To Recruit A New Generation of Energetic, Diverse and Conservation-Minded People

Christopher KeenTexas State Park Ambassador & Texas Master Naturalist

Albert Einstein

OUR OBJECTIVES

Learn more about the Texas State Park Ambassador program and the diversity of its participants

How you can recruit young conservation minded adults and how Texas State Park Ambassadors can be a new resource for your Chapter.

How Texas Master Naturalist Chapters could work with Ambassadors to further its cooperation with Texas Parks and Wildlife to tap into the energy and enthusiasm of these young people.

“Public Lands and Parks can be the common ground that all of us share and that shared space gives us opportunity to build wonderful relationships with one another” - Brent Leisure – Former Director of Texas State Parks –Texas Parks and Wildlife

How did your Naturalist Journey

Start?

What passions started your journey?

The Texas State Park Ambassadors is a program of Texas Parks and Wildlife – State Park Division to connect conservation minded young adults with recreation and volunteer opportunities to foster the next generation of State Park stewards.

As Ambassadors, we focus on three major project areas: Community Outreach Hands-on Service Social Media

Must be a Texas Resident age 18-30

Apply with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Applicants answer questions on their background and choose their preference on State Park Assignment

Interview with Texas Parks and Wildlife

If accepted, go through a background check administered by Texas Parks and Wildlife, be able to commit to a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service within a six-month period. Then will receive their State Park Assignment based on their choice ranking.

Prepare a Park Handout (flyer) on your State Park

Attend a 5-day Ambassador training at a Texas State Park

Represent Texas Parks and Wildlife in a professional and ethical manner.

Training Summary

Prior to beginning their service, all Ambassadors attend a free, overnight Ambassador Leadership Training which includes 101 sessions in group camping, backpacking, trail riding, fire building, geocaching, tubing, trail running, atlatl, night hiking, and interpretation and programming. They also leave certified in Leave No

Trace and one of the following TPWD programs: Growing Up WILD, Archery Ed, or Angler Ed.

Hands-on Service Project to a State Park

Each Ambassador is then partnered with a Point of Contact at their park who will provide mentorship and guidance throughout a six-month period.

Ambassadors often work together on small teams to support each other and nearby parks.

Ambassadors who successfully complete the program will graduate and join the Alumni community to continue serving our State Parks, mentor new Ambassadors, and make new friends across Texas.

OUTREACH Community Outreach Projects by the

Ambassadors connect our Park with the local community to inspire our fellow Texans to experience, invest, and protect our public lands and its environment.

We work with our Park Staff to establish goals, ways we can educate the public, develop events at schools, community events like County Fairs, and develop presentations.

HANDS-ON SERVICE PROJECTS

To inspire diversity of young Texans to get outside and engage with our Natural Environment We work with our Point of Contact and

Park Staff to develop a project to meet a specific need of the park.

We recruit, create, communicate with park staff and potential volunteers

Are projects are known to: Get rid of Invasive Species, plant riparian

plants in Riparian areas.. Clearing a path from down brush and

limbs Monitoring progress and revisits as the

need arises.

SOCIAL MEDIA As Ambassadors, we create a Social

Media project that inspires creative online content on behalf our park: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

Used to generate interest on a topic or area that represents the Park’s needs: for example; cultural significance, Nature Trails, Museums and Exhibit Space, historical features.

We use our talents in social media, photography, writing and research to create content and teach and coach Park staff best practices.

As Ambassadors, we assist our State Park in providing Interpretive Programing at our Parks.

During training, we attend a two hour training led by TPWD State Park Interpretive Services

We research, plan, and implement an interpretive program based on a knowledge area and/or need at our State Park

Interpretation

Project Management

Public Speaking

Volunteer Management

Stewardship

Awareness

Team Builder

Interpersonal connections

Research

Writing

Nature Knowledge

Invasive Species

Native Plants

Wildlife

Water

Cultural Resources/History

Trail Maintenance/Design

Birds

General Camping

Leave No Trace

YOUR NATURE STORY

85 Ambassadors and Alumni logged 3,605.53 hours of service into VMS, totaling $91,688.37 contributed towards TPWD. Of this, 369 hours were as contributed as hands on service, 781.5 were as contributed as community service, and 235 hours were contributed as social media projects by active Ambassadors.

3 five-day overnight Ambassador Leadership Trainings were hosted to onboard 52 State Park Ambassadors to serve with 45 different State Parks.

TPWD certifications: 28 Ambassadors are certified as Angler Ed Instructors, 51 are Project WILD Suite certified, 9 are Texas Master Naturalists, 3 are Texas Master Naturalists – In Training, and 1 participated in the Texas Aquatic Science training.

COMMON THREADS Ambassadors and Master Naturalist are connected to Texas Parks and

Wildlife

Ambassadors and Master Naturalist and Chapters always look for ways to contribute to local communities.

Ambassadors and Master Naturalists must follow processes to get activities and projects approved to earn hours.

Ambassadors and Master Naturalists must go through required training (Advanced Training)

Both are vetted, screened, and interviewed.

Both use VMS – Volunteer Management System to log our hours

A link between Texas State Parks and Master Naturalist can be created

Chapters can benefit from an Ambassador’s knowledge, skill set, project management, leadership, social media, community outreach can be obtained.

When Ambassadors graduate from the program, they are part of a network of alumni where continuous professional development and training is offered

Potential projects for your Chapter can be acquired through an Ambassador’s program of work

You will have the ability to bring on a diverse, young, smart and qualified young adults who would bring new energy and passion to your Chapter

High Schools

Colleges/Universities

Chamber of Commerce

Youth Service Organizations – Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, FFA, After School Programs

Diversity Organizations – LGBT, Latino Outdoors, REI Diversity and Outreach, Black Outside

Social Media

Public Libraries, Community Centers

United Way – to obtain local data on underserved communities and populations

Local Community Development Organizations

Talk with your Chapter about a recruitment plan – think about ways your can embrace diversity

Read Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Diversity Strategy at: https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_eo100_1952.pdf

Read an article from REI Outdoors/The Atlantic about diversity and the outdoors at: https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/rei-2018/five-ways-to-make-the-outdoors-more-inclusive/3019/

When reaching out:

Don’t over think it!

Be persistent

Be thoughtful

Start conversations

Be curious & ask questions

Talk with TPWD’s Diversity Team and Ambassador Staff!

Louisa Torrance – State Park Division -Ambassador Program Coordinator –Texas Parks and Wildlife –louisa.torrance@tpwd.texas.gov

Katie Raney – Texas Parks and Wildlife -State Park Division –Region 3 Interpretive Specialist –katie.raney@tpwd.Texas.gov

Christopher Keen –outreach@alamoareanaturalist.org

THANK YOU!A special thank you to Louisa Torrance, Kim Sorenson, Dennis Smith, Nina Cardenas,

Katie Raney, and Immanuel Salas at Texas Parks and Wildlife and the staff and volunteers at the LBJ State Park and Historic Site, my home chapter Alamo Area

Master Naturalist and the 2019 Central/West Texas Cohort of the Ambassadors for your advice, support and all you have done to make this happen.

To my family – my husband Michael, my Mom who inspires me to do good and serve, and to my Dad who reminds me each day to look “Beyond the Sunset”

And thanks to all of you for coming and for all you do!

COME VISIT US! LIFE’S BETTER OUTSIDE! #TXSTATEPARKS #LBJSTATEPARK