The Hill Country Chapter’s 2025 training curriculum is designed to cover the topics required by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the Texas Master Naturalist program. We have organized the content around ecological systems in our area; each unit is an integrated study of the flora, fauna, soils, etc. of each system.
The course consists of twenty training sessions: an Orientation/Welcome Reception, eleven lecture meetings on Wednesday evenings, and eight Saturday field trips that combine lectures plus outdoor activities. The Chapter has also organized some optional activities as noted in the course schedule.
POLICY:
Attendance at all scheduled training sessions is required to attain Certification as a Texas Master Naturalist except for a few marked as optional on the schedule, or the absence is excused in accordance with this policy.
Attendance for Wednesday lectures may be in person or by Zoom at the trainee’s option; there is no option for Zoom attendance for Saturdays. Although Zoom is available for Wednesdays, we encourage trainees to attend the Wednesday lectures in person if possible.
ABSENCES:
Please contact both your mentor and the New Class Director if you are going to be absent from a training session. You may miss 2 training sessions during the entire course.
If it becomes necessary to miss a training session:
You should find some activity to cover the training topic you missed but you do not need to get the activity pre-approved or follow any formal make-up policy. The Hill Country Chapter has a robust AT calendar on its website and other TMN Chapters may offer training that covers the missed topic. Your mentor can help you identify an appropriate training. We encourage you to strive for 100% attendance! If you miss more than two training sessions, you are at risk of having to repeat the entire course to certify as a Texas Master Naturalist.
What To Do:
If you have to miss more than two training sessions:
You must communicate with the New Class Director. The New Class Director may be able to authorize a makeup depending on the specific training you missed, the amount of training you have missed overall, and the circumstances of the absence. If the New Class Director authorizes a makeup, then you will be responsible for finding an appropriate activity and getting it specifically approved in advance by the New Class Director using the Chapter’s make up forms and process. You must complete the
approved makeup activity and submit the required information by the deadline given by the New Class Director.
If you do not communicate with the New Class Director and obtain an approval for a makeup, or if you fail to complete any approved makeup activity as described in this policy, you must re-enroll in a future training course to become certified.
Go to the Chapter’s Make Up Form