Virtual spring symposium open for registration

**ARCHIVED POST **

Our spring symposium will be a virtual event on March 13 in collaboration with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. There will be seven presentations  teaching the benefits of native plants for maintaining biodiversity and attracting local wildlife.

The format will be a little different this year. There will be a morning session with three speakers on riparian topics. Each will speak for thirty minutes and then there will be a Q and A session in a panel format. The afternoon session will follow a similar format with three speakers on pollinators and demonstration gardens.  In addition there will be a lunch-time session with Dr Leslie Bush talking about edible native plants, including some preparation ideas.

Cost of the all-day event is $20 for members of either the Native Plant Society of Texas or the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The cost for non-members is $30. All sessions will be over Zoom. You must register in advance, and instructions on how to attend will be sent along with your confirmation.

[su_button url=”https://npsot.123signup.com/event/details/kxmpv” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#E29229″ color=”#000000″ size=”5″ icon=”icon: hand-o-up” icon_color=”#000000″]Overview[/su_button]                            [su_button url=”https://www.123signup.com/register?id=kxmpv” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#E29229″ color=”#000000″ size=”5″ icon=”icon: hand-o-up” icon_color=”#000000″]Register[/su_button]


Schedule 

Session 1 (10:00 – 11:30 am)
Craig Hensley, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) – Native Plants in Riparian Areas
Fouad Jaber, Ph.D., P.E. – Geomorphological Forces Shaping Riparian Habitats
Michael Eason – History and Botanical Tour of the Rio Grande
Session 1 Panel Discussion, Questions and Answers (11:30 am – 12:00 pm)

Break (12:00 – 12:20 pm)
Lunch Program (12:20 – 1:00 pm) Leslie Bush, Native Edibles and How to Cook Them

Session 2 (1:00 – 2:30 pm)
Carol Leonardi Clark – Monarch Waystations and Bring Back the Monarch (BBMT)  Garden Grants
Lauren Jansen Simpson – Pollinators in an Urban Home Habitat
Andrea DeLong Amaya – Tour of Demonstration Gardens at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 
Session 2 Panel Discussion, Questions and Answers (2:30 – 3:00 pm)

Closing Remarks (3:00 – 3:15 pm)

**ARCHIVED POST**

**ARCHIVED POST LINKS & PICTURES MAY NOT WORK**

**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason