William (Bill) Swantner As a Bexar County Master Gardener, Bill has led presentations and written articles for and is the author of one of our Chapter’s Talking Points on soils. A…
Wildscaping & Urban Systems
Joseph Plappert Joseph Plappert received his Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology and his Master’s Degree in Wildlife Ecology from Texas State University in San Marcos. His Master’s thesis focused on…
Citizen Science and iNaturalist
Wendy Anderson Wendy Anderson is a Nature Tracker Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. She has a passion for conservation and has focused her career on GIS, endangered species conservation,…
A Lifelong Passion for Giving Back by Karen Wilson
By Karen Wilson, AAMN Class 47 Hi, I’m Karen Wilson. My love for nature began when I was a child, exploring the outdoors through the Girl Scouts and family RV…
National Champs! Reflections on City Nature Challenge 2024
By Jane Weeden, Bexar County Coordinator for CNC24 I fell in love with iNaturalist during the Class 47 biodiversity project. It was an easy way to combine my love of…
Junior Master Naturalists Explore Cascade Caverns
By Keeley Porter, AAMN Youth Activities Director On Saturday, February 24, the Alamo Area Chapter Junior Master Naturalist class took a speleology field trip to Cascade Caverns Nature Reserve just outside…
Creating a Schoolyard Forest by Isaac Esquivel
My parents’ best piece of advice to me was, “find a job that you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” I have been fortunate enough…
Joining the Texas Conservation Corps by Megan Smith
Hello AAMN family, My name is Megan Smith, and I’m a member of Class 49! I’m happy to have this chance to write for the chapter blog, and am excited…
Becoming a Certified Interpreter, Q&A with Marian Collins
Marian Collins is a member of Class 47 and recently completed training to become a Certified Interpretive Guide. Interpreters connect visitors to important natural, cultural, and historical resources at parks,…
If You Think You Spotted a Northern Giant Hornet…You Probably Haven’t by Molly Keck
If you think you’ve seen a Northern Giant Hornet this summer in your backyard, you probably haven’t. Northern Giant Hornets, formerly known as Asian Giant Hornets, and sensationally known as…