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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Native Plant Society of Texas
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260427T000000
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DTSTAMP:20260612T221951
CREATED:20260507T165016Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T165019Z
UID:10007490-1777248000-1778457599@www.npsot.org
SUMMARY:iNaturalist City Nature Challenge 2026 Identification Period
DESCRIPTION:Wrapping up City Nature Challenge 2026:  your help is needed! \n\n\n\nWhile the time is past for making observations\, there is still time for identifying observations! \n\n\n\nJOIN THE NPSOT CIVIC PROJECT AND START IDENTIFYING OBSERVATIONS! \n\n\n\nFirst\, did you make I-Naturalist observations between April 24 and April 27 as part of the City Nature Challenge 2026:  San Antonio Metro Area (CNC-SA)?  If so\, do you know that in addition to joining the CNC-SA project\, you can also join the NPSOT civic project?  This is part of a competition among metro area civic groups.  If you join the NPSOT project before May 10 at 11:59 pm\, your observations will not only be credited to CNC-SA\, but also to the NPSOT civic project (as well as to any Team\, Corporate\, Community or Campus project that you have joined).   \n\n\n\nTo join the NPSOT civic project\, see  Civic -NPSOT project.  From your cell\, make sure you are signed into your I-Naturalist account\, go to your projects\, search for the NPSOT civic project 2026\, and click “join” in upper right corner of screen. To see the competing civic projects in our area\, go to the Civic umbrella group.  \n\n\n\nRemember\, you have until May 10 at 11:59 pm to join the NPSOT civic project 2026 and to make additional I-Naturalist entries for observations done between April 24 and 27.  Note:  If you already joined another civic project (e.g. AAMN or SARA River Warriors)\, remember that it is best to register for only one civic project if you want the entries to count towards a group’s competition totals.  If you join multiple civic projects\, your observations will show on all projects\, but will not be counted towards the competition. \n\n\n\nAll of the NPSOT chapters in the approved  San Antonio Metro Area (12 counties) are grouped together in the NPSOT civic project.  So if you know folks in other NPSOT chapters in these counties\, please encourage them to join the NPSOT civic project as well! \n\n\n\nSecond\, CNC-SA organizers could really use the support of NPSOT members in identifying CNC observations (especially plants).   Even if you weren’t able to make observations during the event\, you can still contribute by helping with identifications. Even out-of-state members can review and ID observations from our area\, and those contributions count toward our CNC efforts.  There are several identification (ID) parties happening this week\, with a few more still being finalized and not yet on the schedule.  Look for scheduled events here: Link \n\n\n\nJOIN THE NPSOT CIVIC PROJECT AND START IDENTIFYING OBSERVATIONS!
URL:https://www.npsot.org/event/inaturalist-city-nature-challenge-2026-identification-period/
CATEGORIES:Field Trip,Social Event,Virtual,Volunteer Opportunity
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T100000
DTSTAMP:20260612T221951
CREATED:20260305T035009Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T231527Z
UID:10006544-1778313600-1778320800@www.npsot.org
SUMMARY:Palo Pinto Mountains Sate Park Native Plant Bed Workday\, Volunteer Opportunity\, Cross Timbers Chapter\, Strawn\, TX\, Saturday\, 05/09/2026 at 8 a.m.
