A letter from your Texas Master Naturalist State Program Coordinators
Dear Texas Master Naturalists:
Unprecedented. Perseverance. Remote. Pivot. Social Distance. Quarantine. Uncertain Times. Flexible.
When it comes to words that defined us all in the past year, you have done it all, weathered it all, and you have risen above it all to overcome the challenges faced as Texas Master Naturalist Program Volunteers! You have proven again and again that Texas Master Naturalists have Grit, Talent, Passion and Zeal in the most trying of times and trying of years—and we thank you for it!
On this Earth Day, in this National Volunteer Recognition week, in this Volunteer Appreciation Month we honor, recognize and thank YOU for everything you are and all that you do as Texas Master Naturalist Volunteers! You make a difference not just on Earth Day, but EVERYDAY of the year!
Though the minutes and hours of your time spent volunteering as a Texas Master Naturalist can have a dollar value, the true entirety of your contributions are simply quite immeasurable. Little by little, bit by bit you ARE making a difference in your natural resource communities, in someone’s life and in your chapters and ecoregions all across the state!
Collectively, as Texas Master Naturalist Program volunteers throughout 2020 and the entirety of our program since its 1997 inception, you have:
- Helped train – or became—one of our 770 new members in 2020 adding to the ranks of some 15,200 who have been trained as Texas Master Naturalists since our program’s inception.
- Contributed 375,285 hours of service in 2020 and more than 5.5 Million hours to date.
- Your service in 2020 is valued at $8.26 Million and more than $121.35 Million to date!
- Obtained 65,012 Hours of Advanced Training in 2020 and 813,113 AT hours to date.
- Reached over 57,649 youth, adults and private landowners in 2020 and more than 6.5 Million people to date.
- Added 12 new acres under your stewardship and management service projects in 2020 and you’ve made an impact on more than 229,100 acres of Texas to date.
- Developed or maintained 3.1 new miles of trails in 2020 bringing your total impacts to more than 2,233+ miles of trail to date
The impacts you make on behalf of our two state agency sponsors of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are felt and noticed. Linked below are two letters to our members from the leaders of these agencies thanking you for your service. Our agencies recognize the power of conservation stewardship and volunteerism – and the fact that “it’s needed now more than ever”!
In celebration of you and your true perseverance, innovation and grit throughout the past year’s trials and tribulations we invite you to contribute to our One Year Later Nature Reflections Video Project and contribute your naturalist stories and testimonials about the restorative power of Nature and being a Texas Master Naturalist. For more information https://txmn.tamu.edu/nature-reflections-2021/
Happy Earth Day
Happy Volunteer Recognition Week
Happy Volunteer Appreciation Month
We appreciate you!
Michelle Haggerty and Mary Pearl Meuth
Texas Master Naturalist Program Coordinators
