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About the Program

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Texas Master Naturalist (TMN). Our chapter members volunteer in our communities to bring about management of natural resources that will maintain and restore the many benefits we receive from nature and are essential to human health and well-being. While understanding and awareness of natural resource management might be learned from a book, it is best attained with one’s feet on the ground. During initial training, state parks, nature areas, and private lands provide opportunities for members-in-training to experience our natural resources intimately and to increase our understanding of beneficial management of natural resources.

As aspiring master naturalists, you recognize the benefits of connecting with nature, from personal health to experiencing joy. In the greater Big Bend area, we are fortunate to have national and state parks, nature areas, and open space that provide plentiful and gratifying opportunities to achieve our TMN mission: provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within our communities.

Our members have built and maintained trails, native plant and pollinator gardens, bird blinds, wildlife watering features, and viewing platforms. Members also help with visitor orientation, interpretive hikes, and youth education in parks and natural areas. Our chapter projects have included wetland restoration and maintenance (Sandia Wetlands), restoration of riparian environments (Alamito Creek), working with the Dark Skies Initiative (reducing light pollution), and more.

We look forward to welcoming you as members of the Tierra Grande Chapter and collaborating with you during training sessions where you will experience the diverse ecosystems of the Big Bend area and gain the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to achieve our TMN mission.

Training Requirements

Initial Training Requirements. A minimum of 40 hours of combined classroom and field experiences is required to earn designation as a Texas Master Naturalist. Tierra Grande has customized the curriculum into 6 training sessions focused on local ecosystems within the greater Big Bend area. Each session provides valuable information and experts donate their time to ensure that training sessions are professional and meaningful. Although all members-in-training are expected to attend every Saturday session, flexibility is built into the training schedule in anticipation of conflicting commitments.
Training sessions will begin in August (see the Draft Training Schedule). Each session will be held on a Saturday, generally from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Experts in botany, wildlife management, grassland management, and many other natural resource topics will present at each location. We will be walking trails and sometimes in open country. The distances are minimal (the longest is 3 miles) and easy/moderate in difficulty. Members-in-training will participate according to their abilities.

The anticipated total cost per training class participant is expected to be $160, which includes member dues for 2 years, training manual and TMN book, name badges, food for overnight stays, gifts for presenters, and miscellaneous expenditures. The final budget and fees for the 2025 Training Class will be approved at our chapter Board Meeting on May 14, 2025, and made available to all training class participants soon afterward.  Participants in the 2025 training class are expected to pay the total training fee during the first training session.

Certification as a Texas Master Naturalist: Upon clearing the TMN required Criminal Background Check and attending the first day of initial training, you will be a member. In addition to completing the 40 hours of initial training, certification as a Texas Master Naturalist requires completion of an additional 8 hours of advanced training and 40 volunteer service hours within a year of the last initial training session. As you will learn during your initial training experience, advanced training and volunteer service opportunities are abundantly available and enjoyable.

Registration Information

Inclusion in this years training class (a maximum of 24 members-in-training) will be based on:

• be at least 18 years old before registration

• clear the Criminal Background Check (required by the state)

• the order in which individuals complete the on-line registration.

You must be at least 18 years old at the time of registration. You will need to provide a Texas Driver’s License number (or Texas ID Card) and check the box allowing for the criminal backgroundcheck. Our members interact directly with the public, often working with school groups. Texas Master Naturalist and associated state agencies are very stringent about the background check.

Your driver’s license/ID must be current and the information on the license/ ID must match the personal information provided. If the name and address that you use to register does not match the name and address on your license/ID, the background check will not be complete and you will be designated as Non-Eligible.

Completed applications received after we reach the maximum class size will be first on the list for the next training class. Other than the training fee ($160 in 2024) that will be due when training begins, there are no other requirements for training.

If you have any questions and concerns about training sessions, dates, locations, or TMN in general, please contact Warren Shaul at awshaul@yahoo.com.

How to Register Online

Please begin here and follow instructions. 

This link takes you to the starting page.

1. Click on Big Bend Country.
2. Scroll down and click on Tierra Grande Master Naturalist Application.
3. Click on Sign Up.
4. Click on Apply to become a volunteer.
5. Read through and accept the terms of the background check, etc.
6. Continue following the instructions and complete the application.

Where necessary, be sure you have selected “Tierra Grande Chapter.” This will ensure that our member administrator is notified when your registration is complete and your information can be entered for the 2025 training class.

If you have issues and/or need help, please contact Warren or Cameron.

Warren Shaul–Vice President: awshaul@yahoo.com