Our North Texas Master Naturalist Projects

Curation and research facilitation of the Center. We aim to make our specimens, data, and other resources more accessible and useable to researchers around the globe.

Trained citizen monitors assist professionals by collecting water quality data on lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, bays, bayous and estuaries in Texas. Stream Team also participates in environmental education events for students and adults and promotes positive communication within the community about water resource protection.

Help with privet removal (primarily maintenance of recovered land, and stop privet encroachment on the meadow side), native plant maintenance (particularly watering and weed control), and future pollinator garden expansions.

Citizen science project to do acoustic monitoring of bats statewide.

A major singular effort, semi-annual event, on the part of NTMN members to improve, restore, preserve, create areas that have a nature-related focal point and/or educational component such as wildscapes, native plant gardens, trails, ponds, parks, etc.

An event in which Master Naturalists, wildlife biologists, other scientists and community members work together to locate and identify as many species of flora and fauna possible of a specified area in a set range of time.

A rehabilitation hospital/facility for injured raptors and education of the public about birds of prey and their role in nature within our North Texas environment. Volunteers help by caring for and feeding resident raptors, cleaning the facility, building cages/flyways, participating in rehab exercises, assisting in medical procedures, and conducting live educational presentations.

Volunteers assist with research projects, educator professional development workshops, special events and youth programming. They prepare specimens and documentation and assist in the botanical library. Volunteers also greet visitors and serve as tour docents.

A pollinator garden with native plants and nectar-producing flowers, including milkweed, which will attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators and a demonstration garden for outreach and education. Volunteers advise and assist with design, installation and maintenance of the garden, as well as participate in education and outreach events.

Guides provide tours of the Native Texas Park, educating visitors about reclaiming the Blackland Prairie Habitat, the importance of using native and adapted plants, hydrology/conservation of water, invasive species, birds, and insects, and specific seasonal emphasis.

Establish a monarch way station in this historic cemetery. Monarch butterflies migrate every year between Mexico and the United States and are a powerful symbol for migrant justice and connection with ancestors.

Volunteers help restore, preserve and maintain prairie, woodland and wetland areas. They lead nature walks and other activities and participate in biological surveys and censuses.

Expand greenspaces, repair pollinator populations, enhance climate resiliency, lower heat island index, teach about the natural environment, build awareness, and grow communities through accessibility to nature. The scope of the project includes 7 cemeteries in Dallas: Beeman, Carver, Ferris, Glover, Persimmon Rd, and Western Heights cemeteries.

A community volunteer project to help restore and conserve our urban forest. Citizen Foresters are trained in basic tree knowledge and skills, including benefits of trees, tree identification, and planting and pruning. A fee is charged for the required training class. Volunteers participate in community education, community outreach events, and community tree planting events.

Volunteers help restore, preserve and maintain prairie areas, especially through a seed increase project. They lead educational tours and participate in biological surveys.

Volunteers help with restoration work to re-establish native prairie plants, removal of invasive species, trail maintenance, guiding nature walks and other educational events for the public.

Coppell Nature Park is a natural area with 2 miles of trail, 2 outdoor classrooms, and other features. Three types of habitats support local wildlife: Cross Timbers forest, spring-fed creek, and prairie. This outdoor space provides opportunity for engaging with nature and learning experiences.

Learn how best to re-introduce Dalea hallii to new suitable sites when existing sites have been destroyed.

Field research, public outreach, education talks, habitat restoration, natural resource management.

Volunteers collect, press, preserve, mount and store plants. Other tasks include photography and photo publishing, preparing outreach displays, maintaining a database. Volunteers will receive training from the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and individual trainers.

Educate the public using plants and animals in the historic Texas dioramas.

Maintain and restore horticulture in the four historic parks in Oak Cliff, to provide educational and social activities that promote the love of gardening, to advocate for conservation and a greater appreciation of the environment, and to back public policies that support their goals. Volunteers assist in park workdays on trail and wildscape maintenance and lead guided hikes.

Volunteers engage in plant and wildlife surveys, seed harvesting, invasive species removal, native species planting, trash and debris removal, as well as education and outreach events.

Erik Jonsson Central Library  , Renner Frankford Branch, Bachman Lake Branch Library Volunteers design, install, and maintain pollinator gardens, create a seed bank of native plants to share with the community, and participate in education and outreach events.

