Train to be a Master Naturalist
As a Highland Lakes Master Naturalist, Paula Richards is trained to teach the life cycle of a monarch butterfly, and much more. Registration for the local chapter’s 2025 training program is open until Jan. 1. Staff photo by Suzanne Freeman
The Highland Lakes chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists is accepting applications for its 2025 training program through Jan. 1. Only 24 spots are open and expected to fill up quickly.
The sessions start Feb. 13 and end May 8. Email an application request to txmn.highlandlakes@gmail.com.
Prospective Highland Lakes Master Naturalists will learn about the area’s natural history, climate, and how to identify local plants and animals so they can, in turn, educate and engage their communities on these topics. The chapter covers Burnet, Llano, Blanco, and Lampasas counties.
“This is an extremely active chapter that makes huge impacts in our communities,” Burnet County Agrilife Extension Agent Kelly Tarla told DailyTrib.com. “If people are wanting to make an impact on people’s lives and nature in the Highland Lakes, then this group is for you.”
The Texas Master Naturalist program is supported by Texas A&M AgriLife, and Tarla works closely with the Highland Lakes chapter.
“I cannot say enough about how much these people do,” she said. “I would definitely try to get in (the training program) as soon as possible if you want to get in. They do fill up pretty fast.”
If selected for the program, the applicant will pay a $200 fee that covers classroom training, textbooks, and field trips to places such as nearby Inks Lake and Pedernales Falls state parks and Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.
“Our members have various interests such as education, conservation, land management, and wildlife viewing,” reads a statement from the Highland Lakes Master Naturalists chapter. “The region we work and play in is a very diverse area. We have the best geology in the state as well as bountiful riparian areas.”