I suspect you will agree with us that we would like hold onto those things that make the quality of life in this country so great. Let's keep our beautiful waterways, much like this one on the Blanco River in Hays County shown at left.

We are a small group, some are professional botanists, but most are individuals with similar interests, that of preserving this beautiful land. We think one way of doing this is to use and encourage the use of native plants at every opportunity. We are well aware of the threat to our native wildlife due to habitat loss as well as the threat to our fresh water resources. It is well known that native plants are necessary for wildlife habitat. It is also known that native plants do not require as much water as some of the exotics. Consider the case of the Monarch Butterfly. It's survival depends on the milkweed. Just another reason we like weeds. So, what are some of the threats to our wildlife and water supply? Let's just consider a couple! According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Website, after habitat destruction, invasive species are the second greatest threat to biodiversity. They threaten the survival of native plants and animals. Some, like the Tamerisk, also use huge quantities of water. Many of our beautiful canyons and waterways have been inundated with these. They have crowded out the native plants with a resulting loss of wildlife. The photo at left is of a canyon in Utah where everything but the Tamerisk (Salt Cedar) have been crowded out. Another culprit is the Chinese Tallow, preferred by many for landscapes. I have read that there are several thousand acres along the Texas Gulf Coast consisting of nothing but Chinese Tallows, Everything else has been crowded out. These along with the Tamerisk were brought to this country for their ornamental value.