The purpose of advanced training is to provide members of the Hays County Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists an opportunity to broaden their knowledge with topics of personal interest. Also, advanced training on an annual basis promotes the joy of continued learning and development. Advanced training is a benefit in itself, providing the experienced Master Naturalist with tools to work in more advanced volunteer efforts.

Approval Criteria: The Chapter Advanced Training Committee will use the following criteria when reviewing and approving Advanced Training opportunities:

The Advanced Training opportunity must:

1. Promote continued learning and development of naturalist (natural resource related) skills.
2. Provide Master Naturalists with knowledge and skills to work in volunteer efforts relevant to the overall mission of the Texas Master Naturalist program, i.e., the beneficial management of natural resources.
3. Consist of training material based on sound, accepted, research-based scientific principles or the underlying premises for the training must be so based.
4. Build on the core curriculum initially provided by the chapter.
5. Provide natural resource information and/or management issues pertinent to Texas.

Credits granted: Advanced training hours are counted one hour for each hour of advanced training; travel time is not included for advanced training hours. An online reporting form is available for reporting advanced training hours.

Suggested Organizations: The following list of organizations offer classes that are usually (but not always) acceptable for advanced training:

1. Texas Parks and Wildlife or organizations sponsored by TPWD
2. Texas Cooperative Extension Services or organizations sponsored by TCE
3. Audubon Society
4. Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory
5. Wimberley Birding Society
6. Nature Conservancy
7. LBJ Wildflower Center
8. San Marcos Nature Center
9. Native Plant Society of Texas
10. Westcave Preserve
11. Texas Forest Service

Approval requirement: When Master Naturalists wish to take training that has NOT been previously approved by the chapter and/or if there is question about whether the approval criteria for advanced credits by the training are met, they must request approval prior to attending in order to obtain credit. The request can be made preferably by using the form on the chapter website or by using a paper form to be obtained and returned to a chapter officer.

Educational television shows are not a form of advanced training and will not be approved as such. Gardening of vegetables and landscaping with non-native plants are not an acceptable topics for advanced training.