Please Wear your Name Tags at the Annual Conference!

Borderlands Chapter Membership Dues

 What is the value of membership in the Borderlands Master Naturalists Chapter?

    Education about a variety of subjects, natural, historical and cultural.

    Community. Spending time with people with similar interests and curiosity.

    Acquiring skills useful in the pursuit of nature study.

    Access and information about volunteer outlets.

    Learning about the Sky Islands and the Borderlands of southeastern Arizona.

    Hanging out with master naturalists across the state.

    Continued good health.

That's a lot!!

It has come time to ask our chapter members and friends of the chapter to pay annual dues of $20 so that we can continue to offer activities and educational opportunities beyond the completion of the training class. Room rentals, tour fees, education and tabling supplies, AZMNA fees, and food are provided by the chapter and we need to be fiscally responsible.

Please send in your dues by May 1st to: Borderlands MN Treasurer, 419 S Meadowood Ln, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635.

Thank you.

    

Borderlands Chapter Weekend Retreat at the Southwestern Research Station April 10 - 12, 2026

 We're planning a great weekend at the research station with several activities and presentations, delicious meals, and of course, leisure time in a wonderfully biodiverse setting. Joelle will send out an email next week with further details.

For those of you who wish to stay at the research station, I need to know if you are staying for the weekend, what room type you want, and your dietary preferences by February 22nd.  My email is louwilk8@gmail.com and phone number is 573-578-4695. Members staying off site may eat meals at the research station if prior arrangements are made. 

The Great Backyard Bird Count 2026, a Valuable and Fun Volunteer Citizen Science Project!

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a long-standing citizen science project run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Birds Canada. It's purpose is to document population and species numbers of birds in their winter migration areas. The GBBC has become a global database for bird populations, useful to researchers and conservationists. For us lay people, it is an opportunity to get outdoors with fellow birders, family, and friends. The counting period lasts for 4 days, but you can count for an hour(s), a day or daily. It's entirely up to you how much effort you wish to put into it. The dates for the count are February 13 - 16.

If you are new to the count and/or new to birding, there is a wealth of information on the Great Backyard Bird Count website https://www.birdcount.org. There are training videos, also.

As a master naturalist, count your travel, birding, and data entry time as a volunteer activity, and learning about the count as advanced training. Learning how to enter your counts into ebird can be considered a skill.

                                                                                        

        

Advanced Training Opportunities for Master Naturalists

 Take a look at the cool things on the horizon for Borderlands Master Naturalists!

 Volunteer Opportunities at Wings over Willcox Birding & Nature Festival 1/16 - 1/18

Volunteers are welcome to help at the Borderlands Chapter table at the Willcox Community Center from 1/16 - 1/18. Sorry for the short notice, but I didn't expect to get a spot due to late registration.

Tabling hours are from 10 - 6 on Friday 1/16, 10 - 5 on Saturday 1/17, and 6:30 - 9 on Sunday 1/18. Takedown is from 9 - 11 on Sunday. Any assistance would be appreciated, even if only for an hour or two.

Don't forget that there are educational presentations during the festival.

Thanks.

Borderlands Master Naturalists Chapter Weekend Retreat April 10 - 12, 2026

Southwestern Research Station, Portal, AZ

Don’t forget to let me know if you would like a standard or dorm room for the weekend and if you have any dietary preferences or restrictions. This information must be in by 2/24! Contact me at louwilk8@gmail.com or 573-578-4695. Please leave a text message and I will get back to you.