Texas Master Naturalist

2024 Annual Meeting

Hays County Leads the Way!

Logo courtesy Texas Master Naturalist

Betsy Cross and Hays County Master Naturalists

Welcome Reception

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Thursday, October 24, 2024 https://www.meadowscenter.txst.edu/

Over 200 speakers from around the state made presentations on a variety of topics.

Check out the highlights of these talks made by your Hays County colleagues!

Day Two - HCMN Presentations

Mammals and their Adaptations to Survive
Melissa Felty, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Hays County Master Naturalist

Lights Out: Why the Natural World Needs Light Cycles
Loren Steffy, Hays County Master Naturalist, Hays County Friends of the Night Sky

Better Lights for Better Nights Workshop
Cindy Luongo Cassidy, Dark Sky Texas, Hays County Master Naturalist; and Karen McGraw, Dark Sky Texas

Texas Waters Day
Melissa Felty, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Hays County Master Naturalist

Vibrant Lichen Studies
Zane Liston, Hays County Master Naturalist

Photo courtesy Texas Master Naturalist Speakers

About Zane’s talk: Lichens are the precursor to soil formation and the living edge of the nonliving world. They are of remarkable importance in the biosphere and yet receive very little social or scientific attention. Why? In this class, we will learn the historical and current understandings of lichens. By focusing in on the names we give to these organisms, we will unpack their interpretive capacity for naturalists, settling complexities in identification. We will cover new cutting-edge science, as well as more ephemeral and mysterious parts of their existence. Naturalists will gain a general understanding of morphology, phylogeny, distribution in the Hill Country, ecological niche, presence in field guides and bioindicator status. They'll use tools of the trade for lichen identification, with a demonstration of how to use magnification, UV and chemical-based spot tests to make sense of lichens. Finally, a call to action. What is needed in the field? How can we think anew about these creatures?

Keynote Address

A Biocultural History of the San Marcos Springs
Jeff Gessas, PhD, Texas State University

* Dr. Jeff Gessas is the son of Hays County Master Naturalist Susan Powell.

Day Three - More HCMN Presentations

Mother Nature’s Naturalist Mothers
Jill Zipperer, Texas State University, Hays County Master Naturalist

Volunteers as Teachers: Turning Master Naturalists into Nature Interpreters
Kristy Daniel, Texas State University, Hays County Master Naturalist; and Jill Zipperer, Texas State University, Hays County Master Naturalist

Freshwater Ecology and Conservation of Fish and Crayfish in Texas Rivers & Streams

Stephen Curtis, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Archis Grubh, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Hays County Master Naturalist Chapter Advisor

Chimney Swifts: Why We Should Care
Georgean Kyle, Chimney Swift Conservation Association; Paul Kyle, Chimney Swift Conservation Association