Welcome to our Tribe: Andrea Ridout, North Texas Chapter

Andrea Ridout, Class of 2009, recent North Texas Chapter transfer

My name is Andrea Ridout. I’ve always loved nature – and my childhood friends and I spent countless hours playing in the creeks in Garland. Like many kids, I had planned to be a vet, but life leads us in other directions and I ended up in the hardware business and then in media. But I never lost my keen interest in the natural world.

In 2009, I began hosting a radio show for Mother Earth News magazine and was looking for new ways to educate my listeners. I was thrilled to be accepted for the 2010 cohort of the North Texas Master Naturalist program. The classes were amazing as I learned about our local, regional and national eco-systems as well as the flora and fauna that occupy our wild spaces. I was able to pass along my new knowledge to my radio listeners each week and also to viewers on local TV morning shows where I was a frequent guest. 

My favorite lesson was one in which the class was divided into several groups of 4-5 people. Each group was tasked with designing a city with a river running through it. Each city had certain requirements: a school, city hall, park, upscale homes, public housing, factory, and, of course, a city dump. At the end of the lesson, we taped our cities up on the wall, end to end, with the river connecting each one to the other. We quickly realized that the city dump from one city was often located next to the school, park – or even upper end housing development of another. It was a true confirmation of the adage, “there is no away” which I still think about often in my daily life.

The classes also stoked my interest in animals and soon thereafter I trained to become a wildlife rehabilitator – with a specialty in squirrels. Though I’ve had to take a break from squirrels lately due to my growing granola company, I hope to take up animal rehab again when I retire. 

I must admit that the best part of the Master Naturalist program was the wonderful people I met, many of whom have become dear friends such as Jeff Raska and Dottie Woodsen with Texas A&M Ag Extension, Chere Hickock with the east Dallas Chicken Coop Tour, and so many more. They all have the same curiosity and wonder for nature that I do and love sharing it with others.

I recently moved to Addison and joined the Blackland Prairie Master Naturalist group. When I attended the first meeting, I knew that I was in a room full of my peeps. Thanks for making me feel so welcome.

EDITORS NOTE – Deborah and Michelle would also like to welcome Andrea to our Shaking of the Trees Member Newsletter Committee.