by Jeff Post
Dottie Schoeneberg has lived most of her life in the area encompassed by the Gideon Lincecum Chapter’s five counties. Dottie grew up near Weimar (Colorado County) but spent a few years in St. Louis, MO, and Houston. With a young family in tow, they moved to Burton (Washington County), where they lived for 36 years. In 2017 she and her husband retired and moved back to the Schoeneberg homestead. They love being stewards of land that has been in the family since 1954. While living in Burton, Dottie was a teacher at Brenham and Round Top. Her husband was the pastor at St. John’s Church, and it was a friend at church that introduced her to TMN. Carol Montgomery was one of the earliest members of GLC and told Dottie lots of great things about the program. Joining TMN seemed like destiny for Dottie since the training classes in 2008 were held across the street from her house in her husband’s church. She and a science teacher friend signed up for the training.
Dottie has remained active in the chapter since becoming a certified Texas Master Naturalist over 15 years ago. Her volunteer activities during that time have been extensive. She is one of the longtime volunteers at Indian Creek Park in Burton where she takes part in efforts to eradicate invasive ligustrum. She helped start and helps to maintain the pollinator garden, which includes a bench dedicated to Carol Montgomery. Even though Dottie lives in Weimar, she regularly makes the hour-long drive back to Burton to support the Indian Creek Project. Dottie has been involved in many of the Chapter’s youth education programs. She participates in annual bird counts and is currently trying to grow more native grasses at her property.
She appreciates that the Chapter is starting to have more meetings and activities in the southern counties where she has been involved with the Colombus Adopt-a-Highway Project. She says the key to long-term involvement with TMN is identifying activities that you are passionate about, while learning to pace yourself. Dottie is just the type of member that makes GLC such a successful Chapter. She has a love of nature and our local communities, and the spirit and dedication to work to make them better places. She also wants to pass the passion of land stewardship and all things native on to the next generation. One of her favorite quotes is by Edward Abbey: “Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.”