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Lost Pines Master Naturalist Volunteer Opportunities

Reporting Forms

Please report your volunteer and advanced training hours each month, using the Volunteer Activity reporting form. Bring your report to the Chapter meeting, or send them to Marsha Elrod.

The NEW Volunteer Activity reporting form (Word doc, click here) is available for download. You can open the form and fill it out in Word-compatible software on your computer. Then e-mail back to Marsha Elrod, or fill them in by hand and send in by regular mail (187 Billingsley Hgts., Cedar Creek, Tx 78612). Don't have Word? Then download the Acrobat PDF Activity reporting Form, print and fill in. Bring the completed form to the monthly meeting, or mail to Marsha.

These events will be updated on a regular basis, so please check back.

Opportunities

Chapter Projects and Opportunities with our local Partners - these activities are pre-approved.
Date Event & Location Details Contact
Ongoing
(Saturday mornings, Fall and Spring)
10:00 AM
Bastrop State Park Interpretive Hikes

Lead an interpretive "Discover the Lost Pines" hike! The easy trail walks (about 1 mile) are each Saturday at 10 AM through the end of June and beginning again October through early December. If you haven't done this before, contact Sue for a brief script to guide you through the process, and come along on one of the hikes for more training. For details and background material, visit Discover the Lost Pines. To volunteer, or find out about training hikes, contact Sue Fischer at 512-321-1308 or by E-mail at smfischer@mdanderson.org
Ongoing

Contact Kathy McAleese for dates

Colorado River Refuge Monitoring

Sponsored by Pines and Prairies Land Trust. This is a regular series of plant, bird and other wildlife monitoring at Colorado River Refuge and Bastrop State Park. Kathy McAleese will coordinate the event at CRR. Bring your bird, tree or wildflower guide, binoculars and walking shoes. Dress for the weather. If enough people have the time and interest, there may be mid-week events as well. Contact Kathy McAleese (kmcaleese@austin.rr.com or 512-718-1313) for more information.
Ongoing
(choose your own schedule)
Bastrop State Park Nature Surveys

Louise Ridlon has volunteered to lead nature surveys at Bastrop State Park similar to the CRR survey led by Kathy McAleese. Surveys can be done ad hoc on your own schedule. Go on your own, or with a group. Please make sure to use the proper reporting form for your results. You can download the report form here: (MS Word version; PDF version) Contact Louise at 512 985-5064 or at Louise Ridlon for details and information on reporting your findings.
Ongoing

McKinney Roughs Volunteer Activities

Next Gardening Work Day: Sat Apr 26, 9:00 - noon.
McKinney Roughs has a variety of activities available to volunteers. Currently (summer 2000) they are looking for people to help maintain the natural plant areas and beds around the visitor center, classroom building, dining hall, and parking lots. The demonstration trail and herb garden area have been getting spruced up. There is a structured pond in this area, as well as another one in front of the classroom building. There are also a couple of other ponds used for education programs that need to have vegetation restored and bank work. Hiking and equestrian trails are a mess because of the rain and high winds this spring. Many downed or damaged trees need to be pulled off trails and for the most part left as natural habitats. Assistance in any of these areas can be coordinated to work with volunteer schedules during the hours the park is open, 8-5 Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5:00 on Sundays. Mckinney Roughs requires a volunteer form be filled out, and a background check is done on each volunteer before they start. Email Jana Hellbusch or contact her at 800-776-5272, ext. 8041, 512-303-5073, fax 512-303-5277.
Ongoing Friends of the Yegua Knobs

Pines and Prairies Land Trust is starting a "Friends" group for the Yegua Knobs preserve near McDade. Volunteers are needed to survey plant and animal life, identify and clear camping areas and trails, plus other fun and rewarding tasks. Go to http://www.pinesandprairieslandtrust.org/ for more information about Yegua Knobs. To volunteer, Email Jeremiah Jarvis or call him at 512 281-2762.
Ongoing

