Program Description (include how it meets membership criteria)
The short supply of dedicated and well-informed citizens and volunteers is often cited as a limiting factor for community-based conservation efforts. The Texas Master Naturalist™ program works to address this need by developing local corps of “master volunteers” to provide service and outreach dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within the volunteers' own communities for the State of Texas. Communities and organizations across the state rely on these skilled volunteers for implementing youth outreach programs; for operating parks, nature centers, and natural areas; and for providing leadership in local natural resource conservation efforts. In addition, private landowners depend on the expertise of these volunteers to help them gain a broader scientific understanding of the ecology and management of their biological resources. This partnership among the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and over 400 local partners has resulted in a unique master volunteer organization. At the state level, the organization is directed by a state committee responsible for providing training guidelines, program marketing and promotion, curriculum resources, and advanced training opportunities. A volunteer representatives committee has also been established to represent the varied interests of the chapters and provide a communication link to state committees and program leaders. For an individual to gain the designation as a “Texas Master Naturalist” he or she must participate in an approved training program with a minimum of 40 hours of combined field and classroom instruction, obtain 8 contact hours of approved advanced training, and complete 40 hours of natural resource-related volunteer service—all of which is provided through local Master Naturalist chapters. Upon completion of the initial training program, trainees have a maximum of one year in which to complete their 40 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of advanced training. To retain the Master Naturalist title during each subsequent year, volunteers must complete 8 additional hours of advanced training and provide an additional 40 hours of volunteer service coordinated through their local chapter. Since its inception as a statewide program in 1998, the Texas Master Naturalist™ program has been the first of its kind. The program has grown from just four chapters and 150 volunteers in 1998 to 49 chapters and over 15,000 volunteers throughout Texas.
