COPY VMS information
General information on using VMS
Not sure if an activity is pre-approved VHAT?
How to log Initial Training: Classes
Opportunity: Init Training-Orientation
Date: February 4, 2024
Hours: 2.0
Description: Class Orientation
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 01
Date: February 7, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Ecological Concepts, presented by Sam Kieschnick
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 02
Date: February 14, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Ornithology presented by Sam Crowe
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 03
Date: February 21, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Herpetology presented by Ryan Blankenship
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 04
Date: February 28, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Laws & Ethics presented by Mike Mitchell
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 05
Date: March 6, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Entomology presented by Bryant McDowell
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 06
Date: March 13, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Prairie Ecology presented by Brandon Belcher
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 07
Date: March 20, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Meteorology, presented by Dr. David Baker
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 08
Date: March 27, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Volunteers as Teachers, presented by Chris Ulch
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 09
Date: April 3, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Geology and Soils, presented by Heather Fell and Lorelei Stierlen
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 10
Date: April 10, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Mammalogy presented by Sam Kieschnick
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 11
Date: April 17, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Botany, presented by Dr. George Diggs
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 12
Date: April 24, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Forest Ecology, presented by Rick Travis
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 13
Date: May 1, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Aquatic Systems, presented by LuAnne Ray
Opportunity: Init Training-Class 14
Date: May 8, 2024
Hours: 3.0
Description: Project presentations by class members
How to log Initial Training: Field Trips
Log your FIELD TRIP attendance in VMS :
NOTE: Log as follows:
the FIRST field trip you attend as Initial Training: Field Trip (A),
the SECOND one you attend as Initial Training: Field Trip (B)
and the THIRD one you attend as Initial Training: Field Trip (C)
any others you attend as AT: BPTMN: Other Pre-Approved Training (Description: additional Training Class Field Trip to <list location>)
Opportunity: Initial Training: Field Trip (A)
Date: February 24, 2024
Hours: 2.5
Description: Field Trip to Connemara
Opportunity: Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR Initial Training: Field Trip (B)
Date: March 2, 2024
Hours: 2.5
Description: Field Trip to Blackland Prairie Raptor Center (add more details if you like)
Opportunity: Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C) depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip
Date: March 23, 2024
Hours: 2.5
Description: Field Trip to John Bunker Sands Wetlands #1 (add more details if you like)
Opportunity: Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C) depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip
Date: April 5, 2024
Hours: 2.5
Description: Field Trip to Chalk Hill Farm (add more details if you like)
Opportunity: Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C) depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip
Date: April 6, 2024
Hours: 2.5
Description: Field Trip to Holifield Outdoor Learning Center (add more details if you like)
Opportunity: Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C) depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip
Date: April 13, 2024
Hours: 2.5
Description: Field Trip to John Bunker Sands Wetlands #2 (add more details if you like)
Opportunity: Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C) depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip
Date: April 27, 2024
Hours: 2.5
Description: Clymer Meadow (add more details if you like)
Opportunity: Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C) depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip
Date: May 4, 2024
Hours: 2.5
Description: LLELA (add more details if you like)
Opportunity: Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C) depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip
Date: May 11, 2024
Hours: 2.5
Description: Parkhill Prairie (add more details if you like)
How to log Advanced Training (AT) Hours
If you attended the FEBRUARY Chapter Meeting Tuesday evening (either in person or online) here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: BPTMN Chapter Monthly Meeting
Date: February 13, 2024
Hours: 1.0
Description: Native Tribes of North Texas with Chris Ulch
If you attended the FEBRUARY TMN Tuesday at noon (online) or if you watch the recording, here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: TMN Tuesday
Date: February 13, 2024 (OR if you watch the recording, the actual date you watched it.)
