Our Tribe’s Fortune 250 Hours – Angela Lewallen, Class of 2017

What inspired you to become a Master Naturalist?

When my sons, now 20 and 22, were young, they would ask me about things they observed in our backyard. I had to check out books from the library to find out that the little piles of dirt were earthworm castings and the sand craters were ant lion dens. My sons’ curiosity opened up the natural world to me in a way that continued to grow as we hiked at LLELA and visited national parks over the years. In 2017, when I knew that retirement was on the horizon, I decided that environmental education and service were high priorities for me and that becoming a Master Naturalist would equip me with the knowledge and skills I lacked. What I didn’t know then, but soon came to realize, is that being a Master Naturalist would also bring me into a community of dedicated individuals who are a constant source of inspiration.

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

I’ve completed the majority of my hours at LLELA, first in the nursery and visitors center, along with tabling and sharing monarch information. Since retirement, I’ve been leading first Saturdays invasives clearing and, more recently, I started the Natural Pathways high school service-learning program, where we tackle a different conservation or restoration project each month. Additionally, while it’s not a VH activity, I love that Master Naturalist training has provided me with the knowledge to engage our city’s leaders in conversations about creating spaces where residents can reconnect with our natural environment.

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

I taught in Lewisville ISD for 30 years, primarily middle school English. I continue to be involved with public education through PTA, with environmental advocacy through the Friends of LLELA and Lewisville Parks boards, and with civic discourse through Braver Angels, which seeks to depolarize American politics. A project I’m interested in, but haven’t tackled yet, is working to mitigate urban stream syndrome. In my free time, I’m reading, spending time with my sons, riding my bike, or visiting (or making plans to visit) state and national parks.