A September morning at John Bunker Sands Wetland Center photographed by our September speaker Carol Garrison

A Message from our President

In this quarter’s message, Scott Hudson offers a preview of the 2022 Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting being held in Houston in October. The event is sure to be an action packed and informative few days of learning and fellowship with your fellow nature lovers. Read Scott’s message here.

Fall Big Chapter Project October 1st

Join Danielle LoPresti and fellow Master Naturalist volunteers at Oak Cliff Nature Preserve for our fall project. We will be partnering with the Texas Land Conservancy to do prairie restoration. Volunteers will be clearing prairie remnants throughout the preserve, thinning underbrush, and picking up trash. We will also be on the lookout for seeds to be collected for planting in the spring. Sign up here.

Ned Fritz Named Honorary Member

At the August NTMN meeting, members voted to bestow Honorary Master Naturalist status posthumously to Ned Fritz (1916–‘92), joining his wife Genie, who received her honorary status in 2013. A passionate volunteer for nature, devoted to educational outreach, and commitment to advanced training, Ned set the standard for being a TMN—before TMN existed. Read more about Ned and the Ned Fritz Legacy project here.

National Hispanic Heritage Month

NTMN’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair Ginger Greatens offers six ways to learn about and celebrate Hispanic Heritage. Read her article here.

In addition, All are invited (as volunteers or attendees) to Casa Guanajuato’s Anniversary event, Saturday Sept 24, 5-9 PM, 1002 W Brooklyn Ave Dallas, 75208. We will have a nature booth at the celebration. If you are interested in volunteering please sign up. Spanish speaking/bilingual volunteers needed. NTMN will be presenting them with a monarch waystation certificate from the 2022 Campo Santo de Cemento Grande student project. For more information about the event contact Ginger Greatens. To volunteer, sign up here: https://volunteersignup.org/LLATJ

Be sure to check out our Facebook page this month for educational posts featuring prominent Hispanic & Latino naturalists.

Class of 2023 Applications Open September 15th

Do you know someone who would make a great NTMN member? We are looking for 50 new trainees for the 2023 class which begins January 31st. They can get an application beginning Thursday at this link. Download our 2023 Member recruitment flyer in English here. The Spanish version of the flyer can be downloaded here.

Insect Affinity Group Outing this Sunday

Sam Kieschnick is hosting another outing this Sunday, September 18th at 5:00 p.m. at Coppell Nature Park. This month’s outing will focus on insect migration. Reach out to Sam with questions.

State Fair Volunteers Needed

Join Texas Parks and Wildlife at their booth in the poultry barn at the State Fair of Texas September 30 – October 1. Volunteers are needed from 10 AM – 6 PM (four hour shifts available).

Don’t miss this great opportunity to interact with the community and teach them about birds and pollinators using the trunks. If you are interested but need some training with outreach and nature trunk materials, please contact us, everyone is welcome! No experience necessary. Sign up here: volunteersignup.org/DKLJJ. Questions? Contact Community Ed.

Agrilife is also seeking volunteers at the fair. You can learn more here. If you volunteer there, be sure to bring a copy of our recruitment flyer.

Member News, Essays, and Opinion

Get Involved in Dallas County Open Space
The system has 20 preserves in Dallas, suburbs, and unincorporated areas of Dallas County. They’re looking for volunteers in  many different capacities, from iNat surveys, to trail clearing, to board members. Learn more about it here.

Joe LaBay selected as the 2nd quarter, 2022 Volunteer of the Quarter
From Native Plants & Prairies Day to Financial Audits to the Goals & Research Committee, Joe is an invaluable member of our chapter. Read about his hard work and his outstanding achievements here.

Milestones See all the milestone achievements for the second quarter here. Special shout out to Don Pearson for reaching 1000 volunteer hours!

Check out the flickr albums for photos from our most recent NTMN events including the TR Hoover Summer Camp and a new native planting at Northaven Trail. Submit your own event photos for an album to photos@ntmn.org.

Remember Sreya Das, our NTMN Science Fair winner who did a presentation at our December 2021 meeting? She’s off to college and sent a thoughtful thank you note to Tabatha Knickerbocker and our chapter. Read her kind words and the impact NTMN has made on her here.

Shop and support NTMN. Sign up for Kroger, Tom Thumb or Amazon Smile rewards programs and a percentage of your purchase total will be donated to our chapter. It’s easy!