VMS information

Log your FIELD TRIP attendance in VMS :

NOTE:  Log as follows: 

• the FIRST field trip you attend as Initial Training: Field Trip (A), 

• the SECOND one you attend as Initial Training: Field Trip (B)

• and the THIRD one you attend as Initial Training: Field Trip (C)

• any others you attend as AT: BPTMN: Other Pre-Approved Training (Description: additional Training Class Field Trip to <list location>)
       

Opportunity:  Initial Training: Field Trip (A)

Date: February 21, 2026
Hours: 2.5
Description:  Field Trip to Connemara

Opportunity:  Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR Initial Training: Field Trip (B)
Date: February 27, 2026
Hours: 2.5
Description:  Field Trip to Holifield Science Learning Center

Opportunity:  Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C)  depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip

Date: March 7, 2026

Hours: 2.5

Description:  Field Trip to Blackland Prairie Raptor Center

Opportunity:  Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C)  depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip

Date: March 21, 2026
Hours: 2.5
Description:  Field Trip to Hagerman NWR #1

Opportunity:  Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C) depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip

Date: March 22, 2026
Hours: 2.5
Description: Field Trip to Hagerman NWR #2

Opportunity:  Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C)  depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip

Date: March 27, 2026
Hours: 2.5
Description:  Field Trip to Chalk Hill Farm 

Opportunity:  Initial Training: Field Trip (A) OR (B) OR (C) depending on whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd field trip

Date: May 2, 2026
Hours: 2.5
Description: Parkhill Prairie

Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)

Opportunity: Cornell: Great Backyard Bird Count TMN Field Research Hours

Date: February 12, 2026 (or February 13, or 14, or 15  RECORD EACH DAY SEPARATELY)  

Hours: actual hours spent each day, to the nearest 0.25 hours  (VH hours include your drive time, if any)  

Description: describe your activity. Here are some examples: 

• Sat in my backyard and recorded birds

• OR Took a walk around my neighborhood and observed birds; entered the data into eBird

• OR Took a walk at Bonnie Wenk park and observed birds with Merlin Bird app

• OR Drove to LLELA and sat in the pavilion and counted birds; entered the data into eBird app

iNaturalist  GROUP BioBlitz

If you attend one (or more) iNaturalist outings, enter your Volunteer Service Hours in VMS, including travel time, and time spent entering your data. Enter each day as a separate entry.

Opportunity: BPTMN: Blackland Prairie iNaturalist Project: Field Research Hours

Date: be sure to put the date you collected the observations - log each date separately!

Hours: include time spent at the outing, travel time, and time spent entering your data

Description: LOCATION in CITY or COUNTY; collected data on local flora and fauna; edited photos and entered my data into iNaturalist

example: Arbor Hills Park in Plano; collected data on local flora and fauna; edited pictures and entered my data into iNaturalist

iNaturalist Outings ON YOUR OWN

Opportunity: BPTMN: Blackland Prairie iNaturalist Project: Field Research Hours

Date: (Enter only one date. Even though there are places to enter start and end dates, do not combine days. Start and end date must be the same.)

Hours: include time spent at the outing, travel time, and time spent entering your data

Description:  LOCATION in CITY or COUNTY (ex. Cottonwood Creek Park in Frisco); Took pictures and made observations for entry into iNaturalist.

example: Cottonwood Creek Park in Frisco; collected data on local flora and fauna; edited pictures and entered my data into iNaturalist

Note about iNaturalist outings on your own: 

To qualify for Volunteer Service Hours, your outing does not have to be with a group. However, it does need to be a "dedicated" outing for the purpose of collecting data/observations. Examples:

1. You take an evening walk and take a half dozen or so observations and enter them into iNaturalist. This is great, and the observations will be entered into the class and chapter projects. However, you should not count this as Volunteer Service Hours.

2.  You go to a park with the express purpose of collecting iNaturalist observations. You take many pictures, come home and edit them and enter them into iNaturalist with identifications to the best of your ability. You would count this as Volunteer Service Hours, including the travel time, and time spent editing photos and entering the data. 

3. You take your children (or grandchildren) to the park and make iNaturalist observations whenever you get the chance. Maybe you even try to interest these kiddos in using Seek (the children's version of iNaturalist.) These are great, worthwhile activities which we strongly encourage! However, you should not count this time as Volunteer Service Hours.

These are fairly clear-cut examples, and there are many times where it may be more of a gray area. Use your best judgment in these cases. The best rule of thumb is to make an iNaturalist outings a planned, intentional activity where collecting data is your objective. Of course, you will also be learning a great deal, getting some exercise, and getting the benefits of being outdoors. There are many rewards to using iNaturalist, whether or not you earn VH!