Message from the President...

Here we are, a few days into Spring and before we know it we'll be experiencing those dog days of summer again!

This time of year always seems special to me. A time of renewal, with plants reemerging, babies of all kinds being born, and we even have a new class of budding Master Naturalists!

I'm having a little renewal myself. As some of you know, my wife and I have been planning a move away from our first home in the Lowcountry in Cane Bay, to a home somewhat closer to the places I love to visit! 
That move has just happened, and it reminded me that along with the frustrations of moving, it is somewhat a renewal in itself! New places to shop, new routes to learn, new neighbors, and most of all it reminds me that the only constant in life is change.

Some of us adapt to it better than others; and isn't that true of nature like too?

I recently had the honor of speaking to the new class of MNs, to introduce them to the CMNA, and it made me think of the change that the program made in my life, and perhaps the change it will make in the lives of those currently spending their Tuesdays with Kristina, Keith, Caroline, Andrea, and the other instructors that make such an impact on us.

Sometimes, for those of us that have been MNs for a while, we might forget the change we went through sitting in those seats. That would be a shame though, wouldn't it? Part of our role as MNs is to share our knowledge and promote awareness of the nature around us that undergoes change in every season. 
Why should we do that? Well, just as our instructors have impacted our view of the world, we shouldn't underestimate the change we can make in others' lives just by sharing our knowledge.

We can do that by volunteering. The good news is we have countless opportunities for you to do just that, from planting spartina, creating oyster reefs, staffing a table at an event, participating in a committee, joining a Bioblitz, becoming an "Ambassador" for the CCPRC, or sharing your expertise with a Think & Drink.

If you haven't spent your time volunteering at all, perhaps it's time for you to make that change. You never know the difference it might make to you and those you share with.

By the way, if you don't get the Roots magazine from the Conservancy of the Sea Islands, take a look at this link. The CMNA was integral in helping those folks make this Bioblitz happen, and invited the Charleston Natural History Society, and the South Carolina Native Plant Society to participate as well. Over half the volunteers that day were were Master Naturalists!
Roots