Texas Master Naturalist
2023 Annual State Meeting
McAllen, Texas
Mary O’Hara
Members of the Hays County Master Naturalist Chapter had the opportunity and delight to attend the 2023 Texas Master Naturalist Annual State Meeting in McAllen, Texas, last month.
Among the many highlights were abundant presentations from experts, field sessions to Rio Grande Valley eco-destinations, awards and contests, culminating with 400+ members viewing the eclipse together at El Sauz Ranch.
The thirst for learning about Nature was quelled with a broad range of subjects: world-class birding, existing with alligators, local history and lore, coastal ecology, local fauna, ocelot conservation efforts, arthropod diversity, soil exploration, workshops on writing and outreach, and even Spanish for naturalists. There were simply not enough hours to drink it all in!
In addition, much mingling among "participants and supporters to network, share new ideas, and to learn from chapters in different regions of the state."
2023 TMN State Award Winners
Hays County proudly brought home not one but three awards. See all the winners here: Awards Wrap-up by TMN
Our Innovative Coloring Book and Nature Superstars Project
2nd Place in Exemplary Project Awards—$500 Project Grant Awarded
Activity & Coloring Book - Front Cover
Activity & Coloring Book - Back Cover
Read companion pieces in this November issue—Part One: GO, KNOW, GROW by Paula Glover and Part Two: Nature Superstars’ Pole Star—An Interview with JoAnn Depenning.
Spectacular Photography by Bill Dupre
2nd Place in Photography: Scenic Category
The Blanco in the Fall
“Photography has been my hobby since I got my first Kodak Brownie camera when I was 9! It's a hobby that ages well! As for the photo, it was taken on the Blanco River near WImberley. Fall is a brilliant time in the Hill Country.” —Bill Dupre
Creative Critter Collage by Allison Buckner
3rd Place in Photography: Digitally Enhanced Category
Trail Cam Montage
“We have a trail cam behind our house which I check on every day, and I save some of my favorite pics. So at some point I layered some on top of each other and did some unprofessional editing to create this ‘montage’ of some of the animals!
I love the surprise every day of what might be found...I also keep a spreadsheet to track what the cam sees.” —Allison Buckner
But even more surprises were in store as the 2024 destination was announced—SAN MARCOS, OCTOBER 24-27.
So save the date! We'll be showcasing the Hill Country on the next trip around the sun!