Passport to Texas

Ray Roberts Lake State Park

TPW TV: Ray Roberts Lake State Park Bike Trails Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Looking for a place for two wheeled fun in North Texas? Then make a beeline to Ray Roberts Lake State Park, 20 minutes NE of Denton.

05— From the beginner to the expert, any type of biking that you’d like to do – Ray Roberts Lake State Park has it.

Learn about all the park’s trails on the PBS Texas Parks and Wildlife TV Show; park superintendent, Gary Waller.

10—We have everything from single track mountain bike trails, to fairly wide concrete trails for walking and mountain biking and hiking; and then we have equestrian trails, too.

A group that regularly takes advantage of the trails at Ray Roberts Lake SP is DORBA: the Dallas Off-road Bicycle Association. Guy Grey is an active member.

08—I had my dog Haddie with me. I’ve come out here and done the whole eight miler with her before. It’s a little bit different. You don’t see too many dogs out on the trail – but it’s fun to do.

DORBA member, Will Bloodworth, says the variability of trails can help mountain bikers improve their skills.

19— Around the lake is more of an intermediate terrain. Johnson Branch has quite a bit of what we call flowy sections – switchback sections, roots and rocks and sand and open field. So, you get a little bit of everything here. I love it. I think it’s very challenging; and if you don’t challenge yourself you’re never going to improve.

Learn more about bike trails at Ray Roberts Lake SP on the PBS Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series. Check your local listings.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Planting pine trees at Bastrop State Park after the wildfire. Photo courtesy Texas Master Naturalist Facebook Page.

Nature: Becoming a Master Naturalist Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

There’s a training program for people with a passion for nature. It’s called the Texas Master Naturalist Program.

19— The Texas Master Naturalist Program is a volunteer based training program; we develop a corps of well-informed volunteers that provide education, outreach and service around the state in the beneficial management of natural resources and the natural areas within Texas.

Mary Pearl Meuth is assistant state program coordinator. They train roughly 700 volunteers annually, and have sessions this spring in 16 of their 44 chapters.

15— Our curriculum that is used for the training, has 26 chapters in it. So, they march through those 26 chapters all with a large context of the state of Texas, but then developed even more within their local ecosystem.

Once trained, volunteers provide 40 hours of community outreach, and take 8 hours of advanced training annually. The program’s not just about taking or facilitating classes. It’s also about discovery.

08—Quite a few of our Master Naturalists have identified new species of plants or new species of animals located within the state of Texas.

Are you ready to help Mother Nature? Consider the Texas Master Naturalist program; training sessions starting soon. Learn more at txmn.org.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Master Naturalist volunteering at Coastal Expo

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Texas Parks and Wildlife and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension are principal sponsors of the Texas Master Naturalist Program. This program trains volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources where they live.

08— Our master naturalists are able to give back to these partners both through their volunteer service and through their contributions on other ways.

Mary Pearl Meuth with Texas Agrilife Extension is assistant state program coordinator. She says what the more than 9-thousand trained volunteers have given back to the state since the program’s inception in 1997 is phenomenal.

12—Texas Parks and Wildlife values the over 2.4 million service hours that have been given back over the 15 year history of the program to at more than 54-million dollars for the state of Texas.

The Texas Master Naturalist Program trains roughly 700 volunteers annually statewide. And new training programs are starting up this spring among 16 of the program’s more than 40 chapters.

08—And these 16 chapters are located around the state, offering trainings at different points of the week, and different times of the day.

Tomorrow: training, teaching and discovering with the Texas Master Naturalist program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

South Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalists from Facebook page.

Nature: Who Volunteers to Become Master Naturalists? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

When you’re passionate about something, it’s hard to keep it to yourself. And when that passion leads you to become a Texas Master Naturalist, you don’t have to.

13— We develop a corps of well-informed volunteers that provide education, outreach and service around the state in the beneficial management of natural resources and the natural areas within Texas.

Mary Pearl Meuth with Texas Agrilife Extension is assistant state program coordinator. People of all ages and from all walks of life may train to become a certified Master Naturalists, although retirees are strong within their ranks.

27—We do ask that each Master Naturalist provides 40 hours of volunteer service yearly along with their continuing education of 8 hours of advanced training every year to maintain that certification. That is difficult to do on a full-time employee based status – if you’re a full-time worker. But, we do have many master naturalists who are able to juggle the load. So, we do have young and old.

Since the program’s inception in 1997, Master Naturalists have given back to Texas in millions of meaningful ways. We have details tomorrow.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Photo from the Texas Master Naturalist Facebook Page

Nature: Texas Master Naturalist Program Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Texas Master Naturalist program trains volunteers in all aspects of the Texas environment where they live.

11— All the way from the plants and why they’re named what they’re named in their local ecosystem, to the birds and the mammals and the fish and the invertebrates and everything.

Mary Pearl Meuth is assistant state program coordinator through Texas Agrilife Extension.

15— They [volunteers] are encouraged to share their knowledge, either through events with other local classrooms and youth education programs, working and volunteering at state parks or nature centers and natural areas.

Texas’ more than 40 Master Naturalist Chapters train and certify volunteers in the specifics of their local ecosystems after they’ve learned the universal basics.

18—Master Naturalists join the program because they’re excited about the environmental world in which we live and the diversity of Texas, which is just incredible. And, once they join, then they can give back to their community that needs that resource.

To maintain certification, volunteers agree to 40 hours of community outreach and eight hours of advanced training annually. Find details txmn.org.

More in the Master Naturalist Program tomorrow.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti