North Texas Ecology Course Creates A Team Of Master Naturalists

Students say there’s an intrinsic benefit — it feels good to get outside, breathe in fresh air and make like-minded friends, but it’s ultimately about passing on what they’ve learned to others.

By Miguel PerezMay 9, 2019 6:57 amHealth & Science, KERA, Partner Organizations, Texas Newsroom

Rana Moore (left) and Stephanie Jennings sift through pond sediment during a Texas Master Naturalist class at the Heard Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney, Texas.

From KERA:

In Texas, there’s a group of trained volunteers so committed to caring for the state’s natural areas, they’re known as Master Naturalists.

The program is sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and students have to go through an in-depth course to earn the title.

The certification doesn’t grant them with a degree or any official authority, but members of the Blackland Prairie chapter, which covers most of Collin County, say the goal is to better understand the region’s natural history.

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