Twenty chapters of the Texas Master Naturalist program are conducting training classes in the spring of 2016 for volunteers wanting to learn about natural resource and conservation management.
The Texas Master Naturalist program consists of 46 chapters across the state and aims to develop a corps of well-informed citizen volunteers to educate their communities about the management of natural resources.
The main qualification needed to become a certified Texas Master Naturalist is an interest in learning and playing an active part in conservation. Volunteers will receive a minimum of 40 hours of basic training from educators and specialists from places such as universities, natural resource agencies, nature centers and museums.
Training topics include interpretation and management of natural resources, ecological concepts, eco-regions in Texas and natural systems management. Volunteers are then asked to provide 40 hours of service a year in community education, demonstration and habitat enhancement projects in order to maintain certification as a Texas Master Naturalist. They are also expected to pursue a minimum of eight hours of advance training in areas of personal interest. However, many of the volunteers will go above and beyond their basic requirements once involved, and are encouraged to develop personal projects connecting to the mission of the chapter and statewide program.
To get even more information about reasons to join the Texas Master Naturalist program, we encourage you to watch the winning submission for the 2015 Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting’s Video Contest. The video was submitted by the North Texas Chapter, located in Dallas. https://youtu.be/bPksINno0Iw
For more information about the Texas Master Naturalist program and to find training opportunities nearby, visit http://txmn.org/.