Scroll down for information on requirements for certification and schedule of training classes.

The following are the requirements to initially train and certify to become a Llano Estacado Texas Master Naturalist and recertify each year.

• Master Naturalist Trainees must successfully complete at least 40 hours of Initial Training provided by LETMN in combined field and classroom instruction.
• Master Naturalist Trainees must complete 8 hours of Advanced Training approved by LETMN or the State in addition to the 40 hours of initial training.
• The Trainee must complete at least 40 hours of Volunteer Service to the state and community. Trainees can complete their 40 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of advanced training within the year after completion of their initial training or while earning initial training hours.
• In subsequent years, the candidate must complete another 8 hours of advanced training and donate 40 hours of volunteer service to maintain their certification (or to re-certify) as a Texas Master Naturalist.
• ADA Statement: If you need any type of accommodation to participate in this program or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact our extension office at registration or at least 2 weeks prior to the program or event. Midland Extension #432-686-4700.

Initial Training Classes for 2026 will start January 17.

There will be 40+ hours of Initial Training classes scheduled starting in January of 2026. There will be a combination of classroom and field opportunities to earn your Initial Training hours. You will need to attend enough sessions to earn a total of 40 hours. We will have a variety of topics and speakers.

Cost for new trainees is $125 and covers a textbook, annual LETMN dues and speaker fees.

Couples that only need one textbook can go through the training program for $180.

If you are interested in becoming a member of LETMN fill out the following form or email us at [email protected].

Initial Training Schedule for 2026

This is the tentative outline for 2026 Initial Training Sessions. This schedule will be updated periodically. Most Initial Training sessions will be held on Saturdays at the Midland College campus. The building and room will be determined and announced as soon as we know the location. Some sessions occur on Friday evenings.

January 17, 9 AM-2:30 PM: The first training session of 2026 at Midland College, 3600 N. Garfield, Midland, TX 79705 (classroom TBD). Our first session will allow you to register, get your textbook and become familiar with what it means to be a Llano Estacado Texas Master Naturalist. There will be a movie on Historical Texas Naturalists (10-11AM). Dr. Rebecca Dodge, local scientist and instructor, will have presentations on the Ecoregions of Texas (11-12) and Ecological Concepts (12:30-1:30 PM). We will wrap up this first session with other important information.
January 31, 9 AM-3:00 PM: 9:00 AM-10:30 AM: Soil Basics with Master Gardener John Cappadonna. You will be learning about the types of soils in our area and how to test your own soil in order to plan your best native or adapted landscape. (10:45-Noon TBD.) 12:30-2:00 PM: Botany with AgriLife Extension Agent Sara Moran. (2:00-3:00 PM TBD)
February 7, 9 AM-3:00 PM: Midland College. GEOLOGY topics.
February 21, 9 AM-3 PM: Various WATER topics. Rene Hawklee – City Planner, Civil Engineer – Origin and Destiny of Municipal Water in the Permian Basin Raymond Straub, Principal Geoscientist at Straub Corporation – West    Texas Groundwater Rebecca Dodge – Texas Water Law Ryan Slocum – TCEQ Kris Alles – Water Reclamation in the Oil Fields
FRIDAY, March 6, 6-7:30 PM: Midland College. We will be presenting Patsy and Tom Inglet, Ornithologists associated with the Cibola Center for Conservation by Zoom.
March 7, 9 AM-3 PM: Midland College. EarthKind Landscaping – Susie Yarbrough Rangeland Management Mammalogy  Archeology Law & Ethics
March 28, Times TBD. Field Session at Kellus Turner Park, West Odessa. Trees 101 – Susie Yarbrough Tree Survey – Pat iNaturalist – Chris Mallery KTP Bioblitz – Michele Lee Spinks
FRIDAY, April 10, 9 AM-4 PM. Ratliff Ranch. Land Conservation workshop open to the public.
April 18, 2:30 PM-5:30 PM. NOAA NWS 2500 Challenger Dr. Midland, TX 79706-2606. Weather and Climate topics.
April 25, 9 AM-Noon. Watersong Wild Space. Herpetology field session with Jaxon McAndrew, WWS Conservation Land Manager.
May 2, 9 AM-4 PM: Entomology with Michael Nickell, Sibley Nature Center Museum Scientist. Enjoy a fascinating overview of the insect world and and the diversity we have in our area. 12:30-4:00 PM, Native Bees of the Permian Basin. LETMN Beeple will take you on a tour of the native bees of our area and their importance to our unique ecosystems. There will be insect displays, catch and release (weather permitting), microscope work, and identification techniques.
August: Dragonfly Celebration 2025 was held on Saturday, August 8, 7:00 AM-11:00 AM, at Sibley Nature Center. We caught dragons and damsels, photographed them, and enjoyed a beautiful day before the heat really set in! We will have something similar in 2026.
October: Field Sessions TBA: Time for Monarch Migration! We track and tag monarchs as they venture to Mexico for the winter.

Curriculum Guides

For each Unit covered in the textbook, LETMN members have written Curriculum Guides (CGs) to help you take notes. You can use CGs to take notes during presentations or while reading the text. They are for you to keep with your personal notes and materials. After a training session, you will be sent a Google Form with an Online Review (OR) of about 10-15 questions taken from the CGs. These are voluntary and can be taken as many times as necessary to earn a 100%. If you choose to take an OR, you can earn 0.5 hours of Initial Training for a 100% score. These are meant to help you learn the material in another way.

Note: The CGs are in numerical order and not the order in which the Units are presented in Initial Training sessions.

Other links or files for Presentations or Units

If there are additional links, pictures or files to go with a Unit, they will be here!

Want to know what a Texas Master Naturalist is? Click on icon below

Interested in birds? Go to the Birding in West Texas area of the website for more resources and see what you will learn about birds in our area: https://txmn.org/llano/birding-in-west-texas/

Here is an example of one of our special presentations.

Example of flyer a member created to help learn about the area’s wildlife.

LETMN Volunteers as Interpreters