Volunteers serve as interpretive guides, interacting with visitors and educating them about animals, natural history, and wildlife conservation. They also help with special events and projects. The Zoo provides volunteers with appropriate training for the areas in which they work.

An information and education service. Volunteers answer the hotline and provide information about native wildlife to callers who have found orphaned or injured animals. Volunteers also provide information on effective, humane solutions to wildlife problems such as ducks in my swimming pool, etc.

Volunteers support Dogwood Canyon with trail building, citizen science projects, outdoor education, guided trail hikes, invasive species eradication, habitat restoration and preservation, and service as education docents and visitor docents.

Volunteers assist with public education and outreach activities, including hosting bioblitz events and leading hikes. New chapter project in 2023.

FTLOTL is a volunteer group dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of White Rock Lake. They work in cooperation with Dallas Park and Recreation.

This ‘miracle’ native prairie is quietly tucked inside a north Dallas neighborhood in what once was the community of Frankford.  Master Naturalists volunteer to help restore and maintain the prairie while learning about native plants and wildlife.

Volunteers work to assist the TMN Bluestem Chapter and the Friends of Hagerman Wildlife Refuge. Volunteers assist visitors at the visitor information desk, lead or assist with tours for families and schools, assist with second Saturday and Refuge Rocks for ages 4-12, maintain hiking trails, work in the butterfly garden, do weekly bird counts, prepare and repair nest boxes, and assist with other activities as needed.

Master Naturalists assist with developing/leading a Junior Master Naturalist program, provide maintenance in the school’s native plant pollinator garden, and host outreach events.

Volunteers work outside among the trees, do research, study maps, and help with general organization and record keeping.

Volunteers provide outreach to South Dallas citizens residing in zip code 75215, the Ideal/Bonton community. Educational outreach to this community next to the Buckeye Trail and Great Trinity Forest through summer nature classes, public school learning experiences, senior education and through other community and educational centers. Volunteers assist with classroom and field trip activities.

An educational and research facility in the areas of water quality and supply, wildlife management, and wetland systems. Volunteers supports the education programs’ focus on wetland and river ecosystems, bird migrations and water conservations. Volunteers participate in bird counts, trail walks, and education activities.

Volunteers have installed 2 Monarch Waystations, a large Pollinator Garden, and started a 1000 sq ft Wildflower area. Volunteer assist in maintaining the gardens and providing public outreach.

Volunteers make trail improvements, remove invasive plants, and other activities related to restoring and maintaining the area.

Volunteers work in the plant nursery, harvest seeds and replant prairie grasses, develop and maintain hiking and kayak trails and primitive camping areas. They work with prescribed burns, bird banding station activities, removal of historic fence/tree lines and exotic species, and assist with nature hikes, school groups, and other events.

Volunteers gathering of data to study population and migration patterns  of the Monarch butterfly.   They also assist in tagging of Monarchs during fall migration with tags provided from Monarch Watch and reporting using  tag ID info.

NLCP is a state-wide program of all-day classes offered by the Native Plant Society of Texas to educate anyone interested in landscaping with native plants to improve the local environment, reduce use of irrigation, pesticides and fertilizers, and provide habitat in addition to creating a beautiful landscape. It is for homeowners, landscape professionals, developers, city and governmental professionals, and others in regulatory positions to value, preserve and introduce native plants and habitats in private and public landscapes.

Native Plants and Prairies Day is a special event at White Rock Lake to communicate to adults and children the value of native plants and prairies. The day includes plant walks, speakers, and information booths.

Periodic workdays at prairies that NPAT owns (closest is Mathews Prairie) or has conservation easements on (closest are adjuncts to Clymer Meadow), both about 1-hour away. Occasional sessions at Talbot Brothers, Mary Talbot, and Daphne Prairie, about 2 hours away. Clearing brush, removing invasives, gathering seeds, and infrastructure work such as fence repair.

Nature Trekkers (formerly Tiny Trekkers and Nature Explorers) is a series of nature explorations for young children and their caregivers. Volunteers support the children’s explorations, helping them learn through discovery and inquiry.

Volunteers assist with habitat restoration, invasive species removal, pollinator garden creation, and creation of educational materials

Volunteers to help with foray logistics, plant and animal identification, newsletter articles, maintaining our website, and help educate both adults and youth on mycology.