Watch for more 2008 dates TBA!
Bastrop State Park Invasive Plant Removal

English ivy and Asian honeysuckle have taken over near the historic "Settler's Trail" (across the loop road from Copperas Creek campgound). It will take several visits, plus regular follow-ups, to get rid of the problem. Our long term goal is to get the area cleaned up and then to develop new markers and a pamphlet for trail-side plants and other features along the interpretive trail. No experience necessary! Bring loppers, work gloves and water. Because there is also some poison ivy in the area, long pants and long-sleeved shirts are recommended. To volunteer, contact Andy Butler at 512-321-1308 or by E-mail at butler(at)mdanderson.org
Saturday, April 26, 9 AM-11 AM Lockhart State Park Tall-grass prairie restoration project

Native Caldwell County prairie species will be used to create an attractive, educational display for park visitors that will also be useful to wildlife. Volunteers are needed to assist with planting. Contact Muriel Lem for information (512-398-9427).
Various dates, Jun - Aug, 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM TPWD Junior Angler Clinics at Bastrop and Buescher State Parks.

Volunteers are needed to assist with this free learn-to-fish clinic for boys and girls ages 6 to 13. This is a very basic clinic, and you don't need to be a fisher-person to help out. The kids really have a good time, and parents must accompany their children. Park entrance is free for volunteers, and necessary training will be provided on site. Clinics will be held on:

June 7 at Buescher State Park
June 14 at Bastrop State Park
July 12 at Buescher State Park
July 19 at Bastrop State Park
Aug 2 at Buescher State Park

At least 7 volunteers are needed for each clinic.
Contact Bill Brooks at 512 581-0377 or by email Bill Brooks.
Ongoing

FireCAP Facilitator

Interested volunteers will teach homeowners how to protect their homes agains wildfire, through creating defensible space and instituting other protective measures. Volunteers will need to attend one of the FireCAP Facilitator Training Workshops. Contact Michal Hubbard, 512-517-1416 or michal_photog@yahoo.com
Other pre-approved Volunteer Opportunities -
Ongoing Texas Nature Trackers

These monitoring projects are coordinated byt he Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. In some cases, you will need to attend an appropriate training workshop prior to volunteering; in other cases, you may be able to obtain an information packet from TPWD and begin monitoring on your own. Current opportunities include: Box turtle survey; hummingbird roundup; monarch watch; amphibian watch; Horned lizard watch; and Mussel watch. Visit the Nature Trackers web page at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/texas_nature_trackers/ .
Ongoing Colorado River Watch Network

Colorado River Watch Network monitors must complete an eight-hour training process provided by LCRA (Eligible for LPMN Advanced Training Credit). Instructors show volunteers how to use testing equipment, then help volunteers practice their new skills at a designated testing site on the Colorado River to test for several water quality indicators. A field kit is loaned to a volunteer individual or group for the duration of their active participation. As long as the group continues to regularly provide data, monitoring supplies are provided. Visit the LCRA volunteer web page at http://www.lcra.org/water/volunteer_monitors.html .
Ongoing Hornsby Bend Monthly Bird Count

The Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory Monthly Bird Survey is usually held the 2nd Saturday of each month (August 5, Sept 9, and Oct 14, 2006)
Meet at Hornsby Bend in the Center for Environmental Research at 7am for the morning survey [Coffee and treats at 6:30am] or 4pm for the afternoon survey. All levels of birders are welcome, although this is not a field trip - the survey is a great way to improve your skills since we form teams matching experienced and novice birders. In the morning, we have teams covering different areas of the Hornsby Bend facility and count numbers of all birds seen. It is 4 hours of hard hiking and counting, but lots of fun along the way. We meet again around 11am to tally up the species. The afternoon involves looking around for species missed that morning, and we go until sundown.
If you'd like to join us for the morning or the afternoon or both - just show up at 7am or 4pm. We meet at the CER building which is the first building at the entrance to Hornsby Bend. We'd love your help!
Location and Site map at www.hornsbybend.org
Other Volunteer Opportunities - make sure to get prior approval for credit!

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Updated: Apr 22, 2008

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