Frequently Asked Questions

Log In + My Account >Edit

1. Log in with your web site name and password.
2. Look in the sidebar under your name. Click the link to [my account].
3. A new page opens. Click the [Edit] tab.
4. Make the changes.
5. Scroll down and click the [Save] button.

Put a face with your name. Add a photo to your account profile under My Account. It will appear beside your name every time you post to our pages.

1. Have someone take a nice snapshot of your face.
   
   
2. Reduce the photo size to 100x100. Most digital cameras come with software that allows you to edit the photo. Or, you can go to http://resizr.com to make changes for free.
   
   
3. Log in to the web site.
   
   
4. Use the link in the submenu (under your name) for My Account.
   
   
5. Click the Edit tab.
   
   
   
6. Scroll down the page to the blank for Upload Picture.
   Click the Browse button.
   
   
   
7. A small screen opens showing the files on your computer. Find your photo and click on it. Click OK or Open or whatever the default is on your computer.
   
   
8. The small screen closes and the file is listed in the text box.
   
   
9. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Save button.

Only Texas Master Naturalist Heartwood Chapter members can add pages to the web site.

The steps are long because I added all the details; but once you do it a few times it's easy.

Prepare your photo

Photos that you download straight from your camera are very large sized files. You can reduce the file size by reducing the dimensions. We recommend your longest edge, either the width or height be 500px. Most cameras come with a software program designed to do this for you. If not, you can use http://www.resizr.com for free.

Add the image to your text

TinyMCE is the name of the Text Editor we use to format the main text description.

While you are writing the main text for your page, you will see the small icons for the Text Editor at the top. To add an image, ...

1. Click the cursor in your text where you want to place the image.
2. Click the icon that looks like a small tree, A small window will open up.
3. Look at the line labeled . Click the small folder beside it and another small window opens.
4. On the left is a list of folders that hold our images. Click a folder to see a list of the image files that are in that folder.
5. Select an image and click the link at the top to Send to TinyMCE.
   
   
6. To upload an image from your computer...
   
   Click the Upload link at the top of the Files list box.
   A text box drops down.
   Click the Browse button.
   A window opens to show the files on your computer.
   Select the image file you want and click the Open button.
   
   Your file is now in the text box.
   Click the Upload button.
   Now the file is in your images folder and ready for you to Send to TinyMCE.
   
   
7. Once the image is made available, you will be asked to add the Image Description and Title.
   
   
8. Click the Appearance tab. Use the Alignment option to move the image to the right, or left of your text. Click the Insert button when you are done.

To Edit the Image

1. Delete it like regular text by using your Back Space key.
2. To make changes, click on the image to select it and click the Text Editor's tree icon.

Who can add new pages? Heartwood Chapter Texas Master Naturalist members, Intern members, and our Nature Partner members with special permission granted by the web master.

If you don't fall into one of these categories, see the FAQ on How to Ask the web site's Activities Section Manager to add an event for you.

1. Log in
   
   
2. Create content > Activity: calendar
   -or-
   Create content > Activity: without date (for announcements)
   
   
3. Fill in the form.
   Special instructions for each text field are at the top of the form.
   
   
   • Location - add the street address and you automatically get a link to the Google Map for your activity page.
     
     
   • Sign Up - add the email of the contact person. Each time a viewer Signs Up on-line, your contact person will receive a copy of the participant's name and contact information.
     
     Send a Reminder option: 3 days -People who sign up on-line will automatically receive a brief email reminder 3 days prior to the event.
     
     
   • Register - add your text
     "Use our convenient on-line Sign Up tab -or- phone ....."
     
     
   • Collection of fees - We can collect fees using PayPal for Heartwood sponsored activities only.
     
     Contact the Heartwood Treasurer to request the HTML code to copy paste into your page for the PayPal button. Inform them of the activity name and the amount.
     
     
4. Scroll down. You can choose to Preview before clicking the Save button.

If you want our Activities Section volunteer to post an activity for you, they will need the information listed below to fill in the blanks on our web page form.

We suggest you submit your request at least 3 weeks prior to your event to ensure our volunteer has time to post it and our viewers have time to respond.

Give our volunteer a break by filling in the information in a list, as shown below. They can finish quickly and still have time for their outdoor nature projects that they'd rather be doing.

Send your request to events@heartwoodtmn.org.

