When asked to interview for Why I Volunteer, Nancy Thoss chuckled. “Sure, but my story isn’t dramatic. Not like some others I’ve heard.”
Perhaps. But the foundation of every volunteer organization is those who labor faithfully, often anonymously, behind the scenes. Nancy has given over 4,000 hours of her life through the Alamo Area Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists. Her story deserves to be heard.
She grew up in Middletown, a farming community two hours north of New York City. It provided the best of both worlds—a pastoral setting, yet close enough to the Big Apple to enjoy its cultural offerings.
Even though she was surrounded by countryside, her mother was a gifted gardener, and their family visited state parks, Nancy was never overly-enamored with nature. Its biggest drawback? “The bugs,” she says with a laugh. “I didn’t like the bugs. Butterflies were fine, but not the rest of those insects!”
After she left home, Nancy graduated from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, majoring in Education and Spanish. She later took additional courses in IT and accounting. Her software expertise led her to a string of challenging career positions in multiple states, as well as in Mexico, where her bilingual ability in Spanish was an asset.
She landed in Texas in 1984 and proceeded to work with a variety of companies both large and small, including Subaru while it still had a presence in the Alamo City. She was a dedicated employee, working long hours.
But something was missing, and it stemmed from a value she had learned as a girl. “My parents raised me to volunteer,” she says. “If you can help somebody, do it! I felt the need to carry on that tradition.”
With her customary diligence, Nancy started giving back to her community. She got deeply involved with her son’s Cub Scout Pack, then Boy Scout Troop. “Many Troops didn’t want women leaders,” she says. “You could bake cookies; that was fine.” But she persisted, found a Troop that welcomed women, and, as part of the Troop Committee, tracked the scouts’ rank achievements and set up a new Troop website.
“By this time, I had gotten involved in camping at state parks at the nudging of my sister-in-law. I still wasn’t that much of an outdoors person, but I began to volunteer on scouting campouts. I became proficient at Dutch Oven cooking! I remember a high adventure trip to Maine, where we climbed Mt. Katahdin, the northern endpoint on the Appalachian Trail. It was a steep scramble up and a dizzy, slow-going descent, but I made it after 17 hours!”
After her son left home, Nancy’s drive to volunteer continued. Since the training fit better with her work schedule than other options, she applied to the Master Naturalist program.
Since graduating with class #28, she has volunteered in multiple ways. As a former Board Treasurer, she computerized the chapter’s financials. She worked with Texas Invaders, an early iteration of the Salsa Squad, removing invasives. She became a Field Guide at Medina River Natural Area, leading elementary schoolers on nature hikes, and has been a primary caretaker of the AAMN demonstration garden at that park. She has worked at the Discovery Center at Guadalupe River State Park and has monitored nesting boxes at Eisenhower Park. Along the way, she continues to keep track of volunteer hours for our chapter.
“It’s been a long journey,” she says, “and it continues. I still don’t care for bugs. But if I can volunteer with an organization that helps attract more butterflies, that’s perfect!”
