NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF TEXAS
Kerrville Chapter

Website:  www.npsot.org/kerrville

March 2007

 NATIVES ON THE GROW

Dedicated to the understanding, preservation and enjoyment of the native flora of the Hill Country

The Kerrville Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas holds monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the month (September through June) at Riverside Nature Center, 150 Francisco Lemos St. in Kerrville.  These meetings are free and open to the public

 Noted Botanist to Speak

Bill Carr, botanist with Nature Conservancy of Texas, will provide the program at the NPSOT, Kerrville Chapter meeting on Tuesday March 6 at 2:00 p.m...  He will discuss Nature Conservancy’s Diamond Y Spring Preserve that is located 8-12 miles north of Fort Stockton.

Diamond Y Spring Preserve has 3,962 acres which includes Diamond Y Spring, its associated water course and desert marshland (cienega).  It is located in the middle of arid grassland and sparsely vegetated limestone mesa country of the Stockton Plateau.  Diamond Y Spring Preserve protects one of the largest and last remaining cienega systems in West Texas.  This preserve provides critically important habitat for four globally rare plants, two species of rare desert fishes listed as federally threatened and a large number of rare aquatic invertebrates.  All of these organisms depend upon the maintenance and continuation of this surface spring for life.

Bill Carr, a graduate of Ohio State University, has studied the flora of Texas for more than 25 years.  For the past 10 years, he has been a botanist with the Nature Conservancy of Texas and has statewide duties relating to rare species, vegetation monitoring and inventories of potential preserves and conservation easements.   Bill will tell the fascinating story of Diamond Y Spring and the rarities that live there.  He will also discuss the flora of the uplands surrounding the spring.

Visitation to Diamond Y Spring is limited to scheduled and arranged visits through the Nature Conservancy.  Our president Sandra Magee has visited this Preserve and indicated it was outstanding.

As usual, the Tuesday March 6 meeting will begin at 2:00 p.m.at Riverside Nature Center.  Everyone is welcome to attend this meeting so ask your friends and acquaintances to come.

 Important reminder: Please bring native plants for the drawing. Thus is really fun when we have a large number of plants.

Not sure it’s a native……Bring for discussion and PPID( Positive Plant Identification)

Nominating Committee for 2007-08 Officers

Members of the nominating committee for next year’s board members are Barbara Lowenthal, Sandra Magee, and Priscilla Stanley.  The committee will present the proposed slate of officers at the April chapter meeting, and the election will be held at the May meeting.  If you are interested in serving on the board, please contact any of the committee members. 

Earth Day Activities and Native Plant Sale

This year’s Earth Day and Native Plant Sale will be held at Riverside Nature Center on Saturday, April 21, 2007.  The theme for this year’s event is “Water: Our Future – One Drop at a Time”.  Speakers and displays will cover topics including Hill Country water sources, conservation, rainwater collection systems, and much more. 

The plant sale is a joint fundraiser for our Kerrville NPSOT chapter and the Riverside Nature Center.  This is the chapter’s only fundraiser for the year, and we need your help to make it a success.  Look for sign-up sheets at the chapter meeting.  Watch for more details at upcoming chapter meetings and in future newsletters.

Really Special!

The Kerrville Chapter of the NPSOT was honored to have 10 guests at the last meeting. We’re so glad you were here and hope you enjoyed it and learned a lot. Please come and join us.

Looking ahead

Other Kerrville Chapter Programs Planned for 2007

April & May        Fabulous Field Trips & More

 Additional Opportunities

 Don’t’ Forget!

The Library Garden Project Is Back in Business

The Kerrville Chapter of the Native Plant Society has accepted the responsibility for its development and maintenance.  Members meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 9:00 to spend an hour or two to keep this garden looking great. 

Date:  Second Wednesday of each month

Time: 9:00-1:00 depending upon amount of work to be done

Place: Meet at Library Garden

Helpful hints about membership dues

Membership dues cannot be accepted locally.  They must be sent to the State Office which is now in Fredericksburg at the following address.

Native Plant Society of Texas
P.O. Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

The membership form is available at chapter meetings and the NPSOT website www.npsot.org.

When completing the form please indicate the Kerrville chapter name because our chapter gets refunded a portion of the dues for our chapter expenses.

If you are renewing your membership, please send your renewal to the address above and include your membership ID to ensure we credit the correct account.
Also include any address, phone or email changes.
(You will find your membership ID printed on the mailing label of the state newsletter.)

Membership Categories and Annual Dues:

 Benefits of Joining the Native Plant Society of Texas

Goals:

    To educate both its members and the general public and to foster a greater awareness and understanding of our native flora;
    To preserve rare and endangered species and their habitats;
    To encourage landscaping with appropriate native plants, for their beauty, ease of maintenance, and water-conserving qualities;
    To protect, conserve and restore native plants threatened by development;
    To encourage the responsible propagation of native plants;
    To promote an appreciation and understanding of current, historical and potential uses of native plants.

A number of folks renewed their memberships this month. Many thanks to all.

See membership information above.

 Please support our sponsors!