Native Plant Society of Texas
Houston Chapter 2007 Programs

 

Location:   Meetings are held at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, 4501 Woodway.

Time:  7:00 pm to 8:45 pm third Thursdays Feb.-Nov. , Program at 7:30 pm

 

Thursday, January 18

  Speakers Eric Ruckstuhl, "Native Plant Restoration" and Linda Knowles, "Plant Propagation"

 

Thursday, February 15

  Speaker Flo Hannah, "Native Grasses of the Upper Texas Coast"

 

Thursday, March 15

  Speaker Dennis Jones, "Historical Perspective on the Gulf Coast Texas Prairie" 

 

Thursday, April 19 -  Earth Day Celebration

  Speaker Farrar Stockton, "Nectar and Host Plants for Local Moths and Butterflies"

 

Thursday, May 17 
  Fritz Westover, "
Texas Viticulture"

 

Thursday, June 21 -
 
Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, TX.
Bobby Crabb, "Cacti of the Llano Uplift" 

 

Thursday, July 19 - AT TRACY GEE COMMUNITY CENTER
 
Tracy Gee Community Center 3599 Westcenter Drive Houston, Texas 77042
 Speaker Jaime Gonzalez, "Plants of the Katy Prairie"

 

Thursday, August 16 - Houston Arboretum & Nature Center
  Speaker Mark Kramer,  "Burning the Prairie"

 

Thursday, September 20
  Speaker Carolyn Fannon  "The Quiet Beauty of Our Coastal Prairie"

 

Thursday, October 18
  Houston Wilderness “Plans for Houston’s Wilderness Trails

 

Thursday, November 15
  Annual Native Plant & Seed Swap and Social

 

Thursday, January 18

Eric Ruckstuhl "Native Plant Restoration Efforts" and Linda Knowles, "Plant Propagation" One time meeting at Bayland Community Center at 6400 Bissonnet, 2 blocks west of Hillcroft.  Eric Ruckstuhl will give an overview of his native plant restoration programs and Linda Knowles will give a program on Plant Propagation, with Examples.


Thursday, February 15,
Speaker Flo Hannah, "Native Grasses of the
Upper Texas Coast"
 

Flo Hannah, Sanctuary Steward for the Houston Audubon Society 
www.houstonaudubon.org, will give an overview of the coastal prairie
native to our region.

Texas was once 3/4 prairies, however, 99.99 percent of
Texas Tallgrass
Prairies has been lost http://texasprairie.org. Flo will present a
visual explanation of grass botanical terms, examples of our local
native grasses, and a brief explanation of how to use a grass key.

Join us to learn more about
Texas grasses, essential components of our
local ecosystem.
 
Thursday, March 15,
Speaker Dennis Jones, "Historical Perspective on the Plants of the Gulf
Coast Texas Prairie" 


Dennis Jones, Assistant Superintendent Park Manager at Brazos Bend
State Park www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/brazos/, leads resource management
projects in prairie and wetland restoration, conservation and
restoration of the park. Dennis will discuss how the prairie looked
when the first settlers came through this area and he will give us a
mental picture of how the
Gulf Coast prairie appeared in the 1800's.

Please join us to learn more about the natural history of our local
ecosystem.
 
Thursday, April 19,
Native Plant Society of Texas - Houston Chapter Earth Day Celebration
Speaker Farrar Stockton, "Nectar and Host Plants for Local Moths and
Butterflies"


Farrar Stockton, a member of the North American Butterfly Association,
Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas  (www.best-naba.org), will
talk about the host plants for some of our favorite moths and
butterflies, and discuss the life cycles of some of these insects.
Farrar may bring live caterpillars or butterflies for viewing.

Before the meeting, we will have a brief Earth Day Ceremony, including
refreshments and special doorprizes.
 
Thursday, May 17,  
Fritz Westover, "Texas Viticulture"

Fritz Westover, who recently transferred to Houston,
is a Viticulture Research - Extension Service Associate for the
Harris County office of the Texas Cooperative Extension, 
http://harris-tx.tamu.edu/

15 species of native grapes grow wild in Texas and the native Pierce's
disease is a big problem for commercial grape growers. 

Please join us to learn more about
Texas grapevines and to welcome Fritz
to the
Houston area.
 
Thursday, June 21, Meeting location: Bayland Community Center, at 6400 Bissonnet, 2 blocks west of Hillcroft.
Speaker Bobby Crabb, "Cacti of the Llano Uplift" 

Bobby Crabb is an expert on
Texas Cactus. He is an affiliate member of
the
Kerrville Cactus Society and has recently worked to restore the
Wharton County Historical Museum Cactus Garden. Granite domes and
cliffs, some of the oldest rocks in
Texas from deep in the earth's
mantle, form the Llano Uplift, which is surrounded by the
Edwards
Plateau
and includes Enchanted rock.

Come to learn about the unusual cacti of this Texas Hill Country
ecosystem.
 
Thursday, July 19, Meeting location: Tracy Gee Community Center, 3955 Westcenter Drive (just east of Beltway 8, West side of Houston)
Speaker Jaime Gonzalez, "Plants of the Katy Prairie"

Jaime Gonzalez, Community Education Coordinator at the Katy Prairie
Conservancy, will discuss the plants of the Katy Prairie. The Katy
Prairie Conservancy was created in 1992 with a mission is to preserve,
protect, and enhance critical and sustainable portions of the Katy
Prairie ecosystem.  www.katyprairie.org/
 
Thursday, August 16,
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center.
Speaker Mark Kramer,  "Burning the Prairie"

Mark Kramer, Stewardship Coordinator for Armand Bayou Nature Center &
Preserve www.abnc.org/, will discuss restoration efforts at this unique,
valuable ecosystem that covers a total of 2800 acres (Preserve = 300
acres; Nature Center = 2500 acres). This ecosystem is of high
ecological and socioeconomic value to the area and is located
southeastern
Harris County, along Armand Bayou.

Join us to learn about using fire to restore native grasses and forbs.
 
Thursday, September 20,
Speaker Carolyn Fannon  "The Quiet Beauty of Our Coastal Prairie"

A published photographer, Carolyn Fannon has been photographing a high
quality tallgrass prairie for the past 10 years. Her presentation will
include both slides and digital images. Carolyn is a member of the
Native Plant Society of
Texas - Houston Chapter and Native Prairies
Association of
Texas. View Carolyn's photographs at the University of
Houston
's Coastal Center website.
www.eih.uh.edu/coastalcenter/photo_gallery/
 
Thursday, October 18,
Houston Wilderness: Nature Trails in the Houston Area

 

A representative from Houston Wilderness, either Rosie Zamora or Victoria Herrin, will discuss Houston Wilderness, biodiversity in the Houston area and efforts to create wilderness nature trails. More info at: http://www.houstonwilderness.org/default.asp?Mode=DirectoryDisplay&id148

www.houstonwilderness.org Come and hear more about Houston’s natural areas!
 
Thursday, November 15
Annual Native Plant & Seed Swap and Social

Join us for a special celebration that includes a delicious buffet and
our annual (extremely brief) elections. We will have a quick
discussion about Land Trusts and their importance to preservation of
natural areas around
Houston. Bring native plant seeds or native plants,
or simply join us for the celebration; we'll have extra seeds and plants
to share.
 
Thursday, December 13 (second Thursday)
Annual Holiday Gathering at Kim Son Restaurant, 2001 Jefferson, 7 pm.
RSVP to DKnowlesPE@aol.com, 281-558-3710 Bring seeds to share and/or canned goods for donation to a local food pantry. Hope to see you there!