Special to the Valley Morning Star by Anita Westervelt

SAN BENITO, Texas – Valley native Frank Wiseman was honored Tuesday for achieving a significant milestone of 5,000 volunteer hours in the Rio Grande Valley Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist organization.

In recognition, Wiseman received a special state Texas Master Naturalist 5,000-hour service pin: a gold dragonfly with a diamond. The dragonfly is the official Texas Master Naturalist trademark.

In a presentation honoring Wiseman’s achievements, he was lauded for his leadership and expertise as an educator, community speaker, mentor and native habitat advocate. Wiseman has served in officer positions and as a board member since the chapter’s inception.

Wiseman was one of a dozen local men and women who began clearing thorn scrub in Harlingen’s Hugh Ramsey Nature Park 16 years ago. The team designed and maintained native plant specialty gardens along the walking trails in the park which led to the group establishing the first Texas Master Naturalist chapter in the Valley in 2002.

As a Texas Master Naturalist, Wiseman is noted for his creativity in preparing and presenting public presentations as well as for his years of volunteer hours spent clearing and revegetating Hugh Ramsey Nature Park.

“Initially, it took more than eight years to establish the park as a true nature preserve, introducing only Valley native plants,” Wiseman said. “Many plants were rescued from land slated for development. At last count, we have around 200 different native species showcased in the park.”

Wiseman currently is passing on his native habitat knowledge to a younger crew of Texas Master Naturalist volunteers each Thursday morning throughout the year. Under his tutorship, volunteers continue to design and maintain native gardens around the park’s Ebony Loop and guide plant walks twice a month, free to the public.

As a member of the organization, Wiseman has combined his long-time appreciation for plants with his passion for teaching. A 1950 graduate of La Feria High School, Wiseman then earned a degree in language arts from the University of Texas at Austin and later, master’s degrees in guidance and counseling from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and a master’s in education from the University of Texas-Pan American.

Much of Wiseman’s professional career as a language teacher and counselor was spent overseas teaching in the U.S. military school system. He taught in Lyford prior to retiring to Harlingen. He is a veteran, having served in the United States Army.

Texas Master Naturalist is an educational program of the Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Sea Grant and the Texas Parks and Wildlife with chapters throughout the state. Agent Tony Reisinger and Ranger Javier de Leon are the Rio Grande Valley sponsors.

The Texas Master Naturalist organization is made up of volunteers with diverse interests who are involved in myriad activities to help educate others about the Valley’s unique native habitat. Chapter members volunteer with more than 60 local partners that include federal and local wildlife parks, coastal naturalist programs, cities, schools, and other public entities.

Visit www.rgvctmn.org for a list of monthly speakers, gallery of member-written articles s, list of Valley native plant growers, membership and scholarship information and a list of Hugh Ramsey Nature Park guided tour dates.