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June Updates from the President
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...I'm sure it was still June somewhere when I sent this!
Well, it was a long, very hot, very dry June...that finally ended with a very welcomed bit of rain and slightly cooler temperatures! I enjoyed this last June evening sitting on my front porch, a cool breeze blowing across my face, and the hummingbirds flittering, fighting, and feeding all around.
Beside the record breaking temperatures and drought conditions, this month brought us several news items filled with tragedy in our own state, and controversy across our nation. Many people are still picking up the pieces left behind, wondering how to move on, while others are preparing to fight...for what they believe is just and true. It has been a time of coming together and division.
As Texas Master Naturalists, we can experience these events in our personal lives, but in our role as Master Naturalists we must simply serve. We serve the community by offering the healing and restorative power of nature, knowledge and appreciation of the natural world around us. We serve by promoting restoration and conservation to our land, water, and wildlife, and by participating in these efforts.
This month, we saw the release of a stunning film, representing the beauty, and pain, of Texas and its relationship with wildlife and conservation. The film reminds us of the connectivity of our water and wildlife, and the importance of engaging, together, in conservation efforts for the sustainability of our future.
This month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Recovering America's Wildlife Act - a landmark bill that if signed into law would provide much needed funding for the conservation or restoration of wildlife and plant species of greatest conservation need, including endangered or threatened species across the country.
I think Collin O'Mara, CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said it well, "The bottom line is, when we save wildlife we save ourselves." And as 'this month' has shown us - we have a long way to go on both efforts. So gather your thoughts, your tools, plenty of water, and go forth to save wildlife...and perhaps ourselves.
Lisa Audiffred
CAMN President
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