The Texas Master Naturalist Program is showcasing a new monthly series, #TMNTuesdays, to bring natural resources education to its members and the public through engaging speaker sessions online.
February’s focus is all about “Nature’s Best Hope.” Particularly, how people are nature’s best hope when they do something as simple as turning a yard from an ecological desert into a thriving native oasis.
The Feb. 9 #TMNTuesdays WebEx will begin at noon. The #TMNTuesdays series is free and open to the public. Learn more and register for upcoming sessions here.
Participants can learn not only about turning their lawn into a native oasis, but also gain the inspiration and practical tools to get started, said Mary Pearl Meuth and Michelle Haggerty, the Texas Master Naturalist Program’s assistant state program coordinator and state program coordinator, respectively.
“If you’re interested in grassroots approaches to conservation in your community and are eager to help native species, then you don’t want to miss February’s featured speaker session,” Meuth said.
Feb. 9 guest speaker Tallamy
The hour and a half-long session will feature Doug Tallamy, Ph.D., a proponent of reclaiming native habitats in our surroundings. Tallamy is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. One of his top research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities.
Tallamy’s newest book on the New York Times Best Sellers list, “Nature’s Best Hope,” explores these concepts at a smaller scale—our own backyards. His most recent initiative, Homegrown National Park, aims to restore biodiversity and ecosystem function across the U.S. through small efforts by many people to plant native plants.
A quote by Dr. Tallamy on the front page of the initiative’s website summarizes its mission: “In the past, we have asked one thing of our gardens: that they be pretty. Now they have to support life, sequester carbon, feed pollinators and manage water.”
February’s #TMNTuesday session will bring a similar theme to a virtual audience of Texas Master Naturalists and the public alike.
“Dr. Tallamy was one of the highlights at our 2020 Annual Meeting,” Meuth said. “We are so fortunate to have him present again with us in February. There was a noticeable drive for action among our volunteers after his presentation, and we can’t wait to share it with those who weren’t able to witness it last year.”
The Texas Master Naturalist Program is co-sponsored by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. It’s mission is to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas.
More information on how to join the Texas Master Naturalist Program or contact a local chapter is available on the website.
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