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By Amy Martin

Group of people sitting in a circle inside a dimly lit cave.
Feb 24 2020, AMY MARTIN

Mexico Cultural Center leader connects youth to nature

Ricardo Cervantes, a leader at Mexico's Tolteca Cultural Center, connects youth to nature by teaching Toltec traditions and rituals. The center promotes cultural heritage through activities like traditional games and foraging, fostering a tactile experience with nature for young people and instilling pride in their indigenous roots.
Man hiking on a forest trail, wearing a backpack and cap, with mountains in the background.
Jan 14 2020, AMY MARTIN

Rockwall author offers witty hiking guide

Rockwall author Mick Tune advocates exploring the wilderness in his book "Wildering." Tune combines advice with engaging stories to inspire readers to embark on safe and educational outdoor adventures. His curiosity-driven approach led him to paleontology, finding joy in learning alongside community experts and outdoor experiences.
Squirrel peeking through a wooden fence.
Jan 01 2020, AMY MARTIN

Former Dallas rehabber uses care with animal invaders

Saving animals is addictive. We rarely are privy to the full impact we have on the world. With wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, it’s right there in front of you — until you’re hopefully able to release back to the wild. To hold an animal that would be dead if not for your efforts is rewarding to the extreme and exhausting as well.
Dry grassy hillside under a cloudy sky with distant figures on the slope.
Dec 10 2019, AMY MARTIN

Will dam repair impact Lewisville nature preserve?

Lake Lewisville dam's rumored risk is overstated, though repair is needed for serious but fixable seepage. Impact on the Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Area is minimal. During the $150 million, multi-phase project, access will be restricted, but the enhancements may improve wildlife habitats.
Oct 16 2019, AMY MARTIN

The road to becoming a North Texas master naturalist

GSDFW reporter Amy Martin shares the thrill of becoming a certified nature expert. An intro to the program will be held Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center​ in Dallas. Photo by Amy Martin.

Oct. 16, 2019

Oct 08 2019, AMY MARTIN

Austin-based group to bring Big Bend to Big D

Oct. 8, 2019

For most people, Big Bend is a myth. They’ve never been there. They’ve read an article perhaps, seen photographs, maybe a documentary. Big Bend is what they conjure it to be in their mind, undoubtedly romanticized to the max. 

So how do you get people to care about the land they’ll never experience? Can the urgency of a live arts performance convey enough sense of place to create compassion for a landscape and its inhabitants? 

Aug 27 2019, AMY MARTIN

North Texans to roll out 'green' carpet for state's naturalists

Texas Parks and Wildlife along with North Texas chapters of the Texas Master Naturalist Program will host the 2019 Conference in Rockwall. Photos courtesy of the North Texas Master Naturalist Chapter.

Aug. 27, 2019

Disneyland for nature nerds is coming to North Texas. 

Aug 21 2019, AMY MARTIN

Plant 'museum' thriving in Fort Worth Cultural District

Joe Lippert captures digital images of plant specimens at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas with state-of-the-art Canon cameras. Photos courtesy of BRIT.

Aug. 21, 2019

Fort Worth’s art museums are legendary but did you know the city’s Cultural District is also home to a world class plant collection?

Mar 06 2019, AMY MARTIN

Texas treasure endangered by wall, filmmaker says

'The River and the Wall' will screen during the EarthxFilm festival on April 25 at the Perot Museum. Photos courtesy of  Fin and Fur Films.

March 6, 2019

The Rio Grande is not just the border. It is the center — of a culture, an ecosystem, a watershed, a woven history that arose well before national borders and will continue long after the artifice has gone. 

Jan 09 2019, AMY MARTIN

Paint Rock serves as earthy backdrop for Winter Solstice

A sun dagger crosses an ancient turtle shield pictograph on Winter Solstice in Concho County. Photo by Steve Schiwetz.

Jan. 9, 2019

The two buffalo stand like statues along the ranch road to the Paint Rock pictographs. We idle next to the two huge pasture pets, so still we can hear their deep rumbly breathing — a good omen for Winter Solstice. 

Jan 02 2019, AMY MARTIN

World birding champion to speak Jan. 5 in Fort Worth

2015 global birding champ Noah Strycker will be the guest speaker for Fort Worth Audubon Society on Saturday, Jan. 5 at UNTHSC. Photos courtesy of Noah Strycker.

Jan. 2, 2019

Noah Strycker set an audacious goal for in 2015: see half the world’s 10,000 bird species. The prior record of 4,341 did not quite hit the mark. When just 32, Strycker departed on Jan. 1 for Antarctica and by year’s end would surpass his goal, sighting 6,042 species. 

Nov 12 2018, AMY MARTIN

Celebration founder remembered as protector of Brazos

Ed Lowe, 1949-2018, died last week doing what he loved, exploring Big Bend. Photo by Nick Dornak.

Nov. 12, 2018

Ed Lowe’s paddle went all over the Brazos as he fought for the river he loved with an overwhelming passion, following the aquatic trails of Texas author John Graves whose words charged him with a cause: Speak up for rivers. Lowe’s paddle joined Graves’ nearly thirty years ago in a tandem canoe as together they paddled the challenging Lower Pecos River’s whitewaters.