I come from Texas cotton farmers and World War 2 refugees. They farmed to survive famine. They farmed as slave laborers. My maternal family’s aristocracy was dwindled down selling ducks…
MOUNTAIN LION ENCOUNTER IN THE CHISOS MOUNTAINS, by Texas Master Naturalist Cheryl Hamilton
(Note: This is a reprint of a piece that appeared years ago on the AAMN website. It certainly retains its drama!) Night-cooled air lingered over sun-struck land that early September…
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, by Texas Master Naturalist Krin Van Tatenhove
A massive sinkhole opens beneath the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Buildings, freeways, and screaming people plummet through a time portal. They land 10,000 years in the past,…
MY OCTOPUS TEACHER, by Texas Master Naturalist Kathy Zeltmann
Many years ago, as a novice scuba diver, I had the rare and wonderful experience of meeting a Caribbean octopus living off the coast of Martinique. I was stunned as…
THE MELANCHOLY CAMPER, by Texas Master Naturalist Kim Clendenen
I’ve loved being outdoors for as long as I can remember, especially camping. As a child, I spent most of my time outdoors. I was blissfully happy whenever I was…
WHY I VOLUNTEER, Spotlight on Texas Master Naturalist Patsy Kuentz
Alamo Area Master Naturalist Patsy Kuentz blends her love for nature and community building, two passions that started early in her life. She was born and reared in San Antonio,…
WHY I VOLUNTEER, Spotlight on Texas Master Naturalist Judy Campa
Judy Campa is proof of the old adage: where there’s a will, there’s a way. A third generation San Antonian, she was blessed with a family that broadened her horizons…
A PART, NOT APART, by Texas Master Naturalist Krin Van Tatenhove
On a recent visit to the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis, my wife and I watched an Omnimax film called The Great Barrier Reef. Told through the eyes of Jemma…
BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE TOGETHER, by Texas Master Naturalist Morgan Villegas
When I was a kid, I spent countless hours outside, climbing trees, inspecting plants and insects, or just hanging out reading a book. I used to examine the pictures in…
NATURE CONNECTS, by Texas Master Naturalist Evelyn Penrod
Bythewood. That is the last name of my best friend since childhood. I am from East Texas, and she did live by the woods. I spent so much time at…