Geology & iNat -- February 12, 2025

Geology & Soils - Unit 7 in your textbook. Complete the (optional) quiz  HERE

Texas Ecoregions - Unit 4 in textbook. Complete the (optional) quiz HERE

Heather Fell, BPTMN Class of 2021 and Lisa Travis, BPTMN Class of 2018

Read Heather's BIO 

1. TUTORIAL: Watch this video (4:20) on logging class attendance and read pp. 15-19 in your MIT Handbook.

*Make sure that you have recorded last week's attendance in VMS. 

 (If you missed class, contact your pod guides to schedule a make-up.)    

Opportunity: Init Training-Class 01     

Date: February 5, 2025       

Hours: 3.0     

Description: Ecological Concepts with Sam Kieschnick

*IF YOU ATTENDED THE MEET AND GREET, make sure that you have recorded attendance in VMS.

 (If you missed this, it does not need to be made up.) 

Opportunity: Init Training-Orientation   

Date: February 2, 2025      

Hours: 2.0     

Description: Class Orientation

NOTE: THESE MUST BE LOGGED BEFORE YOU COME TO CLASS on Feb. 12

Use the VMS information page to see logging details for each class and field trip.

2. If you have not yet signed up for three field trips, do that as soon as possible.

3. If you haven't signed up to bring snacks for two classes, please sign up HERE.

4. Look over Unit 7 in your textbook. Complete the optional quiz HERE

5. Look over Unit 4 in your textbook. Complete the optional quiz HERE

6. Watch these iNaturalist videos:

Introduction to iNaturalist (17:19)

TPWD video featuring Sam Kieschnick aka. "Master iNaturalist" (6:11)

7. Take 4-6 pics of ONE species, but don't upload to iNaturalist yet

Optional Activities

Watch this video (4:38) on common VMS errors.

Watch this video (6:08) about the rocks in North Texas.

4-6 pics of ONE species on your smartphone

Sign up for 3 field trips and 2 snack spots. See #4 and #5 above for links.

Advanced Training (AT) Opportunities

• Tuesday, February 6: 6:00pm - The Great Backyard Bird Count Webinar, 1 hour AT, registration link

• Tuesday, February 11: 12:00 noon (TMN Tuesdays) - 1 hour AT, see the registration link here.

• Tuesday, February 11: 7:00pm Monthly Chapter Meeting - 1 hour AT, see BPTMN home page  for info on the featured speaker

• Wednesday, February 12: 2:00pm - alternate date for GBBC webinar

Volunteer (VH) Opportunities

• February 14-17: The Great Backyard Bird Count, see details here and an intro video here

• Paleobiology Database Navigator - interactive map of all fossils documented worldwide

• Geological Formation of North America Through the Eons - video

• North Texas Fossils - website

• Texas Through Time: Lone Star Geology, Landscapes, and Resources - book

• RockD - smartphone app, includes minerals, paleo, fossils. geologic map

• Roadside Geology of Texas by Darwin Spearing- book

• Texas Geologic History Quick Overview - YouTube video

WEEK TWO CLASS UPDATE

What a great first class! Sam never disappoints. Now we're kicking off our Geology Week. When you visit the class website, you'll see that all of the supporting webpages are now visible. Many of them will be part of this week's pre-work.

Notes about Last Week's To-Do List:

Field Trips - as part of your initial certification, you are required to attend 3 field trips. Take a look at the list of dates, sign-up, and get the dates on your calendar. Please note: If you sign up for a date, you are expected to attend. If your plans change, you need to remove your name from the event in Sign-Up Genius (SUG). Space is limited for many of the trips and we have a waiting list.

Snacks - The first class has been arranged for you, but we need everyone to sign-up to bring snacks for two of the other classes. The snacks can be store-bought, packaged snacks or something homemade. Details are outlined on the SUG.

**Red Alert - Right now, only 5 people have signed up for Class Two. We're looking for 9.

Week Two: Feb 6 - Feb 12

Pre-Work:

As always, your pre-work includes readings and videos to complete prior to class. In addition, please take 4-6 photos of a single species/organism and bring them to class on your smartphone. The best pics will vary in zoom level and will include different viewing points (ex. ventral vs dorsal).

For the Birders out There:

Whether you have lots of experience with birding or none at all, there will be a great opportunity coming up in Week #3 to earn some Volunteer Hours (VH) with the Great Backyard Bird Count. While the count takes place February 14-17, there is an AT opportunity THIS WEEK to get you ready to participate. It's a free webinar held tonight at 6pm and again on February 12th at 2pm. You can earn 1 hour of AT, but only if you participate live. Registration link

Two other AT Opportunities for You:

Our chapter meeting will be on Tuesday, February 11th at 7:00pm. Liz Tipps and Scott Aldrich will share First Aid information to help us stay safe while volunteering. Earn 1 hour of AT whether you attend in person or watch LIVE online (but not if you watch the recording on the website).

TMN Tuesday will also be on the 11th, at noon. This month's webinar will be about the Greater Roadrunner, which is our 2025 certification pin species. TMN Tuesdays are presented by the state Texas Master Naturalist office every month, on the second Tuesday. These events are eligible for one hour of AT if you watch it live OR if you watch the recording. TMN Tuesday webinars are typically the only events for which you can earn AT for watching a recording. Any you watch from the current calendar year may be logged as AT.  

VMS:

Please be sure to quickly log each class and field trip you attend. It causes complications if we are unsure whether a class was missed or just not logged. By the time we get just midway through our class schedule, we'll have 322 classes and 120 field trips to track. Please help us out by logging your classes and field trips promptly!

If you are having trouble logging your classes, field trips, or VHAT, contact your pod Guides for help.

If you are trying to log a volunteer opportunity that is not available on your list in VMS, contact our VHAT Director, Heather Fell at heatherf@bptmn.org.

If you can't remember your VMS username, let me know. I can look it up for you and then you can just reset your password.

Library:

One of our pod Guides, Linder O'Rourke, is also the chapter librarian. She has spent the past few months totally revamping the library and adding new titles. Before class or during a break, stop by and see which books are available to check out. Books are expected to be returned within a month.

Until next week,

Nancy

Nancy Casillas, Training Director

Texas Master Naturalist, Blackland Prairie Chapter

nancyc@bptmn.org

214-725-2309