Submitting Time Reports
Why do I need to report my time?
You must document in VMS the advanced training and volunteer service hours you need to certify as a Texas Master Naturalist and to renew that certification yearly. They are also used to compile the chapter’s annual report to the state headquarters, which summarizes all chapter activity. The data in these reports are used to measure the success of the program and justify its continued funding.
How often should I log my hours?
Log in to VMS to record your hours as soon as possible after your volunteer activity. Members have 45 days to record their service. The LPMN uses the statewide Volunteer Management System (VMS) to record hours.
Reporting Volunteer Service Hours
What counts as volunteer service?
You may claim volunteer service hours for any project or activity approved by the chapter. Some are ongoing activities; others are one-time-only. Approved activities are posted on Meetup.
A list of previously approved on-going activities and projects is available here.
What is the difference between Chapter Development, Community Service/Outreach, and Environmental Service and why does it matter?
The distinction is made largely to assist in reporting the various activities’ impact, i.e., the number of people and the amount of land we directly affect as a chapter.
Chapter Development applies to activities internal to the chapter, which are largely administrative in nature. It includes time spent by the officers and timekeeper in performing their duties, time spent in organizing and supporting chapter training classes, time attending board meetings, etc. Chapter Development activities have no “impact” outside the chapter itself.
Community Service/Outreach generally involves direct contact with and, therefore, impact on members of the public. It includes such things as time spent working in a booth at a community event, working with children or adults in an educational activity related to the Texas Master Naturalist (TMN) mission, as well as serving on committees and participating in activities aligned with and approved by the TMN program. (Activities performed as a member of another organization are not creditable as TMN volunteer service hours.)
You must report the impact, i.e., the number of people the activity directly affected. State HQ defines direct impact as having a basically captive audience for the duration of the event you are reporting. So, if you lead a 1 hour nature hike attended by 6 children and 8 adults, you would report them on the impact portion of your time report. If you work our booth at Nature Fest, there is no direct impact even though you may talk to dozens of people, as they are free to come and go. On the other hand, if you lead nature hikes at Nature Fest, you would have a direct impact on the hikers and report them.
Environmental Service may or may not involve interaction with 3rd parties but primarily impacts the environment. Conducting a biocensus or bird count, invasive species removal, and Timber Inventory are all examples. Here, impact is measured in miles or acres and must in some fashion directly affect the landscape.
What if I have an idea or know of an activity that has not been approved by the chapter?
You will need to submit a Volunteer Project and Advanced Training Request Form to the Volunteer Service Project Director for approval. The Volunteer Service or Advanced Training Directors will discuss the form with their committee and may recommend approval. Be sure to complete the form in its entirety, providing sufficient detail for the committee to accurately assess the request.
Are there guidelines for the types of activities that are likely to be approved?
Yes. The state has specific guidelines used to determine if an activity is appropriate for the program, which are illustrated here.
All volunteer work must be done within our service eco regions of Bastrop and Caldwell counties. While many citizen scientist-type programs, such as CoCoRaHS, Great Backyard Bird Count, etc., can be performed on your own property, you cannot count hours spent on activities that benefit only you or improve your property, such as planting natives, putting in a pond, working on a wildlife tax valuation, etc. Remember, we are a community service organization, so the community, not private individuals or businesses, should in some way benefit from your efforts. If an activity is supported by one of our sponsors, i.e., Texas Parks and Wildlife or Texas AgriLife Extension, it will generally be approved.
Can I claim travel?
Yes, up to a point. You can claim actual travel time – up to one hour per event, each way – for Volunteer Services only. You cannot claim travel for attending chapter meetings, even if you bring food or drinks or perform some other function at the meeting. You can not claim travel for attending Advanced Training classes.
Reporting Advanced Training Hours
What counts as advanced training?
You may claim advanced training hours for any training approved by the chapter. Speaker presentations at all chapter meetings count as advanced training. Other advanced training opportunities are listed on Meetup or disseminated by email. NOTE: Only actual presentation time at chapter meetings (usually one hour) counts as advanced training.
Do I need to report Advanced training I get at chapter meetings, or am I automatically credited since I signed the roster?
You must report your advanced training time from chapter meetings in VMS. It is not cross-referenced to the meeting sign-in sheets.
If I attend one of our chapter training class sessions for new members, can I claim advanced training for that class?
Generally, no. The material being covered is the same material covered in your own initial training, so it is redundant, not new training. There can be exceptions if there is a new speaker or a new subject you have not heard before, but these will be announced in advance to give everyone the opportunity to attend.
Where else do I get advanced training?
There are many opportunities for advanced training throughout the year, in addition to those offered by the chapter. Click here for a list of approved training topics and sponsors. Classes and presentations that meet these guidelines may be claimed as advanced training without prior approval by the training committee. Be sure to document in your description in VMS both the topic and sponsor of the activity in order to assure you receive credit for it.
If I attend another organization, like Bastrop Audubon’s, meeting to hear their speaker, how do I claim my time?
Just like at our chapter meetings, only the speaker’s actual presentation time counts as advanced training. The rest is simply a meeting and not creditable. The presentation must be relevent to Texas or our eco region. Birds of Costa Rica would not be eligible for hours.
How do I report all-day classes that include a lunch break?
The lunch break is not training time. Training only occurs when there is an instructor teaching and students present. Short breaks (e.g., 15 minutes) occurring during lengthy presentations may be included in training time.
What about registration and field trips?
Many classes include a 15 to 30 minute window for registration before training actually starts. This, again, is not creditable training time. If the course includes a field trip as well as a classroom presentation, the field trip is considered a part of the training and should be claimed. If travel is required from the classroom to the field trip site, it is not considered training time if it exceeds 15 minutes. To help keep this clear, think of it as the “Rule of 15 ,” i.e., interruptions (breaks, lunch, travel) of less than 15 minutes can be included in training time; those in excess of 15 minutes cannot.
What if the field trip is at the same site as the classroom and starts after presenter’s session?
Assuming there would be a short break (15 minutes or less) after the presenter is finished, then that time could be included as training time.