YOUR APPLICATION AGREEMENT: As a reminder,  here are the commitments you made when applying to the BPTMN 2025 Training Program. 

Since we have many more applicants than we can accept, please be sure that you understand and expect to be able to meet these obligations. The Texas Master Naturalist training program is very rewarding, but also quite demanding, especially during the months of training. From February through May, 2025 it will demand a significant investment of your time. Be sure you have the necessary time to devote to it. In addition, we ask you to remember that the purpose of the Training Program is to prepare you to be a more effective and knowledgeable volunteer. By joining the 2025 Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalist training program, you are pledging to provide at least forty hours of approved volunteer service by December 31, 2025.  

CLASSES MEET EVERY WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR 14 WEEKS. Classes will be held from 6:00 – 9:00 PM every Wednesday evening beginning Feb. 5,  2025, with our graduation to be held on May 14,  2025. The majority of our classes are expected to be held in person, with a few held online. In-person classes will be held at The Heard Museum SRC Building, #1 Nature Place, in McKinney. For online classes, you will need access to a computer or tablet. (Classes cannot be completed successfully on a phone.) Successful completion of the training program requires that you attend at least 13 of the 14 scheduled classes. (You may miss one class without penalty.) Make-up classes are usually, but not always, available. You will also be expected to complete one to two hours of pre-work assignments before each class meeting.

THREE REQUIRED FIELD TRIPS You are required to attend three field trips to complete your training. There are eleven field trip opportunities offered, of which you'll need to attend at least  three. Field trips are typically scheduled on Saturday mornings, but some may be offered at other times.

VOLUNTEER SERVICE AND ADVANCED TRAINING *    In addition to classes and field trips, you are required to complete 40 hours of approved volunteer service and 8 hours of approved advanced training by December 31, 2025, to achieve Certification as a Texas Master Naturalist.

BACKGROUND CHECK*    Membership in the Master Naturalist program is contingent upon passing a background check to better assure the safety of our youth and adults. The online form for Background Check Authorization must be completed before your application can be considered.

Here’s what you can do:    

•  Bookmark the class website at BPTMNclass.net and consult it regularly.   

• Add a headshot photo of yourself to your Zoom profile so people can get to know who you are.  

• Subscribe to the “Chapter’s Monthly News Update” on the www.bptmn.org home page.  

• Complete your required pre-work before coming to class.  

• Be sure to arrive on time for classes and field trips.  

• Always wear your name badge when attending any in-person Texas Master Naturalist meeting, class session, field trip, or volunteer service opportunity.   

• Faithfully and punctually log your class attendance into VMS. You should log each class as soon as possible after attending. Do NOT fall behind on logging classes! You will be required to log the previous week’s class before being allowed to attend the next class. Your guide will help you if you have any problems. (See the “The Volunteer Management System” section below.)  

• Immerse yourself in the training program and deepen your knowledge, appreciation, and love of our Blackland prairie ecosystems.  

• Share your own special knowledge of the natural world with all of us.  

• Forge bonds and make new friends.  

• Begin volunteering! Try out various volunteer activities to see which most interest you, or just jump right in with something!  

Getting Connected to the Blackland Prairie Chapter

There are lots of ways to stay up-to-date on chapter news and activities, but one of the best ways is by attending the monthly chapter meetings. We’d love to see you there!

Attend Monthly Chapter Meetings

When: Chapter meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday each month.

Where:  In-person meetings are held at the Science Resource Center (SRC) building on the grounds of the Heard Museum in McKinney. Most meetings will also have a hybrid (Zoom) option.

Who:   Our meetings are free and open to the public. All are welcome, including your partner, kids, and neighbors.

What: In addition to hearing the latest announcements affecting us and our activities, each month we have an interesting speaker. Talks run about an 

hour, AND you earn 1 hour of AT!

Other News Channels

• Make it a habit to frequently check the Chapter website at www.bptmn.org. The password for accessing the “Members Only” section is “bptmn”  

• Check the Chapter calendar on the website. It lists upcoming volunteer service opportunities and advanced trainings 

• Follow the Blackland Prairie TMN Chapter on Facebook  

• Follow the Texas Master Naturalist program on Facebook  

• Check the State TMN website at txmn.org 

• Ask your Guide or your classmates where they are volunteering 

The iNaturalist Class Project

iNaturalist.org is an important avenue for citizen science, as well as being an excellent learning tool. As Texas Master Naturalists, we have the opportunity to contribute data used by many entities, from Texas Parks and Wildlife to scientific journals. We have set up a Class of 2025 project on iNaturalist to collect all the observations made by class members. Check it frequently! Not only will you find out what your classmates are seeing, you can also help others identify the observations they’ve made. There is also a Chapter iNaturalist Project, which you can check out here. This is one of our major Volunteer Service projects, and you’ll have numerous opportunities to earn Volunteer Service (VS) Hours through iNaturalist.