Volunteers help with trail development and maintenance, general cleanup, plant/animal surveys, invasive plant monitoring and management, water quality monitoring, nature hikes and other public education events.

Volunteers lead guided tours during public events being held at the cemetery, propagate and transplan plants only found within the cemetery for future use, assist with select plant species collection with BRIT, and lead groups of volunteers from businesses and schools on special workdays as they arise.

Volunteers provide outreach and education to the public

Volunteers are crucial for the restoration, preservation, and enhancement of prairie remnants along the Butterfly Trail at Paschall Park, a designated Monarch Waystation

Volunteers assist with exhibit halls, guest services, education and administration, paleo lab, and collections.

Trail maintenance activities, litter pickup, invasive plant removal, trail widening (as approved by Dallas Parks), and topsoil/mulch application.

Volunteers restore Blackland Prairie habitat, remove invasive plants, install/monitor bird boxes and plant native trees in riparian areas along Spring Creek.

Volunteers help maintain the preserve by removing invasive species, clearing trails, removing woody growth to keep the prairie clear, maintaining bird nest boxes. They also assist with nature walks.

Data collection project that runs for 20 weeks during the winter. Volunteer bird watchers participate in a worldwide study of birds. They submit their observations to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where scientists are working to develop a global understanding of changing bird populations. Cornell reports data on local, state and North American birds.

NTMN participants in Project NestWatch can monitor nests on their own property and/or nests in other public spaces within the chapter’s geographic area (Dallas/Kaufman & Rockwall counties).

Volunteers manage pollinator gardens for wildlife habitat. This includes weeding, seed collecting, putting in different species of plants. Also, documentation of the various pollinators that visit these gardens.

Volunteers help by caring for and feeding rehabilitation birds, assisting with the rehabilitation area, assisting in medical procedures, and educating visiting individuals and groups about the birds’ medical, nutritional, and habitat requirements.

Volunteers participate in nature/public access, public outreach, and educational talks

Volunteers assist with Education, outreach and service to schools, community or public properties and community organizations by providing guidance in establishing and/or maintaining wildscapes, gardens, native prairies, and outdoor learning centers.

Volunteers assist scout troops with merit badge activities relating to nature studies, plant and animal identification, and Leave No Trace program for low impact on ecosystems while outdoors.

Volunteer activities in the pollinator garden include: garden maintenance, new native plant installation, removal of Bermudagrass in the beds, Eastern bluebird nestbox monitoring, and seed collecting and dispersal. Volunteer activities for the creek restoration include: erosion control, native plant installation, invasive plant removal, bird habitat creation with brush piles, and species documentation on iNaturalist.

Support for various activities conducted by the AgriLife office. Volunteers from the NTMN chapter help as needed

TCA initiates grassroots conservation activities with local and regional stakeholders

Volunteers work with plant propagation and maintenance, educational programs for school groups and the public and special events such as workshops, Garden Walks and public festivals.

Texas Native Cats makes presentations to various groups around the state.

Support for various activities conducted by TPWD, such as Landowners Workshop, Feral Hog Conference, and others

Volunteers will assist Texas Trees Foundation staff with tree plantings.

Volunteers lead nature hikes, work on habitat restoration and trail development and maintenance, and assist with school groups and other education activities.

Volunteers continue to restore the prairie areas by installing plants and seeds that are native to the Backland Prairie in Dallas County and removing introduced plants. They groom the large butterfly garden. They present education programs and events and may do public outreach.

Volunteers attend monthly UFAC meetings to stay informed about policies and projects to conserve Dallas trees, conduct community tree plantings, and participate in public education events.

Wellness in Nature (WIN) volunteers are partnering with Dallas Park and Recreation Centers offering nature experiences to community members that are seeking ways to engage with nature to enhance their quality of life and well-being.

Volunteers monitor and manage the flora and fauna of the area. They participate in plant and other wildlife surveys, seed collection, planting, nature walks, and education of the public.

North Texas Master Naturalists volunteers will work with the Friends of Willis Winters Park to preserve and maintain the 16.1-acre City of Dallas Park and trees. Activities will include habitat maintenance, community education/outreach and bioblitz events.