May 9 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Date and Time: May 9, 2026 @9:00am
Meeting Location: Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, 4208 TX-327, Silsbee, TX 77656 (approximately 2 hours from Houston)
Things To Bring: This will be a full-day field trip with multiple stops, extended time outdoors, and very limited access to food or services, so participants should plan accordingly. We will be walking both on and off trail through prairies, forested wetlands, savannas, and saturated soils. Sturdy boots or closed-toe shoes are strongly recommended, and waterproof footwear or extra socks may be welcome additions. Because there are wetland areas, expect the possibility of ankle to calf-deep water. Participation in such adventures is, of course, at your own risk… though highly encouraged.
Field Trip Overview: The first stop of the day will be the Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary,
managed by The Nature Conservancy and located within the Big Thicket region of southeast Texas. This site protects one of the last remaining longleaf pine ecosystems in the state and encompasses an exceptional mosaic of upland pinelands, sand prairies, cypress sloughs, and bottomland hardwood forests underlain by deep, sandy, nutrient poor soils. Participants will observe how fire-dependent longleaf pine communities are maintained through prescribed burning, and how soil texture, drainage, and disturbance interact to sustain open-canopy systems with remarkably high plant diversity relative to surrounding landscapes.
Our second stop will focus on the Sundew Trail within the Hickory Creek Savannah Unit of Big Thicket National Preserve. This short but ecologically dense trail traverses a wetland pine savanna developed over clay hardpan soils that trap surface water seasonally, creating alternating flood and drought conditions inhospitable to most woody species. These nutrient-poor settings support carnivorous plants such as sundews (Drosera spp.) and pitcher plants, along with orchids, sedges, and grasses adapted to extreme edaphic stress. Discussion here will emphasize how soil chemistry and hydrology—not active management alone—can maintain open prairielike conditions within an otherwise forested region.
The third stop will be the Watson Rare Native Plant Preserve, a small but botanically significant site
established by Geraldine Watson to conserve representative Big Thicket plant communities in close
proximity. Despite its limited acreage, the preserve contains an extraordinary diversity of native flora, including orchids, ferns, carnivorous plants, and cacti, supported by fine scale variation in soils and microtopography. This site offers a contrast between highly intentional preservation, volunteer led stewardship, and more passive conservation approaches observed earlier in the day.
Across all three stops, participants will consider how different management frameworks—private
conservation, federal preservation, and small nonprofit stewardship—shape restoration goals, allowable interventions, and long term ecological trajectories. Comparisons among sites will highlight the role of fire, hydrology, soil texture, and disturbance legacies in structuring plant communities, as well as the challenges of conserving early successional and prairie like systems within humid, woody-encroached landscapes.
In addition to plant identification, the field trip will emphasize transferable concepts relevant to restoration and applied ecology, including selecting species based on anticipated postdisturbance conditions, leveraging edaphic constraints to maintain diversity, and designing adaptive management strategies that align with site-specific limitations and conservation missions. Collectively, these sites demonstrate how some of the most diverse systems in Texas persist not through uniform management, but through a combination of soil-driven resilience, historical disturbance, and carefully calibrated human intervention.
Leader Bio: Andy Newman is a restoration ecologist, botanist, and longtime advocate for Texas native plant communities based in Houston. With more than 17 years of experience working across prairies, wetlands, forests, and riparian systems, Andy brings a sciencebased yet deeply observant approach to understanding landscapes. His work is rooted in careful attention to plant communities, ecological processes, and the stories written into the land by water, soils, disturbance, and time. Whether in the field or sharing knowledge with others, Andy emphasizes curiosity, observation, and respect for the complexity of natural systems.
As Vice President of the Native Plant Society of Texas – Houston Chapter, Andy is dedicated to
strengthening connections between people and the native landscapes of the Gulf Coast. He is an active speaker, mentor, and field educator, often blending science with creativity through nature journaling, scientific illustration, and art. These practices shape how he observes and communicates the natural world, helping make ecology more accessible and meaningful to diverse audiences. Andy looks forward to supporting the chapter’s mission through education, conservation, and thoughtfulstewardship—fostering a deeper appreciation for native plants and the ecosystems they sustain.
Additional Coordination Details: Please contact Bob Romero for any further coordination details at
bobromero@gmail.com or by phone at (713) 248-6030.
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