presented by a person who is a recognized authority or skilled in the subject matter

If you think you have an event meets these requirements and should be on the Chapter calendar, please submit for review.

Submit AT Opportunity

If you have questions about Advanced Training, contact the Director of Advanced Training, Deb Youngblood advancedtraining@hillcountrytmn.org