This month we hear from Becky Northcut, the Chapter Secretary.

Hello, Naturalists! And a big "Howdy!" to our brand new class of 2010 - welcome to our chapter and congratulations on beginning such an auspicious journey! I was in the class of 2007 - Yo, Madrones! It was a great experience, and if I do say so myself, a great group of folks. I remember how thrilled I was to find out I had been accepted in the class, and how nervous I was when I saw how big that notebook was. If I had known that first night how much more material I'd accrue during that first year, I'm not entirely sure I'd have come back! I'm so glad I stuck with it though, and I encourage you newcomers to tough it out.

Joining the chapter and getting my certification was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Following some health problems, I'd spent some time not being active in the chapter. I got back in the swing of things last fall, volunteering with great group of folks working to open up the Jacob's Well Natural Area. As I write this, we are putting the last touches on the training for our first group of docents, which starts this month! There's so much in store for the JWNA and there will be many varied opportunities for Naturalists to volunteer, as well as get advanced training. It's an exciting time to be involved and I hope many of you come out and join us at the Well.

I had a lot of reasons for wanting to become a Master Naturalist, but I'll stick with just two:

Reason one: the past. Like a lot of you, my interest in the natural world goes way back. I grew up on the Texas gulf coast just a few blocks from the water, and everyone in my family, several generations back, was fascinated by the natural world. My father was a commercial fisherman, and the older folks in the family were in that generation that had grown up in a close relationship with the soil, the water, and the weather because their living depended on it. The knowledge had been passed on to them, and they passed it on to us kids. We were raised to cultivate a curiosity about nature. For example, if I found a bug or saw a bird I'd never seen, I had to get one of the many field guides around the house and look it up. I think some of my friends thought it was a little strange but it was a great way to grow up. When I heard about the MN program, something just clicked for me. It seemed like this would be a great way to get back to those roots.

Reason two: the future. The more we understand and know about the natural world, the soil, the water, the animals, the weather, the better job we can do of preserving what is left and restoring what we can that's been lost or developed. And that need gets more critical every day. Being a Master Naturalist is not just talking about problems but taking real hands-on action, walking the walk, creating solutions so future generations (of all living things) have a better chance of surviving and thriving.

Being a part of HCMN is a great opportunity, and it's a privilege to serve as Secretary. Thanks to all of you, veterans and newcomers, for your commitment to this great chapter. March sure is going to be an exciting month around here!

- Becky Northcut
sec at haysmn.org