| 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. Feel free to send potential volunteer opportunities (VO) + ideas to [email protected]. CHIHUAHUAN DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE CDRI needs a volunteer to water the plants in the Desert Specialty Garden on Mondays. 9:00-11:00 (or earlier) throughout the summer. Please contact Lisa at [email protected] for details. CDRI will host the Marfa Summer Shake Up throughout June. TGMN Warren Shaul will oversee the daily lessons and needs volunteers to assist with the sessions. Classes are Monday – Thursday, 8:30-11:30 a.m. Please contact Warren at [email protected] for more information about volunteering. DAVIS MOUNTAINS STATE PARK Saturday, May 16, 9-10:30, is our monthly volunteer workday. This will count as our spring Adopt-A-Highway Trash Pick-Up. Let’s meet at the park HQ. Let me know if you can attend. I need at least 5 volunteers. The Pollinator Garden at the Interpretive Center needs some gardeners. Want to help the park select new plants to purchase, then help plant them? You could be the green thumb we need! Interested in developing an interpretive program on plants, animals, or anything else relatable to the park? Let’s talk! Contact [email protected] for more information. (432) 426-3337, x2123. BIG BEND RANCH STATE PARK Between the hours of 7:30 &10am 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 TEXAS NATURE CONSERVANCY Hello, you wonderful west Texas volunteers, Please mark your calendars for Saturday, June 13. This is a Volunteer Training Day at the Davis Mountains Preserve for those of you who would like to learn how to Lead Volunteer Activities and Public Tours. Spots are limited to 12 and will be first come first served. This is meant for those of you who would be willing to lead volunteer activities or guided tours by yourselves in the future. If we have enough interest, I’m happy to host a second day later in the summer. Please RSVP by Sunday, May 31, 2026 . Here are the volunteer opportunities for May 2026. Friday, May 1 – Marathon Grasslands Preserve Led Tour 8:30am – ~12:30pm1 – 2 Volunteers needed Help check folks in and out Set up chairs Clean up after Answer questions, as needed If you’d rather just attend the tour, sign up here: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/events/marathon-grasslands-preserve-tours/ Monday, May 4 – Davis Mountains Preserve Increase Fire Buffer Along Preserve Roads 8:00am – 11:00amAll volunteers welcome Use loppers and hand saws to cut and then scatter small trees/shrubs away from preserve roadways. **Bring gloves. Loppers and hand saws provided, but recommend bringing your own, if you have them. Monday, May 11 – Davis Mountains Preserve Increase Fire Buffer Along Preserve Roads 8:00am – 11:00amAll volunteers welcome Use loppers and hand saws to cut and then scatter small trees/shrubs away from preserve roadways. ***Bring gloves. Loppers and hand saws provided, but recommend bringing your own, if you have them. Please contact Kaylee French at [email protected] if you’re interested and available for volunteering. Thank you! TGMN Volunteers needed: Volunteer Service Designed by You 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. 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! |