Five members of the Brazos Valley Chapter attended the Sixteenth Annual State Meeting of the Texas Master Naturalists at Horseshoe Bay Resort near Marble Falls, Texas, 23-25 October 2015. Between the registrants and the presenters, there were 470 people in attendance, the largest meeting to date. Needless to say, a good time was had by all. Despite torrential rains, the meeting was a rousing success, with way too many interesting advanced training sessions to choose from. A few of the field trips even managed to take place, though most ended up taking place in the ballroom of the resort.
There were programs for every taste--botany, photography, beekeeping, bats, youth programming, climate, citizen science, even poison ivy! This year, eight programs on monarchs and milkweeds made for a mini-symposium. There was even a quiz bowl, and Brazos Valley brought home the prize! I chose "Tackling those confusing composites," "An introduction to lichen-forming fungi," "Zebra mussels in Texas," and "Engaging new naturalists," when Presidential duties didn't distract.
The AgriLife Bookstore had lots of Master Naturalist branded clothing for sale. Sales of fleece jackets were brisk, particularly as the temperature dropped. Strangely, as the mercury lowered, so did the prices! I would have thought it would be the other way around! A few other vendors had nature-themed merchandise for sale.
As always, there were photography and art contests with prizes decided by popular vote, and this year was the second for the video contest. There are competitions for chapter scrapbooks, newsletters, and brochures that we've never (so far as I know) entered. The silent auction was also the largest ever. A Jim Anding walking stick is always a coveted item, and Mary Dabney Wilson's hand-thrown pottery were big sellers. A bag of sweet potatoes was going for $17, last I checked! There's also a display of chapter projects, with significant dollar prizes for the winners.
Dr. David Schmidly gave the Friday night banquet address, "Texas Natural History: A Century of Change." During the Awards banquet on Saturday, those who received 250, 500, 1000, 2500, 4000, 5000, and 10000 hour milestones were honored, and the 2016 recertification pin was announced.
If you haven't been to a state meeting before, you should definitely consider going. The price (my single room was $425 for the whole weekend) may seem a little off-putting, but consider that it includes two nights in a $400-a-night room, all your food, and two days of incredible programs and field trips in a spectacular venue. They haven't announced where next year's meeting will be, but please consider helping us make a strong showing from the Brazos Valley Chapter!
Next post will have pictures, I promise. Bruce
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