Chapter Meeting Information

When?: The Williamson County chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00pm until 9:00pm (unless otherwise noted in the meeting information).
Where?: Georgetown Public Library in the 2nd floor meeting room
402 W. 8th Street
Georgetown, Texas 78626
512-930-3627
More?: Meetings are open to the public and visitors are always welcome. Subscribe to the NPSOT-WilliamsonCounty-announce mailing list to receive meeting and event notices. Contact the chapter president for more information. See the Past Meetings and Events page for past meeting information. Minutes for some Chapter and Board meetings are also available.

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Click on links for details.

January Chapter Meeting: Jim Rogers. Thursday, January 14, 2010, 7:00pm-9:00pm at the Georgetown Public Library. The Williamson County Parks and Recreation Director will talk on planned developments in our county park and preserve system.

January Field Trip: NW Williamson County Park Survey. Saturday, January 23, 2010, 1:00 - 3:30 PM. The Winter Plant Survey at the county park under development near Liberty Hill.

February Chapter Meeting: Jill Nokes. Thursday, February 11, 2010, 7:00pm-9:00pm at the Georgetown Public Library. The noted author will will speak on her book Yard Art and Handmade Places: Extraordinary Expressions of Home.

February Field Trip: Baker Sanctuary. Saturday, February 27, 2010, 1:00 - 3:30 PM. A joint hike with the Travis County NPSOT Chapter through the Travis Audibon Society Baker Sanctuary near Leander.

March Field Trip: Twin Springs Preserve. Saturday, March 20, 2010, 1:00 - 3:30 PM. A guided hike through the county preserve near Georgetown.

April Field Trip: NW Williamson County Park Survey. Sunday, April 18, 2010, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM. The Spring Plant Survey at the county park under development near Liberty Hill.

May Field Trip: Georgetown Pecan Company Orchard. Saturday, May 1, 2010, 9:00 - 11:00 AM. Dennis and Marilyn Perz will demonstrate how to operate a sustainable orchard.

July Field Trip: NW Williamson County Park Survey. Saturday, July 24, 2010, 8:00 - 10:30 AM. The Summer Plant Survey at the county park under development near Liberty Hill.

Meeting and Event Details

January Chapter Meeting: Jim Rogers

Thursday, January 14, 2010, 7:00pm-9:00pm at the Georgetown Public Library. Little over a decade ago, there were no parks operated by Williamson County. Today, there is a substantial system of parks and preserves spanning the area, with large tracts in the northwestern and eastern parts of the county still in the planning stages. Jim Rogers, Director of the county Parks and Recreation Department will discuss the present and future of this system, with emphasis on how native plants and NPSOT fit in.

January Field Trip: NW Williamson County Park Survey

Saturday, January 23, 2010, 1:00 - 3:30 PM.

In 2010, our NPSOT chapter will be preparing a plant list for approximately one third of Williamson County's 1,011-acre future Northwest Regional Park, and this will be our first quarterly survey. This former ranch has been left fallow for several years, allowing many of the native plant species to flourish. We should have mostly easy walking through a savannah-like habitat - meadows, rolling hills, and scattered groups of trees and shrubs. Please plan on arriving by 12:45 PM - the front gate will be re-locked shortly after 1:00 PM. Wear sunscreen, closed-toe shoes, and a hat, and bring your field guides, water, and a snack. Note that there are no restroom facilities on the property. No reservation is required, but you can contact Kathy McCormack (VEFL21 at yahoo.com, (c) 698-9880) if you have any questions.

Directions:

From Georgetown, go west on Hwy 29 toward Seward Junction (intersection of Hwy 29 & Hwy 183).
Continuing west on Hwy 29, go 2.2 miles to the third traffic light and turn left onto FM 1869.
Go 1.8 miles, and after going over the South Fork of the San Gabriel River, turn left onto CR 282.
Go 1.7 miles and turn left at the gate in the fence.
After the gate is re-locked, we will go 1.0 more mile on an unimproved ranch road to the old ranch house. High-clearance vehicles would be helpful, but are not required.

February Chapter Meeting: Jill Nokes

Thursday, February 11, 2009, 7:00pm-9:00pm at the Georgetown Public Library.

Jill Nokes is a landscape designer and author living in Austin, Texas. Her educational background includes a bachelor of arts degree in the Plan II Honors program at the University of Texas, and a master's of science degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University in 1977. JillÕs studies in graduate school focused primarily on the propagation and uses of native plants; an area of horticulture that until that time had been largely overlooked. Her first book, How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest, published in a revised edition by the University of Texas Press in 2001, records the knowledge of several generations of plant experts and growers. Some consider it a classic reference text that has been influential in increasing awareness of the value of native plants in both vernacular and built landscapes. Jill is currently shifting the focus of her practice from residential design to public open space projects and land management consulting to owners of rural property who desire to become good stewards and improve the overall ecological health of their land. She will speak on her most recent book Yard Art and Handmade Places: Extraordinary Expressions of Home.

February Field Trip: Baker Sanctuary

Saturday, February 27, 2010, 1:00 - 3:30 PM.

It will be a quiet time of year for flora and fauna, but the NPSOT Williamson County and Austin chapters will get to know each other better as they hike a portion of the Travis Audubon Society (TAS) Baker Sanctuary. This Sanctuary, which has over seven miles of trails across 690 acres, was established to protect the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler (http://www.travisaudubon.org/new_baker.html), and it is part of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP). Please plan on arriving by 12:45 PM. Wear sunscreen, closed-toe shoes, and a hat, and bring your field guides, water, and a snack; a walking stick may be helpful, if you have one (there are a few rocky slopes in some areas). There is a port-a-pottie next to the parking lot. Registration is not required, but you can contact Kathy McCormack (VEFL21 at yahoo.com, (c) 698-9880) if you have any questions.

Directions from Georgetown:

From the Hwy 183/FM 1431 intersection in Cedar Park, go 1.7 miles west on FM 1431 and turn left at the 4th light onto Anderson Mill Road.
Go 1.6 miles south on Anderson Mill Road and turn right onto Lime Creek Road. You will see a brown sign for Sandy Creek Park Boat Ramp and a green sign for Village of Volante just before Lime Creek Road.
Go 0.7 miles southwest on Lime Creek Road and turn left into the TAS Baker Sanctuary parking lot (mailbox 12219).

Directions from Austin:

Take Hwy 183 north to the Anderson Mill road exit.
Turn left and go west on Anderson Mill Road.
Continue on Anderson Mill Road for 3.3 miles past the intersection with Hwy 620. You will go through three stop signs and then three lights.
Turn left onto Lime Creek Road. You will see a green sign for Village of Volante and a brown sign for Sandy Creek Park Boat Ramp just before Lime Creek Road.
Go 0.7 miles southwest on Lime Creek Road and turn left into the TAS Baker Sanctuary parking lot (mailbox 12219).

March Field Trip: Twin Springs Preserve

Saturday, March 20, 2010, 1:00 - 3:30 PM.

Join us for an easy walk at the end of Spring Break. We will be guided through this new, limited access, 145-acre preserve. The area protects three endangered species (plus one species which is a candidate for listing as endangered) and we may see or hear one of these - the Golden-cheeked Warbler - along with the spring collection of native plants in this mix of Edwards Plateau and Cross Timbers habitat. Please plan on arriving by 12:45 PM, as we will leave the parking lot promptly at 1:00 PM. Wear sunscreen, closed-toe shoes, and a hat, and bring your field guides, water, and a snack. Note that there are no restroom facilities on the property. No reservation is required, but you can contact Kathy McCormack (VEFL21 at yahoo.com, (c) 698-9880) if you have any questions.

Directions:

From IH-35 in Georgetown, take Exit 261A (RM 2338, Lake Georgetown, Andice).
Go west on Williams Dr for approximately five miles to the traffic light at DB Wood Dr / Shell Rd.
Turn left onto DB Wood Dr, then right into the HEB parking lot for carpooling to the preserve.

