The Texas Master Naturalist program is a volunteer community service organization sponsored by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and the AgriLife Extension Service. The program educates a corp of volunteers in the natural sciences, so that the participants emerge with new knowledge and heightened enthusiasm, ready to give back to their communities. I’ve been in training for the last four weeks, and I’m loving it! There’s about a 50% chance that your state offers a similar program. 

Currently, there are 25 states offering a Master Naturalist program. The most current listing of these programs that I found is at the Water Quality Monitoring National Facilitation Project.  (I know – unlikely site, but it’s a good list with links.)

So often it seems like there is never enough time for “anything.” We are all busy with the many activities and responsibilities of our lives. And yet, we make time for the parts of life that are most important to us, don’t we? Friends? Family? Birds?

How about volunteering? Giving back to your local community? The good that can be achieved by a group of volunteers, banding together for a common purpose, is staggering. No one person must give more than he or she can–the  collection of individual efforts result in significant accomplishments. The satisfaction that a volunteer feels at giving whatever talents, skills and time that he or she can spare, is grand. Even better, the act of your volunteer service heartens your fellow volunteers and encourages others to volunteer for the first time.

It is true that I sing the praises of volunteer work due to my love of our planet and all of it’s creatures, but volunteer service of any kind is a rewarding and worthwhile endeavor. And its free!

You want me to do what?!

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