Habitat Workday @ EIH
2025-02-25 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-03-04 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

NPSOT President Ricky Linex Interview with Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller on RFD-TV - Tue Feb 25
2025-02-25 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller discovers the beauty and benefits of native plants to Texas with NPSOT President Ricky Linex.

Find how to watch RFD-TV in your area at https://www.rfdtv.com/find-us-on-tv

Sid Miller

Ricky Linex

Owls - Working the Night Shift, Cross Timbers Chapter Meeting (Weatherford)- Tuesday 2/25/2025
2025-02-25 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
We are excited to have Michael Perez, Natural Scientist Supervisor at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge joining us again for February’s meeting! His presentation OWLS – Working the Night Shift, will take us on a dive into the natural history of owls by discussing their adaptations and learning about owls in our area and their interaction with native flora.

Michael is a graduate of Texas A&M University where he received a BS in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences. Michael also has a M. Ed. from Tarleton State University in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Instructional Technology. At the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FWNC&R), he has been the Natural Scientist Supervisor for the last 9.5 years. The previous 8 years he has served as a Naturalist. Prior to assuming his career for the FWNC&R, Michael has worked with many agencies such as Universities (the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Georgia-Athens), a Non-Profit environmental organization (HawkWatch International out of Salt Lake City, UT), and for the State of Georgia in the Department of Natural Resources. Michael’s area of interest is birds. When he is not working, you can find him hiking along a path looking and listening.

Meeting Details:

6:00pm Chapter Business Meeting

6:30pm Monthly Feature Presentation

This educational event is open to the public.

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

6:00 p.m. Chapter Business Meeting and Update on Native Plant Sale

6:30 p.m. Native plant swap

Let’s Get Growing - Fredericksburg chapter meeting
2025-02-25 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us February 25 in person or with YouTube channel to learn to propagate plants with Jonathan Watt, president of the local chapter’s Board of Directors. Committed to people planting native plants, he will speak about propagating your own native plants to use in your landscape. Watt’s presentation will include everything from seed collection, cleaning, stratifying, sowing, and transplanting, to the general care of young plants. Pictures of his materials in the set-up he uses will help us plan our own adventure in propagation. We meet at St. Joseph’s Halle, 212 W San Antonio St. in Fredericksburg.

Austin Chapter Meeting - Get to know Austin chapter members - Feb 25
2025-02-25 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Lakewood Clubhouse, 7317 Lakewood Dr., Austin, Texas, 78750, United States
This will be a hybrid meeting, with both in-person and virtual options. The in-person location is Lakewood Clubhouse (off 360) location at 7317 Lakewood Drive, Austin, TX 78750. If the parking lot is full, you can park along the street on both sides. Socializing starts at 6:30, and the meeting begins at 7:00pm.

This month’s speaker is… you!

This month, we are inviting members to share their favorite plants, plant photos and stories with others as a fun way to really get to know each other and what our Chapter does. Here are some ideas of what you could share:

Pick a favorite plant and share a photo and a little information about it.* (See details below!)

Have you been a long time member of NPSOT? Tell us a story from the past about our history!

Do you have a few photos to share of your native plants from last spring, being visited by a pollinator, or on a snowy day? We want to see them!

Our meeting will be held during National Invasive Species Week, so we would especially love to hear how you have fought and removed invasive plants. Do you have any tips to share?

You can choose a specific invasive plant to highlight and tell us what’s important to know about it.* (See details below.)

What part of NPSOT has been interesting or helpful to you that others should know about?

Have you been involved with a restoration or gardening event?

Do you work with native plants as part of your job?

Don’t forget to let us know a little bit about you, too!

You are even welcome to create a short video to share with us.

Details: Please keep your presentation brief, around 3 minutes, so we have time to get to everyone interested in sharing. You can speak live during the meeting (from Zoom or in the meeting room), or prepare video or audio in advance. You can send submissions to austin.npsot@gmail.com * If you want to pick a plant species to educate us on, please email us in advance to see if someone else has claimed that plant, so we don’t get too much repeated information on the same plant!

Deadline: Submit photos/videos/audio by Saturday, February 22 so we have time to assemble them. If we have time for additional stories and photos, anyone wanting to share can do so following those who submitted in advance. Questions? Contact austin.npsot@gmail.com

Click here to register for the virtual meeting option. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You will also get an email reminder the day prior to the meeting.

San Antonio Chapter Meeting - Bringing the Natural World Home Using Native Plants: A Personal Journey
2025-02-25 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Arrive at 6:30pm to share or find native plants at the Plants x Donation table.

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 Craig Hensley – Naturalist and EducatorBringing the Natural World Home Using Native Plants: A Personal Journey

The use of native plants in landscaping our yards, parks and elsewhere continues to grow in popularity. The challenge for many comes in how to start, where to get plants, and how to best care for them. Naturalist and educator Craig Hensley will share his journey into the world of native plants, from growing them to enjoying the flush of pollinators and other critters that were invited back, as a result. He’ll share his observations of what species seem preferred by his “new neighbors,” as well as what you might expect by venturing into this life and community-altering adventure.

