HEARTWOOD CHAPTER

You've tried things out as a guest at our lectures and our volunteer activities. Are you ready for the next level of commitment?

Join our Chapter and Become a Certified Texas Master Naturalist

Part one - Attend the next New Volunteer Orientation meeting

There is no commitment on your part at this stage. The Orientation Talk is announced shortly before the next session begins. It will give you the opportunity to meet the Training Coordinator, get all the details about the Program, and feel absolutely sure it is the program for you.

The schedule is dependent on the availability of the volunteer Training Coordinator. In the past, we have been able to offer a Spring-Summer session that ran every other Saturday approximately from Apr through Aug, and a fast track Fall session that ran every Monday, Oct through Nov.

We will not be having a Fall session this year. John Warner, the manager of the Jones State Forest, was our main coordinator for the Fall session. Since all the State Foresters are devoting an immense amount of their time to the Texas wildfires this year, John cannot be assured that he would be available.

Part two - File your application, pay your fee, and agree to attend the 40+ hours of New Volunteer classroom and field studies.

Attendees at the Orientation will receive the group's schedule. It will also be posted on the web site.

Our fee since 2005 has been $150. That covers the 40+ hours of classroom lectures and field studies with experts in the various topics we study; the Texas Master Naturalist Manual -an encyclopedia of knowledge and resources; your current year Chapter Dues ($25); plus, the items you will receive once you attain your 1st Year Certification.

Part three - Complete your hours commitment for the 1st year Certification

You have 15 months from the date of your first training session to meet your Certification Hours requirement. You will need...

• 8 hours Advanced Training -beyond your regular sessions. The guest speaker at the Chapter Meetings is a good example.
• 40 hours Volunteer Service on approved projects. You can join group projects or coordinate your own, such as leading a Bird Walk at the library every Saturday.

Congratulations!

You are now a Certified Texas Master Naturalist. We will be rewarding you with your dragonfly pin, a Certification pin for the current year, a Chapter shirt, and an engraved name badge.

Once you get your first year Certification, say it is in March 2013, you then start on the standard Jan to Dec schedule to count your hours for your 2014 Certification. The Heartwood Chapter dues are $25 per year.