Boerne NPSOT Chapter Activity Report - 2008

General

• Meetings - September to June at the Cibolo Nature Center (CNC), eight educational and two social.
• Membership: 91.
• Average attendance: 50-60.
• Speaker appreciation was shown by dinner prior to meeting and a book donation in his/her honor to local library.
• At Christmas, non-perishable foods were donated to Hill Country Family Services.
• A monthly NICE!™ plant raffle was a fun way to bring in donations.
• Themes for year were outreach and collaboration with other groups.

Activities noted as (TMN) were approved for Texas Master Naturalist credit.

Education

• Meetings featured speakers on various topics - rare plants, soils, landscape design, monarch butterflies. In January, several speakers shared their memories of Carroll Abbott, a NPSOT founder. Patric Abbott sold original copies of Abbott's book "How to Know and Grow Texas Wildflowers". (TMN)
• Nature Boxes - Kathy Ward co-chairs new program with CNC. Chapter and members donated $300 in cash or "in kind" for two boxes which include lessons about trees, leaves, wildflowers and seeds. Lesson aligned with TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) and teacher trainings provided.
• Kathy Ward and Mary Kennedy presented a teacher workshop on science fair projects utilizing native plants at the SAWS "Water: A Living Lesson" conference at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU).

Outreach

• NICE! program - Plant-of-the-month is promoted through newspaper articles, chapter newsletter, and posters at participating nurseries. Care instructions written by members are available at nurseries and on our website. We received official documents for the NICE! logo trademark, which is registered to the State NPSOT organization.
• Bigtooth Maples for Boerne - Over 100 maple trees awarded. Priority for planting near hiking trails and entry corridors. Applicants received instruction on care and watering. Lende Foundation awarded $80,000 for next eight years and beyond with interest earned. New sponsors include Boerne Chamber of Commerce and Boerne Convention and Visitors Bureau. Chuck Janzow shared his germination methods and donated 340 seedlings for members to grow. Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine (Jan. 08) featured a story about Baxter Adams and BT Maples for Boerne. (TMN)
• "Sign on Harvest Moon" - Major outreach event, co-chaired by Judi Martin and Rebecca Rogers. Featured popular authors and artists whose works focus on native plants. Evening included book and art sales and signings, food and beverages, silent auction, and free plant raffle. Ticket sales, donations, and sponsorships covered expenses. Great success, with attendance about 150, including many community leaders. Proceeds to fund CNC Demonstration Garden.
• Members advised City of Boerne staff on brush/tree removal at City Lake Dam; helped fourth-grade G/T class identify plants and select materials for native plant/butterfly garden; led butterfly studies for elementary classes; promoted native plants at community events (Outdoor Family Fair at CNC, UTSA Earth Day observance, and SAWS "Water: A Living Lesson Conference" at OLLU); and created a plant list for a church-owned property in anticipation of future development.

Example

• Demonstration gardens at CNC - Ongoing project funded by Boerne Chapter. Chaired by Betty Dunn, many hours are devoted to planting, watering, and maintaining the gardens, in cooperation with CNC staff and volunteers. (TMN)
• Tour of Yards - Fall 2007 Tour drew 200-300 people and showcased ten yards with native and adapted landscaping. Funded by local business sponsorships. Gift certificates awarded by random drawing from evaluation surveys. (TMN)
• Members created an "instant" butterfly and hummingbird demonstration garden at CNC's Mostly Native Plant Sale.

Fundraisers and Grants

• CNC's Mostly Native Plant Sale, chaired by Betty Dunn. New growers' group helped supply over 75 species of native and adapted plants. We exceeded all previous sales. Proceeds to fund pump for the CNC's rainwater collection system.
• Wal-Mart matching grant, newsletter sponsorships, employer matching grant from Capital Group Companies.

Field trips

• Fifteen members visited Knox Miller's property on Diversion Lake below Medina Lake Dam, where vegetation communities of the South Texas Plains and Edwards Plateau converge.

Communication

• Newspaper - Bill Ward's bi-monthly column, "Native Grown", features NICE! plant-of-the-month and a variety of native-plant-related topics. Additional articles and photographs are submitted for special events and speakers.
• Chapter website and monthly newsletter provide information about meetings, activities, articles and plant lists. Patty Leslie Pasztor and Janis Merritt generously offered their butterfly and hummingbird plant lists for posting on our website.

State level

• 2007 Symposium - Suzanne Young received President's Award and Bill Ward received Benny J. Simpson Fellows Award.
• Bill and Kathy Ward serve as Co-Vice-Presidents Education on State NPSOT Board.
• Boerne Chapter will sponsor a field trip at the 2008 State Symposium in Beaumont.