Announcements from March 2023 Chapter Meeting

Highlights from the March 2023 Chapter Meeting

The Announcements
Please view the full set of January announcements by clicking here. Further activities are listed on the chapter calendar. Opportunities and contacts, websites, and other details are available.

Highlights of the Meeting

This year’s Awards Banquet was a great success. Some 180 Master Naturalists and guests came together at Texas Discovery Gardens to celebrate our first such gathering in three years!

Your Master of Ceremonies Charlie Warnberg made all welcome. He also outlined this year’s logo wear ordering process. Please remember that the deadline for ordering is March 10 to save yourself the $50 small order fee. Details are in the announcement slides.

I presented a brief chapter update. Thanks to the enthusiasm and hard work of our members, the state of the chapter is very good. By any measure NTMN volunteers are making a difference in our community. Reported hours comprise one measure: members logged an amazing 23,835 volunteer service hours and 3,442 advanced training hours in 2022, a significant increase over the previous 2 years. Congratulations to you outstanding volunteers for such a great year!

I also discussed ongoing work for 2023, especially in enhancing engagement and partnerships, improving technology, and continuing in diversity, equity and inclusion. Note that Texas Master Naturalist statewide and North Texas Master Naturalist have 25^th anniversaries coming up later this year.

Our award-winning advisor Sam Kieschnick brought us a wide range Texas Parks and Wildlife updates ranging from dismay that the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act hasn’t passed yet to how much we have to celebrate in the year coming up.

This year marks Texas State Parks 100^th Anniversary! Many celebrations are planned at various parks throughout the year. A soft opening for the much-anticipated Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is planned for late 2023.

Sam highlighted several upcoming events:
City Nature Challenge – April 28–May 1
National Moth Week – July 22–29
Fall Bioblitz in DFW – Sep 3–9
State-wide Pollinator Bioblitz – Oct 6–21

He challenged all to attend the TXMN State Conference in the Lower Rio Grande Valley October 12-15. It is based in McAllen but activities will range throughout the area. There will be a special outing to observe the solar eclipse. But most of all, everyone should attend because The Mothing Will Be Amazing!

Steve Wilson led us in a special memorial for members who passed away over the last year: Elaine Ackley, Kip Kiphart, Michele Renee Miles, Wendy Stewart and Kenny Wickline.

Steve also recognized all those who first certified as master naturalists in 2022 and service milestones achieved last year. Congratulations to you all! Too many to list here but will be featured in the upcoming newsletter.

Marcie Haley presented John Wilt’s 10,000 Hour Award. Many congratulations to John on this amazing milestone!

Laura Kimberly received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her long-term chapter service. Congratulations to Laura!

Thanks to banquet chair Cachet Petty and to her committee, Connie Koval, Nancy Wilson, Charlie Warnberg, Gary Barton, Sam Kieschnick and Steve Wilson for putting this event together.

Going Deeper
Sam Kieschnick mentioned Palo Pinto Mountains State Park. TPWD has more details here.
Sam also mentioned hope for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. Vox published this analysis earlier this year.

Thanks to our guests and members for participating in the chapter banquet. I hope all feel welcome at NTMN.

Take care,
Scott Hudson
President
North Texas Master Naturalist