Pollination is a critical ecosystem service that helps to maintain the ecological integrity of native plant communities. Native pollinators—bees, butterflies, moths, bats and birds—play a critical role in sustaining ecosystems and provide essential services to American agriculture (estimated at as much as $9 billion annually). Interest in conservation of native pollinators has grown rapidly over the last few years as several species have experienced dramatic population declines.
Project Details: Texas Master Naturalist Chapters are invited to apply for Pollinators for Texas project funding, generously sponsored by H-E-B, with the goal of making large scale impacts for native pollinator habitats. This could include developing and expanding on the ground conservation and habitat projects and significant outreach programs focused on native pollinators and pollinator habitat conservation. Projects must follow Texas Master Naturalist service guidelines, be publicly accessible and include a care and maintenance plan for post-project longevity. Projects may include installation of large-scale pollinator habitat, interpretative signage or enhancement of current Texas Master Naturalist pollinator projects, public educational programming focused on pollinators or innovative conservation projects focused on native pollinators and their habitats. The goal of this project is to utilize funding from H-E-B to generate measurable positive impact on native pollinators and their habitats across the state of Texas, while improving the communities in which H-E-B employees and customers live, work and recreate.
2025 Project Award Amount: Variable funding up to $4,000 for projects
Funder: The Texas Master Naturalist Program in partnership with H-E-B
Application Submission Period: April 1 – June 1, 2025
Project Completion Deadline: Projects should have measurable impacts (i.e. plants, acres, hours, people reached, etc.) by July 6, 2026, with all funding spent by this date. Please note in your application if your project will not be complete by this time.
Project Report Deadline: A mid-year and final full report form will be sent to all Chapter award recipients to complete. The mid-year project report will be due in January, 2026. All project final reports are due to the Texas Master Naturalist Program state office no later than July 26, 2026. A statewide impact report will be compiled by August 10, 2026.
Application Materials: Applicants must complete the online application form (below) in its entirety for their application to be considered submitted and eligible for consideration. If you would like to work on your application prior to submission (the form will not let you save progress), you may download a Word version HERE:
A submission checklist may be used as a guide for chapters in their submission process. This checklist is attached below, but is only for personal use, please do not attach this in the application submission:
Please note, the Word version and checklist are for your personal use only—applications MUST be submitted via the form below. Emailed applications will not be accepted.
Additionally, applicants MUST upload an AgriLife Vendor Application (W-9) to be eligible for consideration. This form is attached below, please download it and fill it out prior to submitting your application.
Templates: Attached below are resources that you may use during your application process. Within the application, you must attach a budget and species list. The templates below are for your convenience, you may use them or create your own.
Eligibility: All Texas Master Naturalist Chapters are eligible to apply to receive funding for one project. Projects submitted must first be coordinated with and approved by your chapter’s board locally. Chapters located within an H-E-B region will be given priority in funding. This does not exclude those chapters in non-H-E-B regions (West Texas and the Panhandle); however, projects must be clearly tied to local pollinators or those that will migrate through this region to other parts of the state.
VMS: All Texas Master Naturalist volunteer service hours worked in connection with this Pollinators for Texas project must be logged as required in VMS within 45 days. Hours contributed to the project in September and October MUST be logged by June 30, 2026.
Project Considerations:
- Application for project funding must be received via the online application form within the designated application period to be considered for the relevant project cycle.
- Chapters may submit multiple projects; however, only one may be awarded to each chapter.
- All projects submitted MUST be approved by the chapter board.
- Priority will be given to pollinator habitat projects, however educational initiatives will be considered.
- Priority will be given to projects proposing large scale or regional pollinator focused projects not normally accessible to chapters without these funds. Neighboring Texas Master Naturalist Chapters may consider working jointly on these landscape level projects in a region.
- Priority will be given to projects engaging with and involving local communities.
- Priority will be given to publicly accessible projects.
- This Pollinators for Texas project does not support funding for advertising, individuals, transportation, political events or fundraisers of any kind.
- All applicants must provide a long-term maintenance and care plan for their project. Funding from the project may be spent on irrigation/care as needed. Project budgets will be reviewed with impacts prioritized.
- All applicants must submit a detailed budget.
- All applicants must submit a native pollinator list of species they plan to target in their habitat and/or educational initiatives.
- All selected projects must incorporate either physical signage or a social media marketing plan. Guidelines for marketing will be shared with selected projects.
- All selected projects must fill out a post-project report detailing the final impact of the project. Projects are to be completed by July 6, 2026.
- Previous Pollinators for Texas chapter awardees MUST submit either (a) a new phase of their awarded projects or (b) a new project separate from their previously awarded project.
Application
The application form is currently in progress. Please refer to the WORD version above for the listed questions.
FAQs
Anymore questions? Email us at TMNPollinatorsforTexas@ag.tamu.edu