April Field Trip: NW Williamson County Park Survey

Sunday, April 18, 2010, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM.

In 2010, our NPSOT chapter will be preparing a plant list for approximately one third of Williamson County's 1,011-acre future Northwest Regional Park, and this will be our first quarterly survey. This former ranch has been left fallow for several years, allowing many of the native plant species to flourish. We should have mostly easy walking through a savannah-like habitat - meadows, rolling hills, and scattered groups of trees and shrubs. Please plan on arriving by 9:45 AM - the front gate will be re-locked shortly after 10:00 AM. Wear sunscreen, closed-toe shoes, and a hat, and bring your field guides, water, and a snack. Note that there are no restroom facilities on the property. No reservation is required, but you can contact Kathy McCormack (VEFL21 at yahoo.com, (c) 698-9880) if you have any questions.

Directions:

From Georgetown, go west on Hwy 29 toward Seward Junction (intersection of Hwy 29 & Hwy 183).
Continuing west on Hwy 29, go 2.2 miles to the third traffic light and turn left onto FM 1869.
Go 1.8 miles, and after going over the South Fork of the San Gabriel River, turn left onto CR 282.
Go 1.7 miles and turn left at the gate in the fence.
After the gate is re-locked, we will go 1.0 more mile on an unimproved ranch road to the old ranch house. High-clearance vehicles would be helpful, but are not required.

May Field Trip: Georgetown Pecan Company Orchard

Saturday, May 1, 2010, 9:00 - 11:00 AM.

Dennis and Marilyn Perz will provide us with a short tour of their 25-acre sustainably managed pecan orchard of five pecan varieties - Desirable, Cheyenne, Choctaw, Kiowa, and Mohawk. We will learn how they improved the fertility of their orchard using organic methods with a special emphasis on the soil microbiology. They use neither synthetic fertilizers nor synthetic pesticides. We will learn about the management activities in support of the pecan growing cycle and activities that take place during the off-season. They will discuss fertility and soil building strategies, show us the equipment used, grafting methods, etc. Note that restrooms are not available at the orchard.

Directions from Georgetown:

Take Exit 266 from IH-35 northbound. (Alternatively, you can take Austin Avenue northbound out of Georgetown past the high school and the SH 130 toll road intersection.)
Stay on the frontage road past the traffic light at SH 195, go one quarter mile, and turn right onto CR 150.
The orchard is about a mile down CR 150 on the right.

More information can be obtained by emailing gqpecans@thegateway.net or by calling 512-864-3828.

July Field Trip: NW Williamson County Park Survey

Saturday, July 24, 2010, 8:00 - 10:30 AM.

In 2010, our NPSOT chapter will be preparing a plant list for approximately one third of Williamson County's 1,011-acre future Northwest Regional Park, and this will be our first quarterly survey. This former ranch has been left fallow for several years, allowing many of the native plant species to flourish. We should have mostly easy walking through a savannah-like habitat - meadows, rolling hills, and scattered groups of trees and shrubs. Please plan on arriving by 7:45 AM - the front gate will be re-locked shortly after 8:00 AM. Wear sunscreen, closed-toe shoes, and a hat, and bring your field guides, water, and a snack. Note that there are no restroom facilities on the property. No reservation is required, but you can contact Kathy McCormack (VEFL21 at yahoo.com, (c) 698-9880) if you have any questions.

Directions:

From Georgetown, go west on Hwy 29 toward Seward Junction (intersection of Hwy 29 & Hwy 183).
Continuing west on Hwy 29, go 2.2 miles to the third traffic light and turn left onto FM 1869.
Go 1.8 miles, and after going over the South Fork of the San Gabriel River, turn left onto CR 282.
Go 1.7 miles and turn left at the gate in the fence.
After the gate is re-locked, we will go 1.0 more mile on an unimproved ranch road to the old ranch house. High-clearance vehicles would be helpful, but are not required.