Arkansas Master Naturalists

 

Greetings all!

The November 16 NWAMN Chapter meeting promises to be enlightening and entertaining!

Renee Sniegocki, Director of Land Stewardship at NWA Land Trust, will present a program about how NWALT approaches restoring tracts of land to their native condition. She will specifically highlight what is happening at Betty Hinshaw Bird Sanctuary where NWAMN volunteers are involved in monitoring bird nest boxes. She will explain the processes used to develop a plan for an acquired property, what the plans generally entail, and how progress is monitored.

A slide show will be played that highlights the Wizard of Hobbs event. More than 30 NWAMN volunteers spent a fun, interactive day as cast and crew and leading tabling activities.

A vote will be taken on the NWAMN 2026 BOD positions.

As always, it will be great to gather and spend time with fellow volunteers!

Date: Nov 16
Location: Washington County Extension Building Auditorium
Time: 2-4pm

It is award nomination and submission time!!! The deadline to submit nominations for the current year is December 1.

Please find forms on the NWAMN website at Document Library - Arkansas Master Naturalists, or manually navigate via Arkansas Master Naturalists website > log in as a member > Resources > Documents > Document Library/ Documents Folder/ NWAMN Documents > Awards and Recognition > [select/ download specific form].

The Master Naturalist (MN) annual awards:
1. Master Naturalist of the Year – recognizes an exceptional Master Naturalist who has made an outstanding contribution to the MN mission and/or community throughout the year. [All active Master Naturalists, EXCEPT prior winners, are eligible to be nominated for the Master Naturalist of the Year Award.]

2. Rookie of the Year – recognizes a NIT (first year) Master Naturalist graduate who has met their annual Certification requirements and has provided outstanding service to the MN mission and/or community within their class year. [This award is open to Master Naturalists who have completed their NIT Classroom training and achieved their first-year membership certification requirements of 40+ work hours and 8+ education hours within their class year.]

3. Project of the Year – recognizes an outstanding Chapter project. [Re-nomination of a previously winning project within 3 years of prior award requires significant changes to warrant a new nomination.]

4. Excellence in Education of the Year – recognizes an outstanding educational program. [EIE nominee must not have won the award within the last 2 years.]

The Master Naturalist (MN) general membership awards:
1. President’s Award/s – Chapter President’s recognition of outstanding performances of deserving Chapter members. [All active Master Naturalists are eligible to be nominated EXCEPT those that have won the award within the last 2 years. The Chapter President may issue this award, at their discretion, to recognize one or more deserving members at Chapter General Membership meetings throughout the year.]

2. Friend of Master Naturalists (Individual) – to recognize an individual (a non-Master Naturalist) who has shown outstanding support of the Master Naturalist Program. [Nominee cannot have won within the previous 5 years.]

3. Friend of Master Naturalists (Business or Organization) - to recognize a business or organization who has shown outstanding support of the Master Naturalist Program. [Nominee cannot have won within the previous 5 years.]

Please write your nominations based on the guidelines provided within the appropriate award nomination form. ALL nomination forms must be submitted electronically as a PDF document to the Membership Awards Committee via email Kathy Launder (kalaunder@gmail.com) for selection and final approval by the Chapter President. The decisions of the committee and Chapter President will be final.

Off the Shelf – a weekly notice from the Awe in Arkansas with Children’s Literature project.

1. Provide books as gifts!
2. Use for programs!
3. Share with nature gift shops!

Trout Are of Trees by April Pulley Sayre

Age Range: 4 - 8

 

How Trees benefit the ecosystem

 

 

To help inform a larger audience of NWA Master Naturalists, please add the NWA Events email address to communications sent to project/ committee members.  That way the NWA Communications Committee can accurately post activities happening in our area to the NWAMN's Events Calendar and to the NWAMN Weekly Update.  The cutoff for submissions is end of day Tuesday for Friday membership delivery, assumes no revisions are required. 

nwamnevents@gmail.com