1. Activity type: lecture, training workshop, volunteer opportunity
2. Activity name:
3. Activity start: date/time
   Activity end: date/time
4. Activity sponsor - Who will the volunteers be helping?
5. Activity location: name, street address, city, zip code
6. Activity fee: $
7. Activity description:  what to include...
   
   • Brief summary of the activity.
   • Any skills, prior experience, training, or tools required/recommended.
   • If a volunteer activity, precisely what the volunteers will be asked to do and how many volunteers you need for each task.
   • If registration required, include any details, such as deadlines.
8. Contact info: person's name, email, phone
9. Photos need to be reduced in size to a maximum of 500px wide and saved as a .jpg file. If your computer does not have a program to alter photos, you can use http://www.resizr.com for free.
10. Documents may be attached for viewers to download. They must be .txt, .pdf, .doc files, with .pdf being the preferred format for web site viewing. The file cannot exceed 2mb in size.

Texas Master Naturalist Heartwood Chapter members can add pages to the web site, including Activities.

If you are connected to one of our Nature Partner organizations and want to add your own events to the Heartwood web site, contact the webmaster for permission to be a Web Site Contributor.

I want to contact someone who wrote an article.

See the "Submitted by..." line right under the article's title? If you are logged in, the author's name will appear as a link. Click it to open their contact page.

I want to contact a Chapter volunteer staff member.

When you roll your mouse over the top category called People, a list should drop down.

• Officers -Our Board members This section also includes our Chapter training coordinator, webmaster, and webmaster helpers.
• Advisors -Our Chapter advisors from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
• Committees -Our committee chairpersons for training, my hours records, refreshments, newsletter editor, and more.

I want to contact a fellow Chapter member.

When you roll your mouse over the top category called People, a list should drop down. If you are logged in and an authorized Chapter member, you will see the link to the Membership Directory.

* No one wants to have their email end up on a spammers list. That is why we use contact forms and do not post our personal names and emails on the web site.

To maintain their Certification Status, each year our Texas Master Naturalists are required to fulfill 3 requirements.

1. Pay the $25.00 Heartwood Chapter Dues by the end of January each year.
2. Donate the time to attend and report Advanced Training lectures, seminars, workshops - minimum 8 hours for the year.
3. Donate the time to attend/coordinate and report Volunteer Service - minimum 40 hours for the year.
   

Read further to get more details, exceptions, and examples.

1. Pay the $25.00 Annual Heartwood Chapter Dues by January 15.
   Covers you from January through December.
   
   The dues amount is set by the Board and has not increased since our inception in 2005. In December, we will add the Chapter Dues payment page instructing you how to pay on-line or by postal mail.
   
   Exceptions:
   
   • 2009 Fall Interns who paid their dues in the last half of the year are exempt for 2010.
   • Members who transferred in during the 2009 year and have paid dues to another Chapter in 2009 are exempt for 2009.
     
     
2. Advanced Training - minimum 8 hours
   Report lectures, seminars, workshops that enhance your knowledge on the topics covered in your Texas Master Naturalist curriculum manual. It must be something that applies to the Texas ecological system.
   
   Turtles of Texas --- yes
   Turtles of Florida --- no
   Texas Wildflower ID --- yes
   How to Restore a Prairie Habitat --- yes
   Propagating roses --- no
   How to organize a volunteer project --- yes
   
   
   
3. Volunteer Service - minimum 40 hours
   Report any projects on the topics covered in your Texas Master Naturalist curriculum manual. It must be something that applies to the Texas ecological system, the Texas Master Naturalist Program, or assists a nature organization/site with their operations.
   
   You can include your travel time, which will calculate in for your 40 hours. The travel time you report can not be more than the volunteer service time you report for that specific activity.
   
   Examples for a turtle volunteer
   
   
   • TPWD box turtle count & data entry
   • Texas Sea Turtle Rescue Program nest monitor
   • Create or maintain a turtle habitat or public viewing area
   • Nature talk or walk to educate others about turtles found in Texas
   • Assist at a booth about turtles found in Texas
   • Create and install an educational display about turtles found in Texas
   • Create a teaching trunk available to educators about turtles found in Texas
   • Research and make a documentary about a turtle species found in Texas
   • Write a published article about turtles found in Texas (newsletter or magazine)
   • Write and/or distribute an educational brochure about turtles found in Texas
   • Install and/or maintain recycle bins for monofilament fishing line to protect turtles and the Texas ecological environment.
   • Trainer or Officer for a local turtle group
   • Turtle rehab