After having it on my booklist for decades, I finally slogged my way through Walden. Thoreau can be obtuse, but the gems buried in his prose are worth the effort….
WHY I VOLUNTEER, Spotlight on Texas Master Naturalist Pat Symchych
Never underestimate simple advertising. It was a bumper sticker that sparked Pat Symchych’s interest in becoming a Master Naturalist! Pat grew up in Utah, a state renowned for its natural…
NATURE UNDER YOUR NOSE, by Texas Master Naturalist Drake White
Every day is a new adventure. This is why nature is such an important part of my life. Not just from a business or educational perspective, but as an opportunity…
WHY I VOLUNTEER, Spotlight on Master Naturalist Nancy Thoss
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…
SAL AND THE KEMPS, by Sal Scibetta
As long as I can remember, turtles have always been there. I do remember when the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle came into my life: Science Club, Wells Middle School, Houston,…
OPENING MY EYES, by Jim Baker
A sudden gust of wind rocks the camper just as I sit down on the sofa to relax after my morning hike along the trails of Kerrville Schreiner Park. It doesn’t…
MY BACKYARD AND BEYOND, by Haeley Giambalvo
My love for nature started in my backyard. Seven years ago, we traded a downtown Chicago condo for a suburban home in San Antonio. It was my first home with…
WHY I VOLUNTEER – Spotlight on Drake White
In 1999, Drake White moved from the concrete jungle of Queens, New York to an apartment in San Antonio. It was certainly a change of scenery. “One morning,” she says…
WHY I VOLUNTEER – Spotlight on Master Naturalist Jim Baker
Jim Baker, Class 41, is a retired special education teacher who enjoys RV camping in Texas State Parks. He got inspired to become a MN while touring Honey Creek with…
WHY I VOLUNTEER – Spotlight on Master Naturalist Joedy Yglesias
Bringing nature to people, and people to nature. It’s a passion for Joedy Yglesias, and his family planted the seeds when he was a boy. Joedy grew up relatively poor…