"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."
Rachel Carson
Join Our Alamo Area Master Naturalist Chapter!
-
The Master Naturalist in Texas
Master Naturalists are students of natural history and of the natural sciences. Since learning never stops and the natural world is ever-changing, becoming a master naturalist can be a life-long pursuit. Although it is an almost antiquated term for someone who studies plants, animals, the earth, and the sky, naturalist does not just refer to specialized scientists, but also includes anyone with a general interest and respect for nature. Since studying the natural world involves a variety of interrelated subjects, none of us can truly master all of them. Think of the term Master Naturalist as more of a goal to reach, than of a title of achievement. Despite this, we all can master those practices that were developed by naturalists before us: observing carefully, asking questions, taking notes, and evaluating honestly.
Because Texas is a large state with over 144 million acres, it is arguably the most ecologically diverse state in the nation. Due to variations in geology and climate, we have 11 ecological regions that are further divided into 29 distinct subdivisions. We have over 140 species of animals, over 540 species of birds, and over 100 species of reptiles and amphibians. In this large area, we have over 21 million people where over 80% of them live in urban areas and where many are two or three generations removed from direct land management. Despite this, we have 220,000 farms and ranches and several natural resource organizations who depend on well-trained adult volunteers to operate parks, natural areas, and nature centers; to present youth education programs; and to provide leadership in local conservation projects.
-
The Texas Master Naturalist Organization
At the state level, the Texas Master Naturalist Program is sponsored by both the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the Texas AgriLife Extension, along with occasional private donor support. The program is guided by a Statewide Advisory Committee comprising of certified Texas Master Naturalist volunteers and representatives from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the Texas AgriLife Extension. This committee develops and supports a network of locally-directed Master Naturalist chapters by setting minimum program standards, policies, and procedures. Along with the Statewide Advisory Committee, there is a Volunteer Representatives Council comprising of volunteers from each chapter who provide input towards the future direction of the statewide program.
At the local level, the chapters provide volunteer training and development by forming partnerships with their local natural resource community. In the case of our Alamo Area Chapter, our local partners are the San Antonio Parks & Recreation Department and the Texas Forest Service. Further partnerships might also include other public agencies as well as private organizations that share our mission.
-
Alamo Area Master Naturalist Chapter Mission and Goals
Because we are the founding Master Naturalist chapter, the statewide Texas Master Naturalist mission and goals are the same as our chapter mission and goals, just expanded to cover the entire state. The overall mission is:
to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers who provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the state of Texas.The program goals are to:
1. Improve public understanding of natural resource ecology and management by developing a pool of local knowledge about natural resource ecology that can be used to enhance land management and education efforts within local communities.
2. Enhance existing natural resources education and outreach activities by providing natural resources training at the local level, thereby developing a supply of dedicated and informed volunteers
3. Develop a Texas Master Naturalist volunteer network that can be self-sufficient.
Our chapter is a volunteer organization run by volunteers. We coordinate many of our chapter operations, are responsible for particular service areas, develop local chapter goals, provide local direction, and approve our volunteer activities.
If you have management skills and are interested in playing a more active role in the chapter's administration, please contact one of the board officers or one of the chapter committee coordinators. For our chapter to be successful, we need volunteer coordinators.
By starting out and helping with small tasks, you will eventually be given larger projects and increased responsibilities. An experienced and active Master Naturalist is often involved in decisions about new chapter activities, in member training, and with the review of applicants.
You may also choose from a number of specific areas of need. The future may bring many new and exciting activities, but some of the current specific areas of need include:
- Working with schools to develop outdoor classrooms.
- Assisting with the San Antonio Botanical Garden Texas Native Trail.
- Helping with the development, maintenance, and interpretation of wildscape sites.
- Helping with Hospitality, Education Outreach, Outings, Media Relations, and Banquet committees.
- Assisting with activities at local parks and natural areas.
- Providing natural resource information to the public.
- Working on community projects that promote eco-tourism.
- Giving interpretive activities at local parks and natural areas.
- Participating in the training of future Master Naturalist volunteers.
- Giving presentations to interested groups.
-
Alamo Area Master Naturalist Training & Certification
If you desire to give back to your community and are willing to fulfill the Master Naturalist Program requirements, you can become a Master Naturalist volunteer. The program is three-fold: the training session, the volunteer service hours, and advanced training.
Chapter-approved volunteer activities and advanced training are listed in the monthly newsletter (available by email subscription or by download on this Web site), the activities calendar, and on the chapter approved list.
The Training Session
The chapter-approved training session provides you with a broad-based curriculum that covers a wide variety of topics from basic ecology to basic communication skills. Completing a minimum of 40 hours of training involving classroom and field experiences will fulfill state standards and provide the student with basic hands-on knowledge in the function, management, and interpretation of the local natural resources found in the Bexar County area. You will learn about native plants and animals, regional hydrology and geology, interpretive techniques, and more. This knowledge was designed by resource professionals from state wildlife agencies, universities, and non-governmental partners to be non-biased and in different presentation formats.
Our chapter training sessions occur twice a year: one session in the spring and one session in the fall. We usually try to accommodate various work schedules by offering the training sessions at two different times: the spring sessions are at night and the fall sessions are in the afternoon. Training sessions consist of classes meeting once a week (or twice a week, if there is also a scheduled Saturday class) for about three hours at a time. The sessions are about 12 weeks long and are held at the Bexar County office of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service (Texas Cooperative Extension).
The spring sessions usually begin in March and are on Thursday nights through May, and usually include three Saturday morning classes. The fall sessions usually begin in September and are on Thursday afternoons through November, and also include three Saturday morning classes. The exact dates and times are posted close to the start of each session in the monthly newsletter and on this page.