Hours: 1.0
Description: Rattlesnakes with Chip Ruthven
OR IF YOU WATCHED THE RECORDING;
Description: Rattlesnakes with Chip Ruthven (watched the Feb. TMN Tuesday recording)
If you attended the webinar: "All About the Great Backyard Bird Count" here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: Other Pre-approved Training
Date: February 13, 2024
Hours: 1.0
Description: webinar: All About the Great Backyard Bird Count
If you attended the LIVE MARCH TMN Tuesday at noon (online) here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: TMN Tuesday
Date: March 5, 2024
Hours: 1.0 hour
Description: Texas Raptor Monitoring Network with Dr. Ben Skipper & Dr. Clint Boal
If you watched a RECORDING of the MARCH TMN Tuesday here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: TMN Tuesday
Date: enter date you actually watched the recording
Hours: 1.0 hour
Description: watched 3/5/24 recording of Texas Raptor Monitoring Network with Dr. Ben Skipper & Dr. Clint Boal
If you attended the MARCH Chapter Meeting Tuesday evening (either in person or online) here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: BPTMN Chapter Monthly Meeting
Date: March 12, 2024
Hours: 1.0
Description: The Blackland Prairie & Prairie Restoration with Dave Powell
If you attended the MARCH Deep Dive from 6:00 - 6:30 (Zoom only) enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: BPTMN Chapter Deep Dive
Date: March 25, 2024
Hours: 0.5
Description: Eclipse 101 with Vicki Sanders
If you attended the APRIL Chapter Meeting Tuesday evening (either in person or online) here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: BPTMN Chapter Monthly Meeting
Date: April 9, 2024
Hours: 1.0
Description: Learning to Read Tracks and Signs with Dwight Wilson
If you attended the LIVE APRIL TMN Tuesday at noon (online) here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: TMN Tuesday
Date: April 9, 2024
Hours: 1.0 hour
Description: Virtual Volunteer Fair
If you watched a RECORDING of the APRIL TMN Tuesday here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: TMN Tuesday
Date: enter date you actually watched the recording
Hours: 1.0 hour
Description: watched 4/9/24 recording of Virtual Volunteer Fair
If you attended the MAY Chapter Meeting Tuesday evening (either in person or online)
here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: BPTMN Chapter Monthly Meeting
Date: May 14, 2024
Hours: 1.0
Description: Wild Frisco with Jeff Witt
If you attended the LIVE MAY TMN Tuesday at noon (online) here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: TMN Tuesday
Date: May 14, 2024
Hours: 1.0 hour
Description: No Mow Zones with Rachel Richter
If you watched a RECORDING of the MAY TMN Tuesday here's how to enter it in VMS:
Opportunity: AT: TMN Tuesday
Date: enter date you actually watched the recording
Hours: 1.0 hour
Description: watched 5/14/24 recording of No Mow Zones with Rachel Richter
How to log Volunteer Service (VH) Hours
GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT: Feb 16-19
Opportunity: Cornell: Great Backyard Bird Count TMN Field Research Hours
Date: February 16, 2024 (or February 17, or 18, or 19 RECORD EACH DAY SEPERATELY)
Hours: actual hours spent each day, to the nearest 0.25 hours (VH hours include your drive time, if any)
Description: describe your activity. Here are some examples:
Sat in my backyard and recorded birds
OR Took a walk around my neighborhood and observed birds; entered the data into eBird
OR Took a walk at Bonnie Wenk park and observed birds with Merlin Bird app
OR Drove to LLELA and sat in the pavilion and counted birds; entered the date into eBird
iNaturalist Pod Hosted Bioblitzes:
If you attend one (or more) of the iNaturalist Outings, enter your Volunteer Service Hours in VMS, including travel time, and time spent entering your data. Enter each day as a separate entry.
Opportunity: Blackland Prairie iNaturalist project: Field Research Hours
Date: be sure to put the date you collected the observations
Hours: include time spent at the outing, travel time, and time spent entering your data
Description: (location); collected data on local flora and fauna; edited pictures and entered my data
example: Arbor Hills park; collected data on local flora and fauna; edited pictures and entered my data.
iNaturalist Outings on your own
Opportunity: : Blackland Prairie iNaturalist project: Field Research Hours
Date: (Enter only one date. Even though there are places to enter start and end dates, do not combine days. Start and end date must be the same.)
HoursYou should count your time at the park, plus travel time. If you spend additional time at home editing your pictures and entering your observations, you should include that as well.
Description: (place) in ( town or county.) ex. Cottonwood Creek Park in Frisco; (ALWAYS start your description with the place of your data collection.) Took pictures and made observations for entry into iNaturalist. (add more details if you like, but start with the location)
Note about iNaturalist outings on your own:
To qualify for Volunteer Service Hours, your outing does not have to be with a group. However, it does need to be a "dedicated" outing for the purpose of collecting data/observations. Examples:
You take an evening walk and take a half dozen or so observations and enter them into iNaturalist. This is great, and the observations will be entered into the class and chapter projects. However, you should not count this as Volunteer Service Hours.
You go to a park with the express purpose of collecting iNaturalist observations. You take many pictures, come home and edit them and enter them into iNaturalist with identifications to the best of your ability. You would count this as Volunteer Service Hours, including the travel time, and time spent editing photos and entering the data.
You take your children (or grandchildren) to the park and make iNaturalist observations whenever you get the chance. Maybe you even try to interest these kiddos in using Seek (the children's version of iNaturalist.) These are great, worthwhile activities which we strongly encourage! However, you should not count this time as Volunteer Service Hours.
These are fairly clear-cut examples, and there are many times where it may be more of a gray area. Use your best judgment in these cases. The best rule of thumb is to make an iNaturalist outings a planned, intentional activity where collecting data is your objective. Of course, you will also be learning a great deal, getting some exercise, and getting the benefits of being outdoors. There are many rewards to using iNaturalist, whether or not you earn VH!