Jessica Jones with Piney Wood Lakes Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist (TMN) recently provided a program for the Rotary Club of Livingston.
“I’ve seen your Monarch waystation (on Loop 393 in Goodrich) and it looks great. It just looks awesome. On behalf of the Texas Master Naturalist, I want to say thank you,” Jones said.
“We’re about to start some training, and I want to tell you a little about our organization. We’re a group of volunteers and our goal is to educate the public about our natural resources, their importance and how to support them,” Jones said.
“I’ve found that if I can teach someone about nature and they gain that knowledge, they will love it. It touches your heart. There is a real connection between people and nature,” she said.
“The Texas Master Naturalist started in 1997 and we just celebrated our 15th year of being here in Livingston,” Jones said, adding that it is a partnership between Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. She said there are 49 chapters across the state. The local chapter, Pine Wood Lakes TMN, has 58 members and covers four counties, including Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity and Tyler.
The mission of the TMN program is to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas.
In keeping with its mission, TMN strives to make the community better by providing innovative solutions at the intersection of agriculture, natural resources and youth, thereby improving the wellbeing of individuals, families and business through education and service.
Volunteers may choose from a wide variety of service projects, such as: community outreach at libraries, schools and events; trail creation and maintenance; citizen science, such as wildlife and weather monitoring; habitat restoration and maintenance; seed collection and native plant propagation; recycling, cleanup and beautification; and nature writing and photography.
Jones said the TMN presently has pollinator gardens at several area schools, including Livingston High School, Livingston Junior High School, Creekside Elementary School and Onalaska Jr/Sr High School and that they are starting to talk to other schools to get them onboard. She explained that the pollinator gardens are raised beds of only native flowers which are important for native butterflies and native bees.
She also shared a little about Friends of Lake Livingston, an organization that is trying to help build fish habitat to help clean the water at Lake Livingston and also how to propagate water willow aquatic plants. Jones said students participate twice a year, in the fall and spring, and have a big planting day out at the lake and that it’s her favorite day of the year.
TMN held its first East Texas Conservation Expo at the Polk County Commerce Center in 2024 with numerous vendors and educational opportunities. They are planning another one for 2026.
Other PWLTMN projects include: annual tree giveaway; ag in the classroom; Lake Livingston State Park; Winter’s Bayou; Gazebo Nature Preserve; Christmas bird count; citizen science observations; SeednSee native seeds; and winter sowing classes.
To get involved, to learn more, to present an idea for a new conservation project, or to have a program presented to your group or organization, email info@pineywoodlakes.org; go to the website at https://txmn.org/pineywoodlakes; or go to Facebook at www.facebook.com/PWLCTMN.
