The Texas Master Naturalist Program

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The Texas Master Naturalist Program
TM
Sponsored by
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The Mission

• To develop a corps of well-educated Master
  Volunteers to provide education, outreach and
  service dedicated toward the beneficial
  management of natural resources within their
  communities.

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VOLUNTEERSOUTREACH / EDUCATION /
SERVICECOMMUNITY
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Program Goals

• To improve public understanding of natural
  resource ecology and management.
• To enhance existing natural resource education
  and outreach activities.
• To develop a Master Naturalist volunteer
  network that is eventually self-sufficient.

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WHAT THE PROGRAMIS NOT
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RADICAL ENVIRONMENTALISTSNUDISTS
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Addressing an Urbanized Society

• 82 of Texans live in Urban Areas.

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Ten Years of Tending to TexasTami Davis
North Texas, Capital Area Hays County
Chapters Developed
March 1997
1999
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1998
State Program Coordinator hired
Alamo Area Chapter holds its first training
Cross Timbers Elm Fork Gulf Coast Chapters
Developed
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Ten Years of Tending to TexasTami Davis
East Texas, Lindheimer, Lost Pines
Mid-Coast Chapters Developed
Wildlife Management Institutes Presidents 2000
Award
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2000
First State Meeting Held
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Ten Years of Tending to TexasTami Davis
Jeff Quayle discovers Senecio quaylei
TNRCC Environmental Excellence Award
TAMU Vice Chancellors Award
TPWD Lonestar Legends Award
2001
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Brownwood, Cradle of Texas , Galveston Bay Area
Trans Pecos Chapters Developed
2002
Hill Country, Rio Grande Valley Rolling Plains
South Texas Chapters Developed
National Audubon Societys Habitat Heroes Award
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Ten Years of Tending to TexasTami Davis
Implemented Milestone Awards
Conducted Formal Program Evaluation
Introduced the State Curriculum Manual
Celebrated our 5th Anniversary
First 5,000 hr. service award given
2003
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Big Country Heart of Texas, Highland Lakes,
Panhandle, Upper Texas Coast Chapters Developed
2004
Assistant State Coordinator hired
Coastal Prairie, Post Oak, Western Edwards
Plateau Chapters Developed
2000 Volunteers Trained
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Ten Years of Tending to TexasTami Davis
½ Million Service Hours Recorded
US Dept. of Interiors Take Pride in America
Award
1 Million Public contacts made
White Rock Lake Project receives Lonestar Land
Steward Award
2005
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2006
Brazos Valley, Gideon Lincecum, Heartwood, Red
River, Rio Brazos, Tierra Grande Chapters
Developed
Blackland Prairie, Llano Estacado, South
Plains Chapters Developed
2nd National Training
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Ten Years of Tending to TexasTami Davis
28 States have developed a Master Naturalist
program based off of ours!
Celebrated our 10th Anniversary
1 Million Service Hours in 10 years? (Will we
make it?!?)
2007
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2008
Cinco Tierra Chapter Developed
Cypress Basin El Camino Real Chapters Developed
TEA Environmental Educator of the Year Award
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Master Naturalist Certification Minimum
Requirements

• 40 hours of combined classroom and field
  instruction.
• 8 hours of approved advanced training.
• 40 hours of approved volunteer service projects.
• ___________________________________
• After certification, requires 40 hours volunteer
  service and 8 hours advanced training annually.

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Important Rules to FollowDo Not

• Miss Class
• Profit
• Take the title of Master Naturalist in vain
• Cultivate personal biases or agendas

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Basic Training
40 hours of combined classroom and field
experience

• Present day and Historical Naturalists.
• Traditional Naturalist Disciplines.
• Land management and Land use History.
• Ecological Concepts.
• Ecoregions of Texas.
• Management of Natural Systems.
• Interpretation and Communication.

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Advanced Training
8 hours

• Focuses on volunteers area of interest.
• Is mainly field oriented.
• Takes advantage of local partnerships.
• Is directed at specific trained volunteers.

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Volunteer Service Projects
Blackland Prairie Restoration.
40 hours of volunteer service projects that
Hays County Roadkill Survey

• Are self-directed.
• Are coordinated by the local Chapters.
• Consist of opportunities developed by local
  partners.
• Take advantage of individual skills.

RX Fire Education at Dripping Springs High School
Local Speakers Bureau
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Project Examples
Wildscape Maintenance and Demo Areas
Construction of Interpretive Trails and
Maintenance Streambank, Marsh and Prairie
Restorations Brush and Exotic Plant Control
Fish, Wildlife and Plant Inventories Native
Plant Seed Collections Rescues Natural
Resource Youth Camps Interpretive Tours
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The Benefits
Helping to make a difference for Texas
Natural Resources now and in the
future. Learn from experts in their
field. Providing important and valuable
natural resource information.
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Benefits

• Gaining an appreciation for and an understanding
  of natural environments
• Building new friendships and working
  relationships
• Individual chapter awards and recognition

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Popular Vote Contests Photo Art

• Plants 2nd Place
• Katherin Bedrich, El Camino Real Chapter

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Popular Vote Contests Photo Art

• Chapter Projects/Master Naturalists at work or
  play
• 3rd Place
• Paula Englehardt, El Camino Real Chapter

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Popular Vote Contests Photo Art

• Scenery 2nd Place
• Paula Englehardt, El Camino Real Chapter

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ONCE CERTIFIED?Maintaining certification is your
responsibility

• Stay involved in chapter meetings and projects
• Take advantage of advanced training
  opportunities
• Keep accurate records

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Progress So Far.!

• - 39 Chapters
• - 300 Partners
• - 174 counties
• - Over 70 of Texas
• - 4,000 volunteers

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Progress So Far.!

• 500 Volunteers have trained annually.
• 88,000 hours of community outreach service
  projects annually--with a value of more than 1.5
  Million annually.
• 100,000 youth and adults and private landowners
  reached by Texas Master Naturalist Volunteer
  efforts annually.
• Developed or enhanced 430 miles of interpretive
  trails

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Progress So Far.!

• 300 organizations have developed partnerships
  with local Texas Master Naturalist Chapters.
• 16 National, State and Local Awards for Program
  and Chapter Efforts
• A volunteers discovery of a new plant to
  science.
• Raised 120,000 in grants and donations for
  program and projects support.

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Program Accomplishments (1997 through 2007)

• Over 650,000 hours of volunteer service valued at
  8 Million
• Over 100,000 hours advanced training
• Approx. 1.25 million people reached
• Over 50,000 acres of habitat enhanced
• Over 700 trail miles developed or improved

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Statewide Annual Meeting Advanced Training
October 23 - 25, 2009 Mo Ranch Hunt, Texas
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The Future Looks Bright!

• National Master Naturalist Program
• Texas has trained other states in establishing
  programs
• 28 other state programs exist as a result

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For More Information
Sonny Arnold, Asst. Prog Coord. Texas Master
Naturalist Program Texas Parks Wildlife
Department 111 Nagle Hall, 2258 TAMUS College
Station, TX 77843-2258 Ph 979-458-1099 E-mail
sarnold_at_ag.tamu.edu
Michelle Haggerty, Prog. Coord. Texas Master
Naturalist Program Texas Parks Wildlife
Department 309 Sidney Baker South Kerrville, TX
78028 Ph 830-896-2500 Email
mhaggerty_at_wfscgate.tamu.edu
State Website http//masternaturalist.tamu.edu