Mary Pearl Meuth
As program coordinator for the Texas Master Naturalist Program, TMN, Mary Pearl Meuth’s impacts extend far beyond her administrative responsibilities of event planning and coordination, human relations, curriculum development, operational protocols, and financial management. She builds communities of conservation practice that nurture Texas’ native landscapes and the individuals who comprise TMN chapters across the state.
“Educating the public and extending the reach of our department’s mission by creating and empowering individuals and communities focused on conservation drives me,” Meuth said. “Seeing people come together with a shared mission and values and find purpose through the program is an amazing experience.”
Established in 1998 as a partnership between the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the TMN Program is the first naturalist program of its kind in the nation to be implemented on a statewide scale. It has served as the model for other states seeking to harness the power of volunteers for the benefit of natural resources.
Meuth joined the TMN Program in 2014. Since then, she has guided the program through significant milestones and accomplishments.
Most recently, TMN was named a 2025 Conservation Wrangler by Texan By Nature, recognizing its outstanding, science-based conservation efforts with demonstrated positive impacts for Texans and the state’s natural resources.
With this designation, TMN will receive 12-18 months of tailored support from the Texan by Nature team. This includes program management, strategic planning, marketing strategy, metrics capture and analysis, including the production of a Return on Conservation Index for select projects, and more.
In 2016, Meuth helped establish the Texas Master Naturalist Endowment to develop ongoing program capacity and funding.
“We want to sustainably invest back into our chapters by giving them project awards, resource dollars and more,” she said.
In 2023, the TMN Program celebrated its 25th anniversary. Meuth said this celebration of program history and past accomplishments greatly inspired her vision for the future.
“We’re currently working through the strategic planning process,” she said. “It really invigorates my mind to think of all the ways we can use our experiences and accomplishments to chart the path for the next 25 years.”
In addition to her role with the TMN Program, Meuth holds leadership roles across other conservation-focused organizations, including the Texas Wildlife Association, the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Ranching and Wildlife Committee.