DESCRIPTION:Spruce Up Days\n\n\n\n\n\nEvery 2nd Saturday we are planning to meet at the PPMSP Headquarters to spruce up the plant beds. \n\n\n\nBring buckets\, shovels\, hand trowels\, rakes\, gloves\, and sun protection. Please clean them (Master Gardeners wipe them down with bleach) before heading to the park to keep the spread of disease down. \n\n\n\nNext Date: Saturday\, May 9th \n\n\n\nTime: 10am – 12 pm \n\n\n\nAddress: 100 Park Road #77\, Strawn\, TX 76475 \n\n\n\nContact Cheyna Kaspar with questions: cnpsot.vp@gmail.comOr Laura Sharp lmckee20@icloud.com
URL:https://www.npsot.org/event/palo-pinto-mountains-sate-park-native-plant-bed-workday-volunteer-opportunity-cross-timbers-chapter-strawn-tx-saturday-05-09-2026-at-10-a-m/
CATEGORIES:Volunteer Opportunity,Workday
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.npsot.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Palo-Pinto-1.avif
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T120000
DTSTAMP:20260612T221951
CREATED:20251223T220303Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251223T220304Z
UID:10005370-1778317200-1778328000@www.npsot.org
SUMMARY:Boerne: Second Saturday Workday at Cibolo Nature Center Demonstration Gardens
DESCRIPTION:Generally every second Saturday of the month from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm is our monthly workday in the demonstration gardens at the Cibolo Nature Center. Typical activities include planting\, weeding\, nurturing\, mulching\, caging\, etc. \n\n\n\nBring your favorite garden tools\, gloves\, sun and insect protection\, and water to drink. \n\n\n\nLearn planting techniques from an experienced native gardeners. Learn to identify native plants\, the environmental niches they normally occupy\, their use by wildlife\, and their placement in landscapes to provide a pleasing vista. Help maintain our two demonstration gardens so we can continue to educate and promote native plants to our Hill Country friends! \n\n\n\nAlso\, note that this “Second Saturday Workday” is approved as a Master Naturalist Volunteer Activity. \n\n\n\nWe maintain two demonstration gardens at the Cibolo Nature Center.   \n\n\n\nThe first demonstration garden is located by the main parking lot area\, and includes the central island and raised beds bordering the parking area. This garden is also where we teach students how to identify plants in the Native Landscape Certification Program classes. \n\n\n\nThe second demonstration garden at the Cibolo Nature Center is referred to as Bill’s Garden\, in honor of Chapter founder and garden designer\, Bill Ward.  It is located in the shaded area between the Auditorium and Administrative buildings at the Cibolo Nature Center. \n\n\n\nJoin the fun loving group that helps the CNC and NPSOT demonstrate the use of native plants in gardens! \n\n\n\nFor more information contact Veronica Hawk at veronica.hawk@gmail.com.
URL:https://www.npsot.org/event/second-saturday-workday-at-cibolo-nature-center-demonstration-gardens-2/2026-05-09/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T160000
DTSTAMP:20260612T221951
CREATED:20260212T021841Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T022037Z
UID:10006402-1778317200-1778342400@www.npsot.org
SUMMARY:Information Booth
DESCRIPTION:Visit our information booth at the Denton County Master Gardener Garden tour.  \n\n\n\nMore info to come.
URL:https://www.npsot.org/event/information-booth/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.npsot.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NPSOT_Barbara-Beane_Fall-Into-Gardening_2022_0917-jpg.webp
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T160000
DTSTAMP:20260612T221951
CREATED:20260311T024933Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260508T132236Z
UID:10006549-1778317200-1778342400@www.npsot.org
SUMMARY:CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER!  Field Trip (Carpooling Coordination Required): Big Thicket National Preserve
DESCRIPTION:Date and Time: May 9\, 2026 @9:00am – This event is cancelled due to weather!  \n\n\n\nMeeting Location: Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary\, 4208 TX-327\, Silsbee\, TX 77656 (approximately 2 hours from Houston) \n\n\n\nThings 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. \n\n\n\nField 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. \n\n\n\nOur 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. \n\n\n\nThe third stop will be the Watson Rare Native Plant Preserve\, a small but botanically significant siteestablished by Geraldine Watson to conserve representative Big Thicket plant communities in closeproximity. 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. \n\n\n\nAcross all three stops\, participants will consider how different management frameworks—privateconservation\, 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. \n\n\n\nIn 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. \n\n\n\nLeader 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. \n\n\n\nAs Vice President of the Native Plant Society of Texas – Houston Chapter\, Andy is dedicated tostrengthening 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. \n\n\n\nAdditional Coordination Details: Please contact Bob Romero for any further coordination details atbobromero@gmail.com or by phone at (713) 248-6030. \n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Houston Chapter Page
URL:https://www.npsot.org/event/extended-field-trip-carpooling-coordination-required-big-thicket-field-trip/
CATEGORIES:Field Trip
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260509T140000
DTSTAMP:20260612T221951
CREATED:20260214T183420Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T233448Z
UID:10006416-1778320800-1778335200@www.npsot.org
SUMMARY:Sorelle Farms Spring Festival
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://www.npsot.org/event/may-16-sorelle-farms-spring-festival/
CATEGORIES:Workshops and Classes
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.npsot.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sorelle-Farms-Spring-Festival-Adopt-A-Native-Plant.avif
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