Conservation – The Texas Way!

Texan by Nature (TxN) and North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) have launched a complimentary, four-part webinar series to increase education and awareness of the top natural resource conservation practices in the Lone Star State. The series will provide new data, ideas, actionable next steps, and resources for individuals and businesses to get involved.

The fourth and last webinar in the series, “Land, Water, Wildlife – Conservation in Action”, will feature a panel discussion with leaders from TxN, NTMWD, the Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas Conservation Alliance to discuss the following topics:

• Diverse & Unique Flora
• Water Resources, Recreation, & Conservation
• Wildlife Conservation

Panelist presentations will be followed by a Q&A session from the audience. Participants include:

• Joni Carswell (Moderator)- CEO & President – Texan By Nature
• Andrea DeLong-Amaya – Director of Horticulture – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
• Melissa Felty (Alderson) – Conservation Education Manager – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• Benjamin Jones – Executive Director – Texas Conservation Alliance

In case you missed either of the prior webinars, “Conserve Today. Water Tomorrow.”, “The State of Texas Natural Resources,” and “Spring Into Conservation” you can watch them on-demand on NTMWD YouTube channel here – https://envz.in/WebinarSeries

They can also be viewed at Texan By Nature:

• First Webinar Recap & Recording
• Second Webinar Recap & Recording

Panelists Bios:

Joni Carswell

CEO and President of Texan by Nature where she is responsible for leading the mission to bring business and conservation together. As a proud, fourth generation Texan, Joni pairs her business strategy, engineering and technology background with her passion for Texas and the outdoors to realize Texan by Nature’s vision of bringing business and conservation together for long term, sustainable impact.

Prior to Texan by Nature, Joni was the President and CEO of LivingTree where she grew the company from 1000 to 73 million interactions and 1M+ users. Under Joni’s tenure, LivingTree was recognized with the Stevie Women in Business Gold Award for Community Involvement Program of the Year and Silver Award for Mobile App of the Year. The National School Board Association also named LivingTree to the Innovation Showcase in 2017. Before LivingTree, Joni held leadership roles in planning and strategy at Polycom and Dell where she managed three-year planning for multi-billion dollar product portfolio.

As a top graduate of the Kellogg School of Management (Masters, Business Administration) and Northwestern McCormick School of Engineering (Masters, Engineering Management), Joni is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and served on the Advisory Board for the Kellogg Women’s Business Association. Joni holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University #GoAggies! She and her husband Scott reside in Austin with their two boys, Dixon and Rigby.

Benjamin Jones

Benjamin Jones grew up in southeast Texas spending much of his childhood happily lost in the Big Thicket’s pine forests and along the marshes and beaches of the Gulf coast.

He graduated from Texas A&M University with bachelors and master’s degrees in the sciences then worked for Arthur Andersen as a business analyst. Ben served the National Audubon Society in multiple roles including Texas state director of education and center director of the Trinity River Audubon Center. He served the Dallas Zoo for 15 years in various capacities including senior director of conservation where he was responsible for the strategic direction of Dallas Zoo’s work saving wildlife locally, across the state, and around the world.

Ben joined the Texas Conservation Alliance, state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation – our country’s largest wildlife organization – as executive director in 2020. He leads TCA’s work to protect Texas wildlife and their habitats across the state.

Interested in science, education, and conservation, especially as they intersect; Ben is passionate about nature as a context for life-long learning, stronger communities, and enriched life.

Melissa Felty (Alderson)

Conservation Education Manager with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. She manages multiple statewide programs which include Community Waters (Texas Aquatic Science and Texas Waters), Project WILD, and Nature Tourism. The future of our natural resources depends on our ability to make these educational opportunities and outdoor activities relevant and accessible to all Texans. Prior to TPWD, she taught environmental education for 17 years. Melissa has a B.S. in Biology from Northern Illinois University and a M.A. in Teaching from Miami University. Her love for nature started as a child discovering toads in window wells to a teen exploring the Great Lakes. Melissa’s passion and dedication to nature has grown to protect Texas ecosystems through sustainable conservation, stewardship, and recreation.

Andrea DeLong-Amaya

As the Director of Horticulture, she oversees the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s gardens and nursery programs and is passionate about sharing the value of native plants in planned landscapes. She’s been a staff member since 1998 and has nearly 30 years of experience with native plants in horticulture, ecology and garden design.

She teaches classes in native plant horticulture and has contributed numerous gardening articles to publications such as Taunton’s Fine Gardening, Rodale’s Organic Gardening, American Public Gardens Association’s Public Garden, Neil Sperry’s Gardens and e-Gardens, Texas Gardener and Wildflower (the Center’s member magazine).

DeLong-Amaya has appeared numerous times on Central Texas Gardener, PBS’s long-running television program, and was a two-time guest on WNYC’s Science Friday. Jennifer Jewell featured Andrea’s work in her 2020 book, “The Earth in Her Hands: 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants,” and interviewed DeLong-Amaya on the podcast Cultivating Place.

Organizers information

North Texas Municipal Water District

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) provides vital water, wastewater and waste management services to more than a million people who call North Texas their home. Since our inception more than six decades ago, we have collaborated with North Texas cities and communities on the design and operation of our systems. This regional partnership has reduced costs, facilitated access to water, wastewater and solid waste services to communities large and small, and streamlined service delivery.

Texan by Nature

Texan by Nature, founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, brings conversation and business together, acting as an accelerator for conservation groups and a strategic partner for business. TxN supports 110+ conservation organizations and has accelerated projects and programs that have impacted 7 million-plus people, 20 million acres, and all of Texas’ 254 counties. Get involved and learn more at texanbynature.org. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram @TexanbyNature.

AT: Single Presentation (Conservation-The Texas Way)
For those who are certifying or are certified as Texas Water Specialists, this qualifies as Texas Water Specialist AT.