Native Plant Society of Texas

Texas Native Plant Art Exhibition Moves to Denton Public Libraries
2024-03-02 09:00 - 2024-03-31 18:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
We want everyone to know that the Texas Native Plant Art Exhibition has moved to three Denton Libraries for the month of March.

Library Addresses

South Branch – 3228 Teasley LaneEmily Fowler – 502 Oakland StreetNorth Branch – 3020 North Locust Street

Native Garden Workday
2024-03-13 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-03-28 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.

Aquatic Habitat Management on Private Land - March 13 TPWD Webinar
2024-03-13 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Brittany Chesser with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

More information coming soon.

Register for this virtual event here.

Drop by Drop: The Impact of Small Changes with Jessica Woods - Williamson County Chapter Meeting, March 14
2024-03-14 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, March 14, 2024, when our featured topic will be “Drop by Drop: The Impact of Small Changes” with Jessica Woods, City of Round Rock Water Conservation Coordinator. Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM. Our guest speaker’s presentation begins after a short business meeting.

About our topic: During warm weather, a large amount water is used outdoors on lawns and landscapes and much of it is wasted. With Central Texas still experiencing drought and low lake levels, we want to prevent water waste. This presentation will cover the current drought conditions and several steps homeowners can do to effectively use water. Conservation programs the City of Round Rock offers will also be covered.

About our speaker: Jessica Woods has worked as the City of Round Rock’s Water Conservation Program Coordinator since 2009. She manages all aspects of the growing city’s conservation program, drought outreach, and education efforts on a tight budget. Jessica earned a Master’s of Applied Geography degree from Southwest Texas State University. She’s the Texas Section AWWA Conservation and Reuse Division Chair and a certified Master Naturalist. She enjoys spending time outdoors, attempting to garden, and lounging around water with a good book and cold drink!

NOTE: this month’s in-person location is the Round Rock Public Library, 200 E Liberty Ave, Round Rock, TX 78664.

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

Lake Mineral Wells State Park Pollinator Garden Work Day, Volunteer Opportunity, Cross Timbers Chapter, Mineral Wells, Saturday, 3/16/2024 at 10 a.m.
2024-03-16 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
🌿 Calling All Native Plant Enthusiasts! 🌿 Be a Pollinator Protector! 🐝🌸

Join us for a morning of volunteer magic at Lake Mineral Wells State Park. 🌼✨

You can help maintain the pollinator garden at Lake Mineral Wells State Park! 🌼🦋 This wonderful community effort supports our local ecosystems and provides habitat to facilitate the important work of pollinators. This garden provides educational information to visitors and is utilized by the park staff to explain the importance of native plants and their benefits.

Here are some suggestions on clothing and what to bring:

Work Clothing: Wear comfortable work clothing appropriate for the weather. Layers are great for adjusting to changing conditions.

Gloves: If you have gardening gloves, bring them along. They’ll protect your hands while working with plants and soil.

Gardening Tools: If you own any gardening tools, such as nippers, shovels, spades, pitchforks, or wheelbarrows, feel free to bring them. Buckets and brooms are also useful. These tools can be incredibly helpful for various tasks.

Water: Stay hydrated! Bring a water bottle to keep yourself refreshed during the work.

Hat: A hat with a wide brim provides shade for your face, neck, and ears, protecting you from direct sunlight. It helps prevent sunburn and reduces the risk of skin damage caused by UV radiation. In case of cooler weather, wear a hat to keep warm.

Additional Details:

If the temperature is below 40°F or if it’s raining, the workday will be canceled.

For any specific questions or further information, you can reach out to Cindy Crump at cindyleecrump@gmail.com.

For these months, here are some details of plans

March: Clearing dead materials and cutting back dead stems

April: Mulching the beds and hunting for natives in the park to transplant to the garden

Location:

Lake Mineral Wells State Park, 100 Park Road 71, Mineral Wells, Texas.

Before entering the park gates, take a left into the administration building parking lot.

No entry fee required.

Meeting Point:

Meet at the garden located near the administration building entrance (before paying at the gate).

Let’s come together and contribute to the beauty and health of our local environment! 🌿🌸

"Spring Fling at Chandor Gardens" Volunteer Opportunity, Cross Timbers Chapter, Weatherford, Saturday, 3/16/2024
2024-03-16 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Volunteers Needed

Are you passionate about native plants and their importance? Do you enjoy sharing knowledge with others? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

Volunteers are needed to staff our Cross Timbers Chapter booth at the Spring Fling. As part of our mission, we aim to educate the community about native plants and their significance. By volunteering at our booth, you’ll have the chance to share information about our chapter and promote the value of native plants. Bonus: Free admission to the event if you volunteer at least 2 hours.

About “Spring Fling at Chandor Gardens”

🌷We’re ready to fling into spring at Chandor Gardens! Join us for a bloomin’ good time at our Spring Fling on March 16th from 11 am to 3 pm! 🌼 Talented artists will take center stage, showcasing, demonstrating, and selling their one-of-a-kind arts and crafts! 🎨 The vibes will be as lively as the colors of the flowers, with live music and delicious food! Bring your friends and family for a beautiful day at Chandor Gardens! 🌸 Admission — Adults: $5; Kids 12 and under: Free

To Volunteer

Please contact Christie Tull at 817-307-9307 or greenwoodfarminc@aol.com and let her know your availability. She has arranged a shady spot for our booth this year.

Collin County Master Gardener Show
2024-03-16 10:00 - 2024-03-17 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Be sure to save the dates of March 16 and 17th for the Collin County Master Gardener Show. The annual show is held at Myers Park in McKinney. More information is available on the website.https://ccmgatx.org/events/the-garden-show/

Beaumont Chapter Meeting
2024-03-18 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Tyrell Park, 6088 Babe Zaharias Drive, Beaumont, Texas, 77705
Join us for our monthly chapter meetings. You do not need to be a member to attend. We meet the 3rd Monday of each month.

Meeting Location: Tyrrell Park – 6088 Babe Zaharias Drive, Beaumont, TX 77705

We meet in the Binks Horticultural Center in the Beaumont Botanical Gardens area of the park.

NPSOT Dallas March 18, 2024 meeting with Dusty Rhoads: "Prairie in Your Pocket - How Folks Can Restore the Texas Horned Lizard with Native Plants”
2024-03-18 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Many folks remember seeing Horned Lizards (aka “Horny Toads”) in bygone decades, including here in Dallas. This talk explores how everyday Texans can use native plants to link, increase, improve, and create populations, habitat, & food webs for the prosperity and “comeback” of the Texas Horned Lizard.

Read more….

ZOOM our monthly meetings at: https://npsot.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f20269a37974d8413fc79c831&id=12aa33f97f&e=d2e8f28b23 If needed, use: Meeting ID: 837 2523 6133 / Passcode: [REDACTED]

Habitat Workday @ EIH
2024-03-19 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-03-26 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Texas
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

Plant Propagation Class
2024-03-19 10:30 - 12:30 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Join us for a plant propagation class at EIH. Learn how to propagate by cuttings and by seed. A UHCL parking permit is necessary.

March 19, Tuesday10:30 am – 12:30 pm

LocationNorth Office Annex 1 (NOA 1) Training RoomEnvironmental Institute of Houston (Click the link for Google Maps)University of Houston-Clear Lake2700 Bay Area Blvd.Houston, TX 77058

Austin Chapter Meeting - Hello Invasives! Goodbye Texas! - March 19
2024-03-19 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
“What harm can there be in planting one plant in my backyard? Just because it has Japanese, Chinese, Asian, Italian or Mediterranean in its name it will be OK, won’t it?” they ask.

It’s easy to think that the plants we cultivate in our landscapes don’t have much impact on our environment, but they do! Learn what makes plants invasive, the damage they can cause, and some easy ways to avoid these problems if you choose appropriate native plants that like to grow in our crazy weather and difficult soil—or lack thereof!

Deedy Wright is a life-long Texas gardener. Her particular interests are native plants and invasive plants. She has been an active member of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) since 1996. She has completed multiple native plant courses at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center and Texas A&M, and the Texas Invaders training on invasive plants.

In addition Deedy was a certified Master Gardener for 15 years in Bexar and Guadalupe counties, with specialist training in propagation and vegetable gardening.

A retired secondary language arts and social studies teacher, Deedy has taught adult continuing education classes on various gardening topics in the San Antonio area.

Here is a list of resources and native alternatives to invasive that Deedy provided.

This is a virtual meeting using Zoom. Please register in advance for this meeting: https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rcOuhrjIsHdAacA24SXf3wI1pm42kvmkg

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

Virtual Chapter Leader Forum, 03/21/24: Website Plant Database - Tools for Your Native Plant Sale!
2024-03-21 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Topic: Website Plant Database – Tools for your Native Plant Sale!

Description:

This forum is co-hosted by Claire Sorenson and Craig Dalton:

Claire will discuss and demonstrate the native plant database and how to complete the form in order to add plants to the database. Craig will discuss and demonstrate what tools are available on the NPSOT website to help facilitate chapter plant sales, including how to add a plant sale page to a chapter website and how to select the plants from the database.

Presenters:

Craig Dalton and Claire Sorenson, Austin Chapter

When: Thursday, March 21, 2024 (Third Thursday) 12 – 1 pm

Zoom Registration Link:

https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIofuChpzMqGNUxtIoDNs2ZRj9MpmeA9C24

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

Chapter Leader Forums provide a place for discussion and questions regarding NPSOT state and chapter issues. Let’s share ideas and support one another in growing the organization and supporting the mission!

Pines and Prairies March Chapter Meeting
2024-03-21 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Join other Pines and Prairies members to swap plants and spring garden stories.

Business: Sign for a committee, suggest chapter activities, meet President Bob Dailey to talk about chapter business!

Speaker: Jay Gowen, “Landscaping with Native Volunteers”

(In-person only this month)

Restoring Riparian Buffers Throughout The City of Houston - March 21
2024-03-21 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Photo Courtesy of Cassidy Kempf

Riparian buffers, or the forests along our bayou systems, are critically important for water quality and wildlife habitat. However, many of these forests have been removed or degraded throughout Houston’s development. Through the City of Houston’s Riparian Restoration Initiative, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department is working to restore riparian buffers in every park that is adjacent to a bayou or waterway – reaching over 70 parks in the process. Since 2017, over 25 riparian buffers have already been restored through this initiative. Join us to hear about the methods they used, their lessons learned, and the importance of these riparian buffers.

About the Speaker – Cassidy Kempf

Cassidy Kempf has worked for the last four years in the Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s Natural Resources Division. As Habitat Restoration Manager, Cassidy oversees both prairie and riparian habitat restoration projects throughout the City’s park system. She has also contributed to environmental planning and policy efforts including the Nature Preserve Ordinance and the upcoming departmental Water Management Plan. Prior to employment with the City, Cassidy worked for the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Galveston Bay Estuary Program. She has a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Policy Studies from Rice University.

Our monthly chapter meetings are held on every 3rd Thursday, January – November. Our meetings are free and open to the public thanks to our members and sponsors.

Join us in person at 7:00 pm! Come at 6:45 pm for a meet and greet with snacks.

Houston Arboretum and Nature Center

610 Entrance (preferred)120 W Loop N FwyHouston, TX 77024

Woodway Entrance4501 Woodway DriveHouston, TX 77024

Meetings will also be live-streamed and recorded for later viewing.

Return to Houston Chapter Page

YMBL South Texas State Fair - Champions For Nature
2024-03-23 08:00 - 2024-03-24 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Join us at the YMBL South Texas State Fair – Champions For Nature

Location: 7250 Wespark Beaumont, Texas 77705

McKinney Falls Bastard Cabbage Pulling
2024-03-23 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
We have an opportunity to help eradicate Bastard Cabbage at McKinney Falls State Park this Saturday, March 23 from 9-12am. If you’d like to help rid the park of this invasive species please email Marisa Fushille at mfushille@gmail.com

Gardening with Natives
2024-03-23 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Part of the Wise County Horticultural Club event “A Garden Affair,” Wise County Fairgrounds, Women’s Building, 3101 FM 51, Decatur

Adding native plants to your landscape can support out local pollinators and other critters, improve your soil and reduce your maintenance and costs. Come let Lynda Harvey, Denton County Master Gardener and member of the Native Plant Society of Texas offer some ideas and tips for success.

Outreach: Bloom & Buzz
2024-03-24 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Texas
Don’t miss out on all the blooming excitement at Galveston’s Own Farmers Market on Sunday!

Score a free native plant starter courtesy of the wildflower queen Sasha Francis and Galveston Bay Foundation

Learn about birding and other fun outdoor activities with the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council

Discover tips to get your garden ready for spring with Clear Lake Chapter – Native Plant Society of Texas & San Jacinto Community Garden

Learn about how you can become part of GOFM’s Backyard Growers Cooperative

LocationGalveston’s Own Farmers Market3304 MarketGalveston, TX 77550

Chapter Meeting - Ruthanne Schulte - How to make a drip irrigation system
2024-03-25 17:45 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
Meeting at the New Braunfels Public Library meeting room.
Social 5:45 pm, Business 6:15 pm, Program at 6:30 pmZoom link and passcode in January newsletter and on website.

2024-03-25 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
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)

"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) | Texas
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) | Texas
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.

Monarch Citizen Science Workshop (Boerne)
2024-03-28 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Texas
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) | Texas
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) | Texas
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) | Texas
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) | Texas
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.
