(WEEK 0: Thursday, Jan. 22– Wednesday Jan. 28)
Hello!
We're in the final countdown now. As I mentioned before, our weeks will run from Thursday morning's weekly email to Wednesday evening's class meeting. That means that Week ONE will begin next Thursday, the 29th. So, let's call this week...Week ZERO.
Things you should have already completed by today:
Bio & Pic - Even after 2 weeks, we are still missing 9 bios for the class yearbook. One of the things we try to foster in the training class is a sense of community. The yearbook does a great job of letting us get to know each other. With 45 trainees and 24 education committee members, we will all need to work at building connections. When you read the bios, you might notice that you have common interests with other trainees. If you haven't sent in your bio, please send it to me ASAP. (nancyc@bptmn.org)
Google account - You were asked to create a Google account if you didn't already have one.
If you use a Google email address, you don't need to do anything. Just skip ahead.
If you do not have a Google email address (gmail), you will need to use the instructions to link your current email address to a Google account.
Do NOT create a Gmail! It is important that the class website is linked to an email you regularly check.
iNaturalist - You should have signed up at iNaturalist.org and sent your username to Lisa Travis at lisat@bptmn.org. If you already have an iNaturalist account, just send Lisa your username. If you haven't done this, please take care of it quickly. (Sign-up help)
To-Do List for This Week:
Unit 4 - Read Unit 4 in your TMN textbook. It covers all of the ecoregions of Texas and lays a good foundation for your upcoming classes.
Class Website - Once you are logged into your Google account, you can visit the class website BPTMNclass.net. Please do a test and make sure that you are able to access the website. This is where you'll find the information you need every week. Right now, only a few parts of the website are live. (You CAN see the yearbook!) We will add more features next week. Bookmark the site because you will be referring to it often.
If you have trouble accessing the site, make sure to check that you are logged into your Google account. If that doesn't help, you can try a different browser. After that, you can let me know and I'll see what I can do to help.
Reminders:
Snack collection - remember that you were asked to bring 20-24 servings of individually-wrapped, non-perishable snacks to the Meet & Greet on February 1st. We will collect them at the sign-in table and store them for your future classes. Thanks in advance.
Upcoming Dates:
Meet & Greet Orientation
Sunday, February 1st
2-4pm
Heard Museum's Science Resource Center
Due to space constraints, please plan to attend solo
Class ONE: Ecological Concepts & Urban Ecology
Wednesday, February 4th
6-9pm
Heard Museum's Science Resource Center
February Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, February 10th
7pm
Heard Museum's Science Resource Center
You will be able to count 1 hour of Advanced Training (AT) for attending the meeting.
See you soon,
Nancy
Hello! I don't know about you, but this past week went by really fast. It's already time for your next weekly update. Enjoy. 🙂
Things you should have already completed by today:
Send bio and photo to me-
If you haven't sent them, you are already behind. Please get this taken care of by this Sunday, January 18th. Remember to keep it short and sweet, aiming for 100 words. And make sure we can see YOU in your photo. You can see 4 examples here.
Pick up your TMN textbook at the chapter meeting OR contact your pod Guides to work out another plan-
If you still need to do this, use the Training Committee contact list and Pod Directory to get connected.
New for This Week:
Google accounts-
If you already have a Google email address (gmail.com), you can skip to the next task.
If you do not have a Google email address (gmail.com), follow these instructions to connect your current email address to a Google account.
You do NOT need to create a new email address! You will just connect the email you currently use to a Google account.
Why do you need to do this? Next week, you will be invited to access the Class Website and its linked documents. It is a private Google site and you’ll need a linked Google account to access everything.
Sign-up for iNaturalist at iNaturalist.org, and send your username to Lisa Travis at lisat@bptmn.org. (Sign-up help)
If you already have an iNaturalist account, just send Lisa your username.
What is iNaturalist?
It is a citizen science platform built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity around the world. You might have heard that it can help you identify an unknown plant or animal. That is true, but it is so much more. Here is the description from their site:
Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. We share your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.
You'll be hearing a lot more about iNaturalist in the weeks to come since we will be using the platform throughout the class. All you need to do right now is set up an iNaturalist account and let Lisa know your username.
Heard Membership-
As part of a pilot program for 2026, our chapter Board awarded a grant to provide Heard Museum memberships to our new trainees. How wonderful, right? You won't need to do a thing. We will complete the process for you and purchase the memberships on Thursday, January 22nd. You will receive your membership cards at the Meet & Greet Orientation.