Craig Hensley is a lifelong learner, naturalist and educator, having spent more than 40 years engaging audiences from Minnesota to Texas about the wonders of the natural world from birds and butterflies to the night sky, native plants, and everything in-between. He has developed a knack for growing a wide variety of native plants and through those planted in his and wife Terry Lashley’s yard has invited a ever-increasing diversity of fauna, from bees, butterflies, flies, wasps, moths and beetles to those critters that eat them, and those that eat those. Craig has a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management and a M.S. in Zoology, and has worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for more than a decade, as an interpreter and resource specialist at Guadalupe River State Park and for the past five years as one of two Texas Nature Trackers Biologists. He is father to son Dr. Noah Hensley, PhD. and daughter Dr. Jennifer Hensley, a pediatrician, and grandfather to four girls and one boy.

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 recording will be available within days after the meeting on our YouTube channel.

Let's Get Growing: Learn to Propagate Native Seeds & Plants
2025-02-25 19:00 - 20:15 (America/Chicago)
Jonathan Watt, President, NPSOT Fredericksburg chapter, will speak about propagating native plants to use in your landscape at the next chapter meeting. He will talk about seed collection, cleaning, stratifying, sowing, transplanting and the general care of young plants. He’ll also include pictures of his set-up and the materials he uses. The chapter meeting on February 25 starts with a social time at 6:30 and the presentation begins at 7 p.m.

“I have always been fascinated by seeds and the miracle of the plants growing from them,” stated Watt. “I’m looking forward to sharing my many years of experience growing from seed and other propagation methods.”

Watt has been deeply involved with plants, from botanic garden-sponsored expeditions in Central and South America collecting and studying Aroids (houseplants like philodendrons and pothos), to taxonomy, landscape design, installation and maintenance, plant collection and propagation. He has a deep commitment to encouraging more people in Gillespie County to grow Texas native plants.NPSOT Fredericksburg holds its monthly meetings on the 4th Tuesday of the month at St. Joseph’s Halle (212 W. San Antonio St., Fredericksburg). There is a social time with snacks at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7 p.m.

The public is invited to attend in person and via online streaming (https://www.youtube.com/@fredericksburgtexasnativeg4884). More information is online at Facebook (@fbgtxnpsot), Instagram (@npsot_fredericksburg_chapter), and https://npsot.org/chapters/fredericksburg/. Meetings are free and open to the public.

Boerne City Campus Natural Area (BCCNA) Workday
2025-02-27 09:00 - 11:30, 2025-03-06 09:00 - 11:30 (America/Chicago)
Join us for BCCNA workdays!

The BCCNA project involves the restoration and enhancement of the Boerne City Campus Natural Area (BCCNA). The BCCNA is comprised of 13-acres on either side of the Old No. 9 Trail, behind the library. We are working towards restoring this area to a native pollinator habitat, creating a wildlife corridor and haven within the city.

BCCNA Workdays take place on the first and third Thursdays of each month in 2025.

Our meeting place will be in the Boerne Patrick Heath Public Library parking lot near the windmill. If you don’t see us at the windmill, walk out behind the library across the creek as we’ve likely already started!

Each volunteer will be required to fill out the City of Boerne’s liability waiver the first time he or she volunteers in 2025.

Contact Jeff Schwarz at jeffschwarz27@gmail.com for more info.

Ned Fritz: Founder of Nature Preservation in Texas, and Short Business Meeting
2025-02-27 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Amy Martin, an experienced journalist and nature author, will present her latest work about Ned Fritz, a prominent Texas environmentalist. Her presentation will highlight Fritz’s significant contributions to nature preservation, including his efforts to save the Trinity River and the Great Trinity Forest. Through captivating storytelling and excerpts from Fritz’s nature poetry, Amy will inspire attendees to appreciate and protect the natural world.

6:30pm – Social time7:00pm – Zoom opens and meeting begins

Open to the public.

We will be meeting at ServeDenton, 306 N Loop 288, Denton, as well as via Zoom. We hope you can join our meeting in person. If you can’t join us in person, we invite you to our Zoom meeting.

ZOOM PARTICIPANTS ONLY: Please Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/O3MOpFeKTYmq7lwngfH2HA

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

Outreach - Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center
2025-03-01 09:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
Location: 20634 Kenswick Dr, Humble, TX 77338-2003

Contact: AliciaMein211@gmail.com

Cibolo Center for Conservation -Sisterdale Sanctuary - Open House
2025-03-01 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
You are invited to a Sneak Peek of the Sisterdale Sanctuary at 1250 FM 473, Boerne, TX 78006.

Come explore the sanctuary and learn more about the future plans for the property, from restoration to research, and how you can help.

This event is hosted by the Cibolo Center for Conservation

Talk at 11:30 am

Please RSVP: Carolyn@cibolo.org

Outreach - MOCO Outdoor Home and Living Show
2025-03-01 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-03-02 11:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
More information will follow.

Location: The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center is located at 9055 Airport Road (formerly FM 1484) in Conroe, TX 77303. Take Exit #89 (N Farm to Market 3083 Rd West) off of Interstate 45. Go East on 3083, approximately 3.6 miles to Airport Rd. Go north (or left), and the convention center will be almost immediately on the left (west).

MOCO Outdoor Home and Living Show for full schedule

Clear Lake Chapter Board Meeting
2025-03-03 18:30 (America/Chicago)
Our Chapter Board, which includes officers and committee chairs, meets the first Monday of each month to discuss chapter business and plan future events.

Chapter board meetings are open to the public. Request Zoom meeting information at clear-lake-chapter@npsot.org.

Outreach: John Fairey Plant Sale and Budding Out Festival
2025-03-04 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
Contact PinesandPrairiesNPSOT@Gmail.Com to volunteer at and carpool to event.

Join us rain or shine at The John Fairey Garden on Saturday, March 15th, for our annual Budding Out Plant Sale and Festival, a premier plant sale that offers rare and hard to find plants from The John Fairey Garden nursery and other select plant vendors from the region. We will offer rare plants suitable for the most discerning plant collector or distinctive plants for the beginning gardener. We will also have a curated selection of artisans, food, drink, garden-related presentations, and free tours of The John Fairey Garden.

EVENT INFO

Admission is $5 for members, $10 for non-members. Children under 12 are free. Gates will open at 8 am. Member access will be from 9am – 4pm; general public access will be from 10am – 4 pm.

Event will be held rain or shine.

Location: 20559 FM 359 Road, Hempstead, TX 77445

Boerne NPSOT Chapter Meeting, Hunke Hall, 33 Herff Farm Road, 6:00-8:00
2025-03-04 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Topic: Bat Conservation

Speaker: Krystie Miner, Bracken Cave Preserve Project Coordinator with Bat Conservation International

Bat Conservation International’s mission is to conserve the world’s bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet. They are dedicated to prevent the extinction of the world’s most vulnerable wildlife, and focus on the rarest and most vulnerable bats and their habitats.

Join us for our monthly chapter meetings. You do not need to be a member to attend. We meet the first Tuesday of each month.

Our meetings start with a social time at 6:00pm. Announcements will begin at 6:45pm, followed by the presentation. For the social time, please bring any snacks/appetizers/desserts that you would like to share.

Meeting Location: Hunke Hall, 33 Herff Farm Road, Boerne

Collin County March Meeting - Bottomland Hardwood Forests of North Texas
2025-03-04 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Our March 4 chapter program will be a hybrid meeting, with attendance available at the Heard Museum in McKinney or via Zoom. The topic is the “Bottomland Hardwood Forests of North Texas”, and the presenter is Ben Sandifer.

Our program starts at 6:30 for the testing of connections, with a short chapter update by our president, Rodney Thomas, at 7:00, followed by our presentation. The Zoom link and codes (if necessary) are below:

https://tinyurl.com/yn85nbzd

Meeting ID: 885 5459 6572

Passcode: [REDACTED]

For in-person attendees, the meeting is in Laughlin Hall at the Heard Museum. Enter through the door on the south side of the building.

Ben will explore North Texas’ extensive bottomland hardwood forests, covering the diverse flora and fauna among the Upper Trinity River watershed in North Texas. He is an author, photographer, and environmental advocate for parks and open spaces where he can often be found with camera in hand. His award-winning nature photographs have been featured in local, state, and national publications. He is a Certified Master Birder through the Audubon Dallas sponsored North Central Texas Master Birder Program. In 2016, he was named an Honorary Lifetime Texas Master Naturalist for his substantial contributions to the furtherance of the activities of the organization. In addition to his professional life as an accountant, Ben serves as the naturalist for the historic Dallas Hunting and Fishing Club.

As a volunteer, Ben currently serves as a member of the City of Dallas Forestry Stakeholder Committee, Trinity Park Conservancy Conservation Committee, citizen project lead at Big Spring Preserve and citizen project lead for the Friends of the Fish Hatchery at White Rock Lake. In Dallas Great Trinity Forest, Ben is an EPA and TCEQ certified Texas Stream Team volunteer who monitors water quality at numerous locations in the Dallas Trinity River watershed.

NPSOT-Houston Board Meeting
2025-03-04 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.

Meeting ID: 845 237 64852Passcode: [REDACTED]

Return to Houston Chapter Page

Houston Chapter Board Meeting - March 7
2025-03-04 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Interested in getting more involved with NPSOT-Houston? Come check out a board meeting and see what happens behind the scenes and see if you can help us further our mission. We meet via Zoom, so you can join from the comfort of home. Email us at nphouston1@gmail.com to request the zoom link.

Our monthly chapter board meetings are generally held on the first Tuesday of each month, January – November. Participation is open to the public.

Return to Houston Chapter Page

Start Spring with a Fresh Bed and Texas Native Plants!
2025-03-05 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Online only. Sponsored by the Upper Trinity River Regional Water District

Spring is upon us, and it’s time to be sure your beds are ready for a little pic-me-up! Liz Moyer, Denton County Master Gardener and Native Plant Society of Texas educator, will provide you tips for getting those beds ready as well as information on low-water, low-cost, low-maintenance Texas native plants for you to put