This month I had the privilege of watching the documentary, “Deep in the Heart,” written and directed by Ben Masters. It showcased the beauty of Texas and highlighted a variety of species and some conservation needs of the Lone Star state. The movie was amazing, but being less than 2 hours long, it only just began to scratch the surface of the biodiversity that we find in the 171,902,080 acres that we call home. As I sat, captivated by the cinematography and the story that was being told, I experienced many emotions: joy that we live in a state with such unique creatures, sadness for the species and natural areas that we have lost, and concern for the ones that we are in danger of losing. But one of the underlying messages of the film, and the emotion that I choose to cling to, is hope. Hope, because history shows us that we have been able to undo some of the damage that we have caused, and populations and ecosystems have been restored (can you believe that white-tailed deer were once on the brink of extinction?). Hope, because there are groups like the Texas Master Naturalists that are made up of volunteers who love to learn, discover, educate others, and protect our natural resources. I left the theater proud to be a Texan and most importantly, proud to be a Prairie Oaks Master Naturalist! Our chapter gets stronger each year and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve as we continue to work together, along with volunteers across our vast state, to protect and conserve the biodiversity that makes Texas such a great place to live!
Katie Moses
prairieoaksmasternaturalist@gmail.com
katiemmoses@hotmail.com