Texas Master Naturalists visit Copperas Cove library’s Summer Reading Program

By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press

Children learned about different birds and bird nests thanks to a visit from certified Texas Master Naturalists Tuesday afternoon in the Copperas Cove Public Library’s meeting room as part of the Summer Reading Program. 
In addition to the displays of different types of nests, the group of children, ages 11 and under, got to shake their tail feathers as Master Naturalists Lynn Williams, dressed as Screech the Owl, and Marilyn Whitworth led them in a quick dance lesson teaching how different birds fly. 
Williams mentioned vultures, eagles, hummingbirds, flamingos and the Attwater Prairie Chicken, of which the male inflates its yellow air sac to emit a strange, booming sound to “get a girlfriend.” 
As Screech the Owl, Williams also shared some information about the physiology of a screech owl. While humans have seven bones in their neck that allow for movement, a screech owl has 14 bones that allow it to move its neck, Williams said. 
An owl also has zygodactyl toes, which means its feet have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward.
Williams also read “The Best Nest” by P.D. Eastman about two birds searching for their perfect home before the kids learned about cup nests, cavity nests, suspended cup nests and more. 
“The main goal of the Master Naturalist is to educate the next generation to help conserve and preserve all of our natural resources and give them appreciation of them, so they come and they learn something and they get so excited, well, they’re going to go out and pass it on and keep it up,” Whitworth said about getting to come to the library. 
Kaley Saunders brought her son, Luke, 4, to the library Thursday afternoon. They found out about the Master Naturalists coming to the library after they attended the story time earlier that morning, Saunders said. 
Luke loves animals, especially owls, Saunders said. Screech the Owl was a big hit. 
“He asked to come back to meet the bird lady, as he called her,” she said. “It was so wonderful, and there’s so many people out there that can’t afford to always take their children and go do stuff, so this not only is a great way to teach the kids to take care of our Earth and love our birds, but it’s something free, so it’s great.” 
The Texas Master Naturalist Program’s mission is to “develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas,” according to the state website. 
Volunteers must complete an approved training program with at least 40 hours of combined field and classroom instruction though a Texas Master Naturalist Chapter, and after completing the training, to become a Certified Texas Master Naturalist, they must donate at least 40 hours of volunteer service back to the state and community. Trainees can complete their 40 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of advanced training within a year after completion of their initial training. To maintain their certification, they have to continue to complete another eight hours of advanced training and donate 40 hours of volunteer service. 
There are 48 TMN chapters spread across the state of Texas, which can be found at txmn.org/chapters/. Whitworth said that the Central Texas Chapter was founded in 2010.