Amy Martin’s first journalism award was bestowed at the young age of 22 by Ned and his group Texas Committee on Natural Resources. She credits him for her start in journalism. The Ned and Genie Fritz Texas Buckeye Trail in the Great Trinity Forest in Dallas is a chapter in Amy’s book for Timber Press, Wild DFW: Explore the Amazing Nature around Dallas-Fort Worth, based on a walk there with Kristi Kerr Leonard and one of the Fritzs’ daughter, Eileen Fritz McKee. Kristi is leading a team of naturalists in reclaiming the trails from encroachment by invasive privet. Kristi and Amy have long-standing ties to Genie and Eileen.
They realized that information on Ned was lapsing online and becoming hard to find. Sites with in-depth material were primarily appealing to researchers. His legacy was in danger of slipping away. So they sprang into action, making plans for a website of curated, concise, and enjoyable to read material, with interesting photos and possibly videos, and interviews and tributes from colleagues and family.
Amy and Kristi are honored to have the support and enthusiasm of Genie, Eileen, and family. Read more here. The group hopes you’ll become as enthusiastic about the project as they are. The more funds raised, the more in-depth and inspirational the website can be.
The team and Fritz family feels that it’s important to make an online biography rather than a print book for purchase, so that anyone regardless of income will be able to learn about Ned and Genie’s lives. Also, no trees will be sacrificed for a website, which suits a project about such a famed forest defender.
