Master Naturalists are dedicated to the conservation, preservation, and restoration of our natural resources, and promoting ecological education for all. Upon completing a comprehensive training program, Master Naturalist volunteers provide programs and projects that increase appreciation of our natural environment, promote the maintenance of and sustainable use of public open spaces, and protect and preserve native flora and fauna and their habitats.

To join us and become a certified Texas Master Naturalist, you must complete a 60-hour training course on the region’s natural features and the impact that people have on nature. Training courses are held in the fall of each year and average 20 to 30 students. The course includes presentations by biologists, geologists, naturalists, and others from local, state, and federal agencies and universities.

You must complete a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of advanced training during the first 12 months following your completion of the course (to be completed before your course's graduation anniversary date). Advanced training enables Texas Master Naturalists to learn additional knowledge or a particular skill in order to assist with different volunteer projects. Advanced training activities in the past have involved hands-on instruction, field trips to local natural areas, and lectures with such topics as: Texas bats, Texas insects, Texas aquatic environments, wildscape development, and trail planning, among many others.