Native Plant Society of Texas

"Groundwater, Rainwater and Everything in Between", Cross Timbers Chapter Meeting, Weatherford, Tuesday 3/26/2024 at 6 p.m.
2024-03-26 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Are you ready to dive into the fascinating world of groundwater? The Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District will provide an update on our precious aquifers and resources in North Texas. As a special bonus, they will be sharing resources on native plants for our ecoregion, provide details on their water quality testing, geophysical logging, groundwater studies, the district’s well monitoring program, the water education trailer, and the annual rainwater harvesting grant program. Staff will be available afterwards for questions as well as rainwater contractor resources.

Jill Nicole Garcia is a professional geoscientist with the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. She has coordinated outreach events, educational initiatives, and grant programs at their Springtown office for the last three and a half years. Her education background includes graduation from Tarleton State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Geology, followed closely by her Master’s of Science in Geosciences with a concentration in Sedimentology & Stratigraphy from Texas Tech University. She recently had a special publication bulletin published by the Society for Sedimentary Geology on the tectonic history of the Ancestral Rocky Mountains. In her free time enjoys hiking and the outdoors with her husband Alexander and their two dogs.

Meeting Details:

Location: Mount Pleasant School, 213 Raymond George Way, Weatherford, Texas.

6:00 p.m. Chapter Business Meeting

6:30 p.m. “Groundwater, Rainwater and Everything in Between”, Jill Nicole Garcia, Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District

A Discussion of Arboretum San Antonio
2024-03-26 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
This will be a “hybrid” meeting, attend in-person or online.

In person: The Gathering Center at the Urban Ecology Center at Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 NW Military Hwy

Online: Please register in advance to attend via Zoom.

Presentation by Dr. Kelly Lyons and CEO Thomas CorserA Discussion of Arboretum San Antonio

The San Antonio Arboretum on the city’s southeast side is in the planning stages. Learn abut the plans and hopes for the project from CEO Tom Corser as well as Arboretum Advisor and SA Chapter member Dr. Kelly Lyons.

Dr. Kelly Lyons – Professor – Department of Biology, Trinity University Associate Editor – Invasive Plant Science and Management Director – Trinity McNair Scholars Program VP- Society for Ecological Restoration, TX Chapter

Thomas Corser CEO – Arboretum San Antonio

If you are attending in person, there is no need to register. However, if you are attending via Zoom, please register here before the meeting begins as late registration and entry will not be allowed. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Note: The Zoom meeting is limited to 100 viewers at any time. If our Zoom meeting participants exceed that number online, you may not be able to access the meeting live. We apologize for the inconvenience, but the meeting will be available within days after the meeting on our YouTube channel.

As of our March 2024 meeting, SAWS is no longer providing Watersaver points for Zoom attendees. If you would like to gain a Watersaver point for this lecture, you will need to attend in person and sign in on the SAWS Watersaver sheet.

Native Garden Workday
2024-03-28 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-04-10 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Texas Museum of Handmade Furniture, 1370 Churchill Drive, New Braunfels, Texas, 78130, United States
Please join us at the Texas Museum of Handmade Furniture to help maintain the Lindheimer Chapter’s native demonstration garden. Please bring water, closed toe shoes, gloves, and your favorite gardening tools. Contact Craig Bruska at craigbruska@hotmail.com for details and to confirm the workday.

Monarch Citizen Science Workshop (Boerne)
2024-03-28 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
Are you passionate about monarch butterflies and their conservation? Here’s your chance to make a meaningful impact as a Citizen Scientist! Join us for an exciting workshop that plays a vital role in the Tri-National monarch conservation efforts.

The National Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Stewards Program is hosting aCitizen Science Workshop on March 28th at the Cibolo Center for Conservation in Boerne, TX

Click the following link to register!: https://bit.ly/CitSciBTX

Key Topics Include…

Understanding and utilizing the Larvae Monitoring Protocol (MLMP)

Testing for the Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) protozoan parasite (Monarch Health)

Monarch tagging techniques for fall migration tracking

Collecting data on monarch sightings and reporting to esteemed organizations like Monarch Health Lab, Monarch Watch, and Journey North

Efficiently using iNaturalist and the Texas Nature Tracker as platforms for species identification and collecting specific monarch data

Clear Lake Chapter Plant Sale Committee Meeting
2024-03-28 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Plant Sale Committee meeting. Contact Chair Cheryl Barajas for information on joining the committee and/or Zoom meeting details.

Nature Journaling
2024-03-28 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
No art experience necessary.Riverside Nature Center 150 Franciso Lemos St. Kerrville, Texas

March Trinity Forks Business Meeting & Program – Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area
2024-03-28 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
6:30pm – Social time7:00pm – Zoom opens and meeting begins

Richard Freiheit is the Conservation Manager and Associate Director of the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area – LLELA. He has been at LLELA for nearly 20 years as an employee of UNT. In that time the projects at LLELA have grown in numbers, breadth and impact. In those 20 years thousands of volunteers have added their sweat to making LLELA the place it is today. Join us for a recap of those 20 years, see what is happening now and see a glimpse of where the future of LLELA could go!

We hope you can join our meeting in person at TWU’s Ann Stuart Science Complex. Campus parking is open after 6:00pm.

If you can’t join us in person, we invite you to our Zoom meeting.ZOOM PARTICIPANTS ONLY: Please Register in advance forthis meeting:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYodeCtrzoiE9LnBQR0XcOYymsF2Li5-B4G

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

This Wild Life: Heroines in the History of Botany - Mar. 29, Apr. 5, Apr. 12
2024-03-29 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Chicago)
Arizona State University

Instructor: Lucretia Weems Cost $42Sessions are on 3 days: Fridays, Mar. 29 & Apr. 5, Apr. 129:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. | Zoom

The women in these pages led amazing lives. Some encountered pirates, some witnessed historic earthquakes, some received visits from the Queen. Each was a true heroine who contributed dramatically to plant knowledge before the word botany even existed. Hundreds of years have passed, and their names have been largely forgotten. Here are the remarkable stories of their lives and work, that we may know them and that their stature be reclaimed and celebrated anew. This class will explore the courage, determination and intelligence throughout their endeavors that was too often barely acknowledged.

Native Plant Month
2024-04-01 08:00 - 2024-04-08 17:00 (America/Chicago)
During the month of April, people and organizations across the country can celebrate native plants in April by planting native trees, shrubs, perennials, vines and grasses, planning educational events with schools and community organizations, hosting hands-on workshops, removing non-native invasive plants so native plants can thrive, and restoring areas with native habitats to allow birds, bees, butterflies and all wildlife to flourish.

News Magazine Spring Publication - Apr 1
2024-04-01 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Members

Texas Native Plants is published quarterly and the digital version is distributed free to all Society members in current standing.

The digital version is also available in our online archive.

Print versions are mailed at no cost to Society members in current standing who select to receive a print copy when they join/renew.

Libraries & Educational Institutions

Libraries, educational institutions and other organizations may qualify to receive the publication for a $5 annual fee.

Contact the membership coordinator.

Habitat Workday @ EIH
2024-04-02 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-04-09 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
Habitat volunteers help weed and mulch flower beds, plant native plants, maintain pathways, and trim trees and bushes. Volunteers may also help clean out the pond on select work days.

No experience necessary—we’ll show you what goes and what stays

Bring your own tools or use ours (we have gloves too)

Don’t forget to bring a reusable water bottle, hat, and sunscreen!

Volunteers must be 18 or older to participate in EIH’s workdays unless prior arrangements have been made.

We do not hold workdays when the university is officially closed. Also, workdays are canceled during inclement weather, though a light sprinkle or drizzle rarely keeps us out of the garden. If you’re not sure, please call 281-283-3950 or 281-283-3045, and we’ll let you know if we’re digging in.

LocationEnvironmental Institute of Houston (Click link for Google Map)University of Houston-Clear LakeNorth Office Annex (NOA) 1 Building2700 Bay Area Blvd.Houston, TX 77058

April Leadership Meeting
2024-04-02 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
Chapter Leadership meeting: our officers will meet from 6pm – 7pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. Let me know and I will send you the meeting invitation.

Our Chapter Leadership consists of:

Roberto Gaitan – PresidentEva Ryan – Vice PresidentMaki House – TreasurerJames Grizzard – SecretaryDevin Johnston – Membership ChairRichard Blanton – Communications Chair

Anyone wishing to lead a program, champion a project, etc., please let me know. The more help the better our chapter will become.

rio-grande-valley-chapter@gmail.com

(Our virtual Leadership Meetings will be held monthly on the 1st Monday and begin at 6pm.)

Chapter Meeting at Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium April 2
2024-04-02 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Chapter Meeting at Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium – 6:00pm – Social Time; 6:45pm – Chapter Announcements, followed by the Speaker

Speaker: Stephen Zoeller. Mr. Zoeller earned Bachelor and Masters Degrees from Tarleton State University. His AgriLife career has included service in Atascosa, Medina, Blanco, and Kendall Counties. Including his children, five generations of Zoeller’s have called Kendall County home; so, the presentation will include a blend of academic knowledge and local-sourced information.

Topic: Soils of Kendall County

Collin County - April Chapter Meeting - Cultivating a Butterfly Haven
2024-04-02 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Our April 2nd chapter meeting will include a presentation by Melanie Schuchart on “Cultivating a Butterfly Haven with Native Plants of North Texas.” Our North Texas native plants can provide for butterflies year-round. But which native plants should you choose to attract a variety of butterflies and provide for the various butterfly life stages?

Melanie will discuss many of the native plants available to grow in our area to help provide sustenance and protection for butterflies, including some you probably know and some unusual ones that you might not. Spring is a great time to prepare your garden, and if you are looking for new plants, please make sure to check out the Heard Museum’s Native plant sale on April 12-14.

Our program opens at 6:30, then at 7:00, Rodney Thomas, our chapter president will have a short chapter update, followed by Melanie’s presentation. You can attend the hybrid meeting in person at the Heard Museum in McKinney or online via Zoom.https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88554596572?pwd=[REDACTED]

Melanie Schuchart is a long-time member of the Native Plant Society of Texas and began experimenting with planting natives at an early age. She is a Master Naturalist, a Master Entomologist, and loves documenting nature with iNaturalist. Melanie is also a volunteer at the Heard Museum and manages and trains the docents for the butterfly house. After being a long-time resident of Allen, she pursued her dream of living in the country by moving to Gunter and starting her own prairie on 2.6 acres to live closer to nature.

April NPSOT-Houston Board Meeting
2024-04-02 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
The Houston chapter is always looking for dedicated volunteers who are passionate about the native plant mission in their city. Join our team to participate in important habitat, outreach, and planning efforts the support our mission. Anyone is welcome to attend our board meetings on zoom. We would love to have you join one of our committees and start the fun and rewarding work that goes into our various projects.

We use Slack to organize and communicate. Please email us at nphouston1@gmail.com for the slack link.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83811004263?pwd=[REDACTED] monarch

Return to Houston Chapter Page

Go Native! Be Smart With What You Plant - Belinda McLaughlin
2024-04-03 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
Lakes and Pines Chapter Meeting – Topic: “Go Native! Be Smart With What You Plant” – Presented by Belinda McLaughlin

Native Garden Workday
2024-04-04 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country, 4831 FM2673, Canyon Lake, Texas, 78133, United States
Please join us at the Heritage Museum to help maintain the Lindheimer Chapter’s Demonstration Garden. Please bring water, closed toe shoes, gloves, and your favorite gardening tools. Contact Mickey Riviere at mr0752@gvtc.com or Peggy Haley at phaley@gt.rr.com to confirm the workday.

Betsy Marsh, Inspiring Children to Love Native Plants and Habitats, North Central Chapter Meeting
2024-04-04 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Inspiring Children to Love Native Plants and Habitats

Now more than ever, kids need nature and nature needs kids! Yet finding opportunities for children to connect with nature in a positive, meaningful way can be challenging on multiple levels. Join Betsy Marsh, local native plant enthusiast and youth educator with the Tarrant Regional Water District, to explore opportunities and techniques for reaching and inspiring the next generation of native plant champions.

As the Conservation Education Supervisor for the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD), Betsy Marsh creates and leads diverse education programs that inspire youth to value and care for water. A Fort Worth native, Texas prairies and woodlands stole her heart at a young age, and she’s been gardening and replacing turf with native plants for 20 years. She graduated from the University of Texas and the University of Michigan where she studied environmental management, natural resource policy, and environmental education. Prior to joining TRWD, she coordinated environmental education programs, created school gardens, and managed habitat restoration efforts for the City of Grapevine. She is a proud mom of three wonderful kids and loves to spend her free time gardening and exploring wild spaces.

Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Rose Room

3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas 76107

6:15 Socializing and snacks

6:30 Business meeting and announcements

The presentation will follow our business meeting.

This meeting is hybrid; in person with a virtual Zoom option.

Advance registration is required to receive the Zoom link: Zoom Registration
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Clear Lake Chapter Spring Plant Sale - April 5
2024-04-05 16:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Our spring plant sale is happening Friday, April 5, 2024, from 4–7 p.m. on the UHCL campus! Don’t forget to bring your wagon or cart.

Cash and credit cards accepted. Prices vary. Look for signs throughout the sale for pricing information.

New this yearRaffle: Enter for a chance to win a bluebird house or an owl box! These prizes are perfect for enhancing your backyard habitat and welcoming native wildlife into your garden.

Market: In addition to our amazing selection of native plants, we’ll be offering a variety of garden supplies and yard art to help you create the garden of your dreams.

Of course, our sale wouldn’t be complete without an abundance of native plants. We’ll have more than 70 species of plants! Check out our catalog below.

LocationEIH is located on the UHCL campus at 2700 Bay Area Blvd. Enter Entrance 2, take a left on Bayou Rd., and follow the signs to the NOA 1 Bldg. OR use Entrance 3 on Middlebrook Dr. and take a right into parking lot D4.

Get directions on Google Maps: bit.ly/getdirectionstoeih

April 6 - 8:00am-3:30pm - Native Landscape Certification Program, Level 1
2024-04-06 08:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
Native Landscape Certification Program, Level 1 – Introduction to Native Landscapes

April 6 – 8:00am-3:30pm – Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium

The class if full, but a waiting list is kept at registration: https://www.npsot.org/our-work/class-schedule/

Williamson County Chapter Plant Sale April 6
2024-04-06 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
See all the details on our page => NPSOT-Wilco’s Spring 2024 Native Plant Sale

The Not-Moths of Moth Night - Hybrid Clear Lake Chapter Meeting
2024-04-08 18:15 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Please join us for our chapter meeting in person or online!

6:15 Doors Opens – UHCL Bayou Building, Room 25246:40 Zoom Opens6:45 Business Meeting6:55 Plant of the Month7:00 Guest Speaker8:00 Mothing at UHCL

Rich Sommer will discuss “mothing” and some of the interesting species he has encountered. While Rich loves a hike hunting for insects, an easy way to find specimens is using a UV light to attract them at night. Engaging in regular “moth nights” at locations such as Exploration Green and Deer Park Prairie, Rich actively introduces others to the world of mothing at venues like Buffalo Bayou and Memorial Park. Interested in boosting your observation and species count for the City Nature Challenge? Consider mothing in your own backyard, as these “moth nights” attract a diverse array of night-flying insects. He will also talk about the upcoming City Nature Challenge, an event he eagerly anticipates each year. Notably, he was the Houston region’s top observer the last two years. Furthermore, he will highlight the role of iNaturalist, an integral tool in his mothing pursuits.

Following the meeting, attendees are encouraged to participate in a hands-on mothing experience. Rich and his team will have moth stations set up with UV lights and will provide assistance with viewing and identifying the specimens for up to an hour after the meeting.

