Our Tribe’s Fortune 1,000 Hours – Nancy Casillas, Class of 2009

What inspired you to become a Master Naturalist?

I’ve always loved ecology, I’m a lifelong learner and I’ve volunteered all of my adult life. Being a Master Naturalist fits me perfectly.

On what type of projects do you typically spend your service hours, or are they varied?

I volunteer on the training committee, stream team, bat monitoring team, and moth squad.

When you were taking the Master Naturalist classes, do you have a favorite lesson that has stuck with you?

Dr. George Diggs’ botany presentation opened my eyes to plant defense and all of their quirky, interesting adaptations.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and perhaps what you like to do in your spare time?

I grew up in rural Ellis County, surrounded by pastures and native woodlands. Like the generations before them, my grandparents were cotton sharecroppers. My father baled hay, worked cattle, and rodeoed for most of my childhood. I absolutely loved following all of them around asking questions because they gave me the actual answers instead of dismissing me. This started my love of ecology. I taught middle school science for a time, but am now an outdoor education instructor at Holifield. I spend my spare time doing household or craft projects.

Is there one thing that you’d like to tell others who are thinking of becoming a Master Naturalist or perhaps current members who might need a little bit of inspiration?

The world can be a very negative and disappointing place if you believe the news headlines. Being a Master Naturalist gets you in touch with other people who care. People who are doing what they can to preserve our native green spaces and the species who call them home. It helps to feel that your little bit is worthwhile and to see that when it’s combined with everyone else, change can actually happen.