Our members participate in stewardship and preservation of our natural resources and education to increase the public’s awareness, understanding and appreciation of our natural resources and to encourage broader participation in activities that further our mission.

This training program is intended to train dedicated and well-informed volunteers to lead and contribute to community-based conservation efforts. The Texas Master Naturalist Program is not intended for career development. Our volunteers, coordinators, and speakers give their time to ensure the success of this program and we expect applicants to respect this opportunity by entering the TMN program with the goal of giving back with your own volunteer service hours. Space in the program is limited to provide a quality experience for each trainee. We typically have many more applications than available spaces. Please carefully consider your availability and commitment to volunteering before applying.

To become certified as a Texas Master Naturalist, trainees must complete these three components, until doing so you will be considered a “Master Naturalist-in-training.”

1. Initial Training: 60 hours. Trainees will be offered 60 hours of classes covering topics of Texas natural history taught by experts using a mixture of lecture and hands on field experience.  
2. Volunteer Service: 40 hours. The heart of the TMN program is Volunteer Service. In addition to the Initial Training Classes, a Master Naturalist-in-training, must complete 40 hours of Volunteer Service within their first year.
3. Advanced Training: 8 hours. Advanced Training allows the Master Naturalist-in-training to explore areas of individual interest. 

CAMN volunteers must complete 40 hours of approved volunteer service and 8 hours advanced training each year to recertify. As you strive to meet the annual commitments, you will have the opportunity to work with various experts and other volunteers on a variety of projects to benefit our community and promote stewardship of our natural resources. Additionally, your service time (valued at $23.00/hour) is used as in-kind match for a federal grant TPWD receives which supports the TMN program and other conservation and stewardship efforts in Texas.

The in-person field sessions meet at various sites for outdoor learning activities. While carpooling to sites is encouraged, trainees should be aware that field sessions will be spread across Travis and adjacent counties. 

Volunteer opportunities will be available during the training period to allow students to complete a portion of the required 40 hours of volunteer service prior to completion of the training.

Registration fees of $140 are required from each accepted applicant no later than Orientation. Registration fees may be paid by check, money order, or Pay Pal. Full or partial scholarships are available for those requesting financial assistance.

Enrollment is limited to provide a quality experience for each trainee. Applications will be accepted from June 1st through June 30th and reviewed by a selection committee during the month of July. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by the end of July.  Strong applicants are those who express a commitment to stewardship of our natural resources and demonstrate a willingness and ability to contribute their time both to long-term volunteer service and a demanding first-year training course. Preference is given to applicants who have a recent consistent history of volunteer activity

All CAMN applicants will be considered without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, disabilities, or formal education. 

Applicants’ names and other identifying information will be removed before consideration by the selection committee. Please do not include your name or any other personal identifying information in any part of the application other than the Name and Contact Information section. 

Note: Personal recommendations, including those from current CAMN members, should not be included in the application. These will not strengthen your application. We encourage you to take your time and fill it out thoughtfully. We typically receive many more applications than we can accept, which makes the selection process quite competitive.

Applications will only be received via this website.