Volunteer Service
CAMN members must complete 40 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of advanced training in a calendar year to earn the designation Certified Texas Master Naturalist. The Volunteer Opportunities Committee (VOC) decides what activities are approved for creditable service. Criteria for approval and the list of approved activities can be found under Guidelines. If you have questions about volunteering, see Volunteer FAQ below or contact Julia Osgood, VOC chair. For information about upcoming events, watch your email, and check out our calendar.
Representative Websites which may provide information on Volunteer Opportunities, Advanced Training Opportunities and Generally Fun Activities Relating to the Central Texas Environment. Web sites on the following list often provide CAMN Volunteer Opportunities and CAMN Advanced Training Opportunities These same websites are commonly monitored for such opportunities for placement on the CAMN web calendar and (if appropriate) broadcasting by e-mail to the CAMN membership. The fact that any for-profit website is listed here does NOT constitute any endorsement by CAMN of that website’s products or services.
Volunteer opportunities include:
- Guide students and teachers in creating outdoor classrooms
- Teach Texans how to garden for wildlife
- Write articles for educational newsletters
- Become a trail interpreter
- Conduct surveys on Black-capped Vireos, oak wilt, fire ants
- Participate in endangered species monitoring
- Construct nestboxes and other wildlife shelter for state and local nature areas
- Participate in cave clean-ups, and more!
For more information go to our calendar for latest information.
New Projects
If you want to work on a project that is not on the Approved Activities List, please submit the following to the VOC:
Checklist for submitting volunteer projects to be approved:
- Name of sponsoring organization (example=Sierra Club)
- Short description of project (example=need four volunteers to work with after school youth, ages 6-10 in various nature science projects including: wildscaping, wildlife and plant survey work, aquatic biomonitoring…)
- Dates/times
- Location
- Contact name, phone number and/or email
- Special notes: (example=bring water. Wear gloves. No bathrooms.)
1. Can I count this?
The answer is almost certainly ‘yes’. The vast majority of projects are approved, but there are guidelines, and you should not assume your project is approved if it is not on the Approved Activities List. Most activities fall into the broad categories allowing ‘General’ and ‘Global’ approval. A small number of projects require specific approval and are listed individually. If you are not sure if your project is approved, Vernon Berger the VOC chair.
2. How do we handle travel time?
Travel time less than one hour may not be counted. If your total travel time is greater than one hour, you may count all of it, but only to projects in Central Texas. When reporting volunteer hours that include travel time, please make a note indicating how much is travel time.
3. Does CAMN approve volunteer work on private land?
Yes, mainly because that’s about all there is in Texas. (Here is a map of public land in Texas.) Properties owned by The Nature Conservancy, for example, are private land, and much of our volunteer work is done for them.
4. What is “the local rule”?
At least 20 of the 40 hours needed for certification must be worked on approved projects in “Central Texas.” But all hours accrued in Texas should be reported, as they apply toward your milestone awards and toward our chapter totals. Volunteer work outside Texas may not be counted. The definition of “Central Texas” is left intentionally vague, but includes everywhere from Waco to San Antonio, and Bastrop to Kerrville. Questions about what is local, as with all questions about what is approved, are decided by the VOC.
5. Can I count work done for another organization?
Maybe. Administrative work for other organizations is not usually approvable. For example, time spent serving as president of another organization, say Travis Audubon, would not count. On the other hand, work for other organizations that is consultative in nature, such as writing an article on birds for Travis Audubon’s newsletter, would count.
6. Is the project I worked on last year approved for this year?
Probably, but not automatically. Guidelines can change, and the Approved Activities List is cleared each year to keep it tidy. Most projects now fit into the broad categories allowing “General” and “Global” approval, so specific approval is usually not required. But individually approved projects must be submitted to the VOC each year.
7. Do I have to get approval ahead of time?
No, but it is strongly recommended.
