| As a Texas Master Naturalist you must complete a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service a year. We will help you be successful! We have plenty of suggestions and will provide you with monthly opportunities. Please visit our volunteer page for further details on this month’s happenings! Feel free to send potential volunteer opportunities (VO) + ideas to [email protected]. CHIHUAHUAN DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE CDRI invites all Tierra Grande Master Naturalists who volunteered in 2025 to attend CDRI’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Friday, December 5 at CDRI’s Powell Visitor Center. Poco Mexico will cater the dinner. Guests may arrive starting at 5:30 p.m., and dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. Homemade desserts are welcome! Please RSVP if attending to [email protected]. DAVIS MOUNTAINS STATE PARK Saturday, December 20, 9-11:30am, is our next volunteer workday. We will spruce up our 2 bird blind areas. Would love to have 5-6 folks help out. DMSP could use the assistance of master naturalists in the following ways: 1. Pollinator Garden Caretaker (weeding, pruning, recommending additional native plants, creation of water feature) 2. Indian Lodge Caretaker (new landscaping area between 200 and 300 section needs weeding, pruning, irrigation control) Want to help me plan a signature event here at DMSP? Let’s talk! Check our website events tab or social media pages for program information. Reach Charlie Ewing, park interpreter & volunteer coordinator, at [email protected] or (432) 426-3337, x2123 BIG BEND RANCH STATE PARK December through April: Riverside archaeology field season will be running at Big Bend Ranch State Park. There will be a range of volunteer opportunities over the season and many of these may alternately be claimed as AT. For details see NOT ONLY ABOUT BATS at the end of the newsletter. Reach out to Lindsey Bredemeyer for info: [email protected] Barton Warnock Visitor Center could use the assistance of master naturalists in the following ways: Desert Garden Caretakers (weeding, pruning, irrigation control, clearing pathways of debris) Please reach out to Gabriel Pastrano at [email protected] or call Barton Warnock Visitor Center at (432) 424-3327 BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Hello Master Naturalists! Want to come bird all day for a good cause in Big Bend National Park? Big Bend National Park is hosting a leg of the Houston Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The CBC covers two areas of Big Bend National Park over two days and requires as many people as possible to look for and identify birds. Please come join us! Chisos Mountains Sunday 12/28 – meet at Panther Junction HQ morning time tbd Rio Grande Village Monday 12/29 – meet at Rio Grande Village store morning time tbd Please email [email protected] if you are interested in participating in this years count. Thanks so much and happy birding! VOLUNTEER SERVICE DESIGNED BY YOU Volunteer service is key to achieving our TMN mission: “provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within our communities”. Typically our partner organizations announce specific dates and times whenever they need volunteers. However we realize not all members are able to participate due to schedule conflicts or other constraints. To further support our mission, members are encouraged to adapt volunteer service opportunities to their individual schedules and abilities. First, check with our partners such as such Davis Mountains State Park, Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center, and Big Bend Ranch State Park – for flexible volunteer opportunities. Several of our members have arranged volunteer service that supports the goals of our partner organizations while accommodating their individual schedules. In addition, members are invited to design their own volunteer service in the surrounding communities such as weeding and watering publicly accessible native plant landscapes and gardens, helping with community recycling, developing/leading natural resource education events for community members/schools (bird walk, pollinator garden walk, public presentations, etc.), and organizing a trash pickup in their neighborhood. On-going opportunities where members can choose date, time, and duration of volunteer service include: In Marfa, Help the Friends of the Marfa Public Library maintain their lovely courtyard. Regular volunteer work includes light weeding, raking and trimming. Contact Niki – [email protected] In Alpine, maintain native plant landscapes and pollinator gardens that are accessible to the public (e.g., weeding, watering, mulching, litter removal, etc.)“the triangle” (contact Lindsey Bredemeyer – [email protected]) the railroad garden (contact Juanita Sabochick – [email protected]) Alpine Public Library and Patty Manning Garden (contact Warren Shaul – [email protected]) Please contact a chapter VMS administrator to be sure the specific volunteer service is consistent with TMN protocol and that volunteer service hours are reported to the appropriate category. Thank you for all you do for our communities! |