The Texas Master Naturalist, Blackland Prairie Chapter is one of 48 recognized chapters throughout Texas.  Our chapter meets in McKinney Texas and draws members from communities in Collin, Hunt, and Rockwall counties and adjacent areas.  Our well-trained chapter members volunteer in numerous local efforts to help people learn about and appreciate Texas's natural resources.

Dallas Area Community Gardens (a working list, August 2010)

 http://www.gardendallas.org/Area%20Gardens2.htm 

This list was compiled by Gardeners in Community Development (GICD) for the purpose of facilitating the interaction between community garden groups across North Texas, and to assist those who may wish to volunteer or in other way support the development of community gardening. 

 http://www.gardendallas.org/Area%20Gardens2.htm 

Our meetings are held on the fourth Sunday each month, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., except for November and December.
 
Our organization has been meeting continuously for 20 years. We accept anyone as a member.  One can attend the regular meetings for free.
 
Membership dues are $15/year for an individual, $20/year for a family membership.
 
Member-Only events:  Annual member's garden tour, Annual Fall Field trip, October Seed Exchange, December Holiday Party.

Earthx, formerly Earth Day Texas, is an annual, outdoor festival seeking to elevate environmental awareness and influence the way North Texans think, live and work. The family-friendly and free event allows leaders in the corporate, academic and non-profits worlds to unite and show North Texans how green lifestyles choices can lower their cost of living, improve their health, and help save the environment.

 

 

The North Texas Master Naturalists are Dallas County's volunteers for conservation. We lead hikes, give educational programs, engage in scientific research, and work on the land, all towards the goal of helping North Texans appreciate and preserve the natural systems they rely upon.

The Texas Master Naturalist(TM) volunteer program is coordinated by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and supported by a variety of local Organizations. Volunteers receive 40 hours of in-depth training in wildlife and natural resource management customized to focus on local ecosystems. In return, volunteers provide at least 40 hours of service per year in the form of community education and demonstration projects, while pursuing a minimum of 8 hours per year of advanced training in areas of special interest.


The Texas Master Naturalist program:
Increases volunteer capacity and leadership in local communities,
Enhances public awareness of local ecosystems and natural resources.

The Citizen Gardner program provides low-cost, hands-on, organic, backyard vegetable gardening education and community.  Goals of the DFW Citizen Gardener Program

Describing New York City's first cohousing project, a New York Times article said cohousing speaks to people who want to own a home but not feel lost in an impersonal city. That's how we feel.

And we want to live sustainably, with a smaller carbon footprint. To know our neighbors, grow some of our own food and use our united buying power to support local farmers and dairies. We want to model a more resilient way of life for the DFW metroplex.

We want to live in a diverse community, with old and young, singles and couples, varied backgrounds.

We're growing a community of like-minded folks who'd like to live cooperatively in urban Dallas, close to a DART station.

Our vision is that the community is affordable, with a lease-to-own option if possible.

We're at the forming stage, which means we're drawing together a core group of people willing to commit financially.

We've located some possible properties; the investor-members will determine which property works for our shared vision.

Meet other local people who are making their lives more sustainable--whether in leaps or tiny steps. We are interested in many areas of sustainable living: organic gardening, permaculture, starting a green community, homesteading, lobbying our political leaders to create a more sustainable environment, climate change, peak 0il, and preparedness.

Most of us are urban or exurban dwellers who are trying to create a positive impact on our environment and develop varied degrees of self sufficiency. Some of us are also interested in creating/moving to a sustainable eco-community.

If you are interested in living more sustainably in your own local area east of Dallas, please join us as we learn the way of green and simple. We will network with each other; we will have outside talks on sustainable living from Solar to Rainwater Harvesting, from Permaculture to Organic Gardening/Farming, and from green remodeling to energy-efficient new building; we will invite local officials to our meetings in order to make our towns more sustainable and resilient.

If you reside (or want to reside) east of Dallas in towns such as Rockwall, Royse City, Heath, Forney, Terrell, Quinlan, Greenville, Wylie. Murphy, Sachse, Rowlett, Sunnyvale, Lone Oak, or anywhere in that general area, please come learn to make life easier, less expensive, and more sustainable with those in nearby communities. This is the perfect area for a Transition Initiative bioregion!

Close to home--I am tired of driving to Dallas to meet like-minded people. Maybe you are, too???

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