GO, KNOW, GROW
An award-winning Education and Outreach Project takes off!
“The Coloring Book” Part One
Paula Glover
Beautiful Hays County Activity and Coloring Book, published in April of 2023, has been busy! More than 1200 volunteer hours have been logged by 61 Hays County Master Naturalist (HCMN) volunteers since “the Coloring Book” project was approved in January, 2023. Let’s look at all the activities we have been working on.
The book was introduced to the chapter in the May edition of The Hays Humm with the article Color Me Beautiful. Eleven sites around Hays County are showcased, encouraging children and their families to visit and learn about the diverse natural features found there. Lessons include the pioneer background of Historic Stagecoach Coach Park in Buda, endangered species at the Meadows Center and Spring Lake Natural Area, bats at Cypress Creek Nature Preserve, and grasses at Charro Ranch Park.
Approximately 700 coloring books have been distributed throughout the county. The coloring book was intended as a giveaway at Promotional Outreach booths. The book would show kids the projects that the chapter supports, and hopefully, it would pique the interest of their parents to sign up for training class.
Ultimately, all would develop a deeper appreciation of nature up close and personal and help us to protect, restore, and preserve local treasures.
With HCMN Outreach on hiatus at this time, alternative strategies were developed. Summer camps and children’s events sponsored by the sites handed out books. Other educational outreach projects, such as the Research Rangers, Volunteering for Nature in San Marcos, and the Habitat Conservation Plan, distributed the Coloring Book at their booths. Our presentation at the Wimberley Community Civic Club in October also spread the word about the Chapter and our endeavors.
With books in the hands of the public, resources to help parents and teachers expanded. Online assistance at the Project website offers information pertinent to visiting the natural sites. Directions and hours and what they will find when they get there helps parents, while connections to the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards for public schools) allow teachers to use the books in the classroom.
Additional online resources about the topics in the book are also listed. The Coloring Book’s activity pages are also available to be downloaded and printed. The website is being maintained by JoAnn DePenning, who says, “The website is visually appealing and full of information, so I would invite everyone to visit.”
The book’s collaboration team has been busy. The illustration team continues to amaze us with new artwork. Melinda Seib created our mascot, Ring T. Katz, who welcomes everyone to the website and our public programs.
The illustration team—Melinda, Jo Korthals, and Susan Evans—created striking stickers for our educational pilot program, Nature Superstars.
The Coloring Book’s most ambitious spinoff is an associated pilot program—Nature Superstars—a junior master naturalist-type program that brings the book to life at the natural sites. (See Part Two, Nature Superstars’ Pole Star—An Interview with JoAnn DePenning, in this issue.) The writing team—Robin Perry, Suzanne Davis, and Kelly Manzano—provided support with scripts and props to the volunteers, who interpreted the GO, KNOW, and GROW sections of the book. Fifty-four volunteers teamed up at the eleven sites on Saturday mornings in September to teach, guide, inspire, and award books and stickers to the visitors.
The Nature Superstars program will be replicated in November at the Meadows Center for 3rd graders from Crockett and Hernandez Elementary Schools. GROW and KNOW stations will entertain nearly 200 students and provide them with a copy of the book. Presently, the Nature Superstars team is debriefing the volunteers and site visitors about the pilot program experience so that we can develop a long-term plan for an educational platform to enhance the coloring book.
Finally, the specialists on the team—editor Mimi Cavender and graphic designer Sandy Fleming—teamed up with videographer John Moore to create a fifteen-minute presentation video for the 2023 Texas Master Naturalist Exemplary Project contest. Jamie and Martha Kinscherff and John Moore provided the music, and Dick McBride lent additional video support. Our Beautiful Hays County Activity and Coloring Book (HCMN project 2301) received second place in the state! The presentation video can be viewed on the Coloring Book website.
The project team is strong with 61 volunteers, who have worked on the project so far. There are still many spin-offs to this project, with new initiatives coming in the next few months. A Spanish translation is in the works. Collaboration with elementary schools to get a book to every 3rd grader in Hays County is in the initial stages. The team is seeking grants to print more books.
Beautiful Hays County is creating a legacy of excellence for our chapter. We welcome you to join us along the way.