If you want to apply, please download an application on the right of this page and send it by the posted submission deadline for the most current session.
Details of the current Spring 2008 Master Naturalist training session for Class 22.
Applicants accepted into the training session will need to pay a $125.00 fee. This fee will pay for the Texas Master Naturalist Handbook, a name badge, the chapter newsletter, and other needed supplies. If using postal mail, do not send the fee in with your application. One application per person, please.
Our chapter also accepts applications for Master Naturalist interns. Master Naturalist interns are high school students working toward becoming Texas Master Naturalists and attend the regular training sessions. Usually, five spots in each session are reserved for interns.
You will be notified via email or phone of receipt of this application. We will notify applicants of their selection status into the training program via email or postal mail approximately two weeks before the first class day of the session for which you applied.
The Alamo Area Master Naturalist chapter is open to all individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of socioeconomic level, race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability.
Advanced Training
The minimum annual requirement of 8 hours of advanced training encourages continued learning and exploration similar to the practices of the historical naturalists as mentioned above. The purpose of chapter-approved advanced training is to provide a focused topic or specific skill that will provide tools that the Master Naturalist can use in more advanced volunteer activities.
Chapter-approved advanced training are listed in the monthly newsletter (available by email subscription or by download on this Web site), the activities calendar, and on the chapter approved list.
Volunteer Service
In return for the training and in order to maintain certification, Master Naturalists are required to give service back to the program, its state sponsors, and local partners. Such volunteer service activities are never in short supply, so there should be several that fit your interests and capabilities. You will have many opportunities to share your knowledge and spend time with great people who have similar interests. Activities can range in duration from an hour-long talk to a trail building project covering several years. The flexible structure of the Master Naturalist Program allows volunteer hours to be donated to many different activities involving natural resource agencies, schools, local governments, private landowners, and nature centers. These are often established activities that are looking for new volunteers. Whether the activity is an established or a newly-minted one, it is important that the activity be pre-approved by our chapter board. Activities or advanced training that have not been approved beforehand for our chapter do not count towards maintaining certification.
Chapter-approved volunteer activities are listed in the monthly newsletter (available by email subscription or by download on this Web site), the activities calendar, and on the chapter approved list.
Certification: "40 + 8 makes it great!"
Per state standards, the completion of at least 40 hours of volunteer service and at least 8 hours of advanced training after the completion of a training session consisting of a minimum of 40 hours of combined classroom and field experience certifies you as a Master Naturalist.
Moreover, after becoming a certified Master Naturalist, you are expected to retain certification each year by completing at least 40 hours of volunteer service and at least 8 hours of advanced training.
If you do not fulfill the certification requirements in any given year after your training session, you are still considered a Master Naturalist, but not a certified Master Naturalist. Fulfilling the certification requirements for a given year will return you to certification status.
Chapter-approved volunteer activities and advanced training are listed in the monthly newsletter (available by email subscription or by download on this Web site), the activities calendar, and on the chapter approved list.
Reporting Your Hours
Because of the certification requirements, you can see the importance of keeping accurate track of your hours and, more importantly, reporting them to the chapter membership coordinator!
Some volunteers find that keeping a record of their hours and having to report it periodically is inconvenient. Granted, such tasks are not high on anyone's list of favorite things, but it is important that you do this because it is the basis for funding from grants and other programs which help further our goals as Master Naturalists.
-
Alamo Area Master Naturalist Duties & Responsibilities
After you complete your training session, you have one year to complete your 40 volunteer service hours and 8 advanced training hours to become a certified Master Naturalist. You must report your approved activity hours to the chapter membership coordinator and, just for the first year, notify the training coordinator of your completion of the initial 40 hours.
The title of Certified Master Naturalist is to be used only if you complete all of the certification requirements of the Master Naturalist Program. The title remains valid only when you actively participate in the program by fulfilling the annual requirements. When you cease to fulfill the annual requirements, you are no longer considered a certified Master Naturalist, although you remain a Master Naturalist. The title can be restored by simply fulfilling the annual requirements. The completion of another training session is not necessary for restoration.
One of the unique aspects of our Master Naturalist chapter is that it encourages partnerships with a large variety of city, county, and state nonprofit organizations for doing activities. You can ensure the success of these activities by:
- Maintaining an unbiased and scientific-based public service.
- Conducting as a Master Naturalist only chapter-approved volunteer activities or chapter-approved advanced training.
- Recognizing the autonomy of program partners when coordinating or implementing activities.
- Following proper ethics, guidelines, and laws relating to specimen collection, species permits, and landowner rights when conducting activities.
- Keeping accurate records to document your certification and activity success.
As a Master Naturalist, you are representing the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the Texas AgriLife Extension. Because of this, you should not display credentials or give the appearance of being a Master Naturalist at a place of business unless that business is conducting an authorized Master Naturalist activity. It is inappropriate to imply that the chapter or any of its sponsors or partners endorses any product or place of business. Also, Master Naturalist volunteers must not use their title in any form of advertisement, endorsement, political viewpoint, or political advocacy.
-
The Rewards of Being an Alamo Area Master Naturalist
A volunteer is not paid in money, but doing work which is important and valuable to the community is the ultimate reward. You can be satisfied in helping to make a difference in Texas both now and for the future, in learning from experts in the field, in teaching others valuable information about the natural world, in building new friendships with people sharing your interests, and in gaining an appreciation for the natural world. Our chapter focuses on the proper management of our natural resources, thereby doing the community a priceless service. The sponsors and partners of this chapter recognize the dedication of our volunteers to our natural resources and greatly appreciate your efforts.