About the Speaker

Rich Sommer began volunteering at Exploration Green nearly 10 years ago, with little knowledge about native plants. Through his involvement with Exploration Green, NPSOT, the Texas Master Naturalist program, and iNaturalist, he gained a deep understanding of the importance of native plants to the ecosystem. He joined NPSOT around 2016, the Exploration Green Board of Directors in 2018, and the Gulf Coast TMN chapter in spring 2021. Over time, he started noticing the insects in his flower and bird photographs. As his knowledge expanded, he became fascinated by their life cycles and their complex relationships with plants, mammals, and other insects. Rich finds parasitic wasps and insect galls particularly intriguing.

In-person – Parking Pass Required

Parking passes required. If you have a pass, don’t forget it – you will not get another one if you picked one up previously. DO NOT park in faculty/staff parking (tickets will be issued). Martha Richeson will be passing out parking passes Monday evening. Watch for her bright blinking vest on the sidewalk between the Bayou Building and the pay station near the Recreation Center. If you miss out on the NPSOT parking passes, you will need to buy a parking pass from the pay station.

Map and Directions – The meeting will be held in Room 2524 of the Bayou Building at UHCL.

University of Houston-Clear Lake2700 Bay Area Blvd.Houston, TX 77058

Online – Zoom

Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

This is a FREE EVENT. Meetings are open to members and non-members. If you would like to become a member, you may join online. For more information about the Native Plant Society of Texas and the benefits of membership please visit: npsot.org.

Hosted by the Environmental Institute of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Pines and Prairies NLCP Committee Meeting
2024-04-08 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Dear NLCP Committee Members,

This Monday begins our first meeting of 2024. We will meet at 7:00pm on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month on this Zoom link:

https://npsot-org.zoom.us/j/87628189964?pwd=[REDACTED]

We’re a small committee, and we don’t get to see each other in person very often, so please plan to join with your camera on.

See you Monday!

—

Jay Gowen, NLCP Chair, Pines and Prairies Chapter, 832-513-5785 (cell)

Chapter Meeting - Cancelled due to Eclipse
2024-04-09 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)

NPSOT Website Committee
2024-04-09 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Open to any members who help manage content on their chapter or committee website.No registration required.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 897 7771 6314Passcode: [REDACTED]

Executive Committee Meeting - Apr 10
2024-04-10 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago)
Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) Executive Committee meetings occur monthly and any member may attend. Contact the Executive Director prior to the meeting at state@npsot.org for Zoom and applicable document links. Please be prepared to follow the Visitor’s Executive Meeting Protocol.

NPAT Zoom Series – Climate, Water, Science and Society in 21st Century Texas - A Historical Perspective - April 11
2024-04-11 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
From our partners at the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT). How will climate change impact Texas and the native prairie and savanna ecosystems? How do we plan restorations to be sustainable in 2050? Do we need to change our land management practices? The NPAT Fayette Prairie Chapter will host a year-long series of presentations to explore climate change and the implications for the Fayette Prairie ecosystem. Beginning with the climate models, this series will examine the forecasts within a historical context, then focus upon water resources, management practices, projected changes in tallgrass prairies and soil microbial structure, and end with restoration paradigms in a changing world.

This session will be presented by Jay Banner, Dept. of Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of Texas – Austin.

Drought-Tolerant Native Plants: Nothing Works Like Natives - Williamson County Chapter Meeting, April 11
2024-04-11 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
[4/14 Replaced handout link, handout was updated. 4/3 Event updated to add link to handout]

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, April 11, 2024, when our featured topic will be “Drought-Tolerant Native Plants: Nothing Works Like Natives” with Randy Pensabene. Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM. Our guest speaker’s presentation begins after a short business meeting.

NEW Randy has provided a handout ==> (link updated Apr 14) click this link to download the handout.

About our speaker: Randy Pensabene is past president of the Native Plant Society of Texas, Williamson County Chapter, and is involved in the chapter’s native plant garden projects and native plant sales. She has also converted her yard from the typical hedges and non-natives to a beautiful low-water, National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat using Texas native plants. She enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for our Texas native plants and teaching others about their beauty, drought-tolerance, and benefits.

NOTE: this month’s in-person location is the Georgetown Public Library, 2nd floor, 402 West 8th St, Georgetown, TX 78626.

The original meeting announcement is here on the Williamson County Chapter’s blog page.