Nature Superstars’
Pole Star
An interview with JoAnn DePenning
“The Coloring Book” Part Two
Project Coordinator JoAnn DePenning (left) shares enthusiasm with last year’s HCMN graduate Laura Steffy.
JoAnn DePenning, a member of the HCMN Training Class of 2023, is Program Coordinator for Nature Superstars.
JoAnn, tell us about how Nature Superstars developed from the book.
The Nature Superstars program is a shining example of what meticulous planning and dedicated leadership can achieve. Rooted in the thoughtfully designed Beautiful Hays County Activity and Coloring Book, in which every detail had been considered, the Nature Superstars program fell seamlessly into place in summer of 2023 as a series of on-site education and outreach events.
What is the Nature Superstars program?
The NSS Program is based on the content of “The Coloring Book.” It integrates an eleven-site, county-wide nature education program equally suited for in-classroom curriculums, showcasing its remarkable adaptability. This environmental- and conservation-based curriculum invites elementary school-aged children and their adults to visit sites and experience their natural beauty through interactive learning activities.
In September, 2023, at eleven Hays County locations, Master Naturalists illuminated the unique beauty and significance of the natural area, fostering a deeper appreciation for our environment and encouraging young children and their adults to spend time exploring and protecting nature.
As families visited each site, the program awarded children with a beautiful sticker that our illustrators designed. Children who visit all eleven sites can receive a Nature Superstars completion certificate from our mascot, Ring T. Katz.
Besides self-led activities in the book, there is a website that can help parents and teachers enhance the young explorers’ experience. You maintain that website, JoAnn. Tell us more about it.
Our Activity and Coloring Book is a rich resource for both parents and teachers. It's not just a book, but a gateway to explore the featured sites more deeply. On the website each natural site in the book is meticulously described and depicted in photographs. This way, users can get a feel for these places either before they decide to visit or afterward as they relive the experience. Our website provides a visual and informational tour, making learning and exploration fun and engaging for everyone.
See our resources here: https://www.beautifulhayscounty.org/coloring-book
In September, you spearheaded a pilot program to bring “The Coloring Book” and Nature Superstars to life. What happened?
We embarked on a delightful venture, welcoming young explorers and their guardians to diverse nature locales. Our 'Nature Superstars' initiative sparkled on those Saturday mornings in September as we met families in eleven distinct natural areas scattered across Hays county, from Dripping Springs and Driftwood, through Kyle and Buda, to San Marcos and circling back up through Wimberley. In the process, we brought quality nature education to parts of the county in need of stronger Chapter outreach.
Our dedicated HCMN volunteers were the heart of these expeditionary mornings, engaging with attendees at the various presentation stations. Topics were coordinated with the book pages for each site. There were thrilling re-enacted stagecoach rides, damselflies and dragonflies to compare, local wildlife to identify by their tracks and scat, karst formations and their importance to our aquifers, and the fascination of Monarch butterfly and bird migration.
The experience instilled a sense of wonder and exploration, guiding the young and the young-at-heart through a journey of discovery and appreciation for the natural wonders right here in our county.
GO…
…KNOW…
…GROW
What were the rewards and challenges of such an undertaking?
The HCMN volunteers shared positive feedback, expressing gratitude for the teamwork, camaraderie, and guidance experienced during this endeavor.
For anyone aspiring to helm a similar project—one that demands a year of intensive collaboration, consistent communication, punctuality, mutual respect, and unwavering support—it's imperative to foster genuine camaraderie and a shared noble vision.
The team attributes the success of the program to the leadership's influence. It's a reminder for organizations to recognize the strengths of their members and select their leaders judiciously.
A special mention goes to Paula Glover, whose visionary leadership and mentorship have been a cornerstone during the program's deployment.
A common hurdle in large site-based projects like this is securing enough staff. Planning such a program demands thorough organization. Our detailed grid schedule ensured every site visit, collaborating leader, and volunteer role was well-coordinated. Not to forget the unsung heroes, the "schleppers," who flawlessly managed the logistics, setup, and teardown at each station.
Take a little time here to visit each of the eleven sites:
The success of our 'Nature Superstars program reflects the careful planning and excellent execution encapsulated in the book that guides it.
We were honored with a second place win for Exemplary Project at the 2023 Texas Master Naturalist State Meeting in October. Our work—and the reach of this exemplary program—are just beginning.