You may be asking...
What if I already have a membership to the Heard?
Those with an existing membership can purchase a t-shirt from the museum store and send their receipt to me for reimbursement (up to $20).
I don't know if I'll use the free membership. Should I get one?
YES, you should. Having a membership supports the museum and wildlife sanctuary, plus it makes it easy to visit the museum and trails whenever you have time. We are likely to have multiple class events at the Heard such as trail walks and BioBlitzes. Those will be free with your membership.
I can't think of a reason why someone wouldn't want a free membership, but just in case...
If you object to us purchasing a membership for you, let me know by Wednesday, January 21st.
Add these dates to your calendar:
Meet & Greet Orientation
Sunday, February 1st
2-4pm
Heard Museum's Science Resource Center
Class ONE: Ecological Concepts
Wednesday, February 4th
6-9pm
Heard Museum's Science Resource Center
February Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, February 10th
7pm
Heard Museum's Science Resource Center
You will be able to count 1 hour of Advanced Training (AT) for attending the meeting.
Until next week,
Nancy
Nancy Casillas, Training Director
Texas Master Naturalist, Blackland Prairie Chapter
nancyc@bptmn.org
214-725-2309
We have a short FOUR weeks until your training class officially begins!
The Training Committee started planning way back in July and will continue with final preparations as we move through January. We're excited about this year's class and are looking forward to meeting you all in person.
From now on, I'll be sending out a weekly email. There will be a few tasks to accomplish and information you'll need to know to be ready. It is imperative that you READ these emails.
Notes and dates for this week:
Weekly Emails - If you take a look at the subject line above, you'll see that it starts with "BPTMN Class of 2026 Weekly Update". Each weekly email will start the same way to make it easier to find in crowded inboxes.
Our "Week" - During the training class, our weeks will run from Thursday to Wednesday. You will get your update email on Thursday mornings with pre-work (homework) to be done before the expert speaker presentation on the following Wednesday.
Meet & Greet - Make sure that the Meet & Greet orientation has been added to your calendar. Please note: Due to space constraints, we ask that you attend solo without spouses or children.
Sunday, February 1st
2-4pm
Heard Museum's Science Resource Center
Background Check Card - You should have received an email with a Background Check card today. This will be very important when you begin volunteering with our chapter partners and project organizations. If you have NOT received a card in your inbox (or spam folder), please let me know and I will have another copy sent to you.
Wait to Log Hours - Some of you have already started attending chapter meetings and volunteer events and that is absolutely fantastic. You are welcome to attend most of the things you see on the chapter calendar, but please be aware that you are not allowed to start logging volunteer hours (VH) or advanced training (AT) hours until you have attended your first training class. (This is a Texas Master Naturalist statewide rule.) For most of you, your initial training will officially begin with the Meet & Greet orientation on Sunday, February 1st. If you attend the Meet & Greet, anything you do on February 2nd or later can be logged and counted toward the 40 volunteer hours and 8 advanced training hours required for your initial certification. If you miss the Meet & Greet, you can start logging hours on February 5th. Don’t worry, you’ll receive detailed instructions on how to log your hours. 🙂
Add January Chapter Meeting to your Calendar - I strongly encourage you to attend the January 13th chapter meeting in person. It will begin at 7:00pm at the Heard Science Museum's Science Resource Center building, which is located behind the main building at the end of the museum's drive. I have three reasons for my strong encouragement:
It is a great chance to meet Training Committee members, chapter members, and fellow trainees.
The speaker duties will be shared by four members of the class of 2025. They will share the 10-minute presentations they created as their Week 14 capstone project. You will have the opportunity to do the same in May, so this is your sneak peek.
If you haven’t already, you can pick up your Texas Master Naturalist textbook.
Class Yearbook - Each year, we create a digital yearbook so we can all get to know each other. For your entry, please email your bio and photo to me at nancyc@bptmn.org.
In your bio, share your background, interests, and volunteer experience. Please aim for 100 words.
When choosing a photo, make sure that we can see your face.🙂
You can see my example here.
You do not need to create a slide! I will add the emailed bios and photos to my master slide deck.
All photos and bios should be sent by next Wednesday, January 14th. If you have any questions, let me know.
Nancy Casillas, Training Director
Texas Master Naturalist, Blackland Prairie Chapter
nancyc@bptmn.org
214-725-2309