By: Katie Moses
Spring is such a busy time in the natural world. Flowers are blooming, birds are migrating, pollinators are abuzz, and the earth is covered in every shade of green imaginable. As I’m writing this, my cat and I are watching robins, mockingbirds, and white-winged doves graze in our front yard, and the Merlin Bird ID app tells me the sounds that I am hearing are from Carolina Chickadees, House Sparrows and a Red-bellied woodpecker who had already made his presence known by loudly boring into the partially dead tree in my front yard. And I’m eagerly waiting for the native plants in my flowerbed to bloom so that the pollinators can move in (and so my neighbors can realize its intentional and not just a bed of “weeds” 😊).
Just like the creatures in the natural world, master naturalists are busy as a bee this time of year. Between meetings, outreach opportunities, and field classes, there are some weekends that our chapter members are spread out across multiple events. Not to mention the constant work that is needed at the Bosque River Nature Center and the other pollinators gardens that our members so diligently maintain. Prairie Oaks volunteers also have the opportunity to join with master naturalists across the state and nature lovers across the globe during the upcoming weeks for these activities:
- April 22nd – Earth Day
- April 28th – May 1st– City Nature Challenge: Part 1- Making observations on iNaturalist
- May 2nd – May 7th– City Nature Challenge: Part 2- Identifying observations on iNaturalist
- May 2nd– May 3rd– TXMN Virtual Volunteer Fair
April also happens to be National Volunteer Month, a time to recognize and celebrate all the volunteers in our communities. So please pat yourself on the back for a job well done! Thank you for all the time that you dedicate to our chapter and to the natural world. If you want to learn about volunteer opportunities or ways that you can get involved, visit our chapter’s website https://txmn.org/prairieoaks/ or the program website .
Thanks for all you do!
Katie Moses
2023 President of the Prairie Oaks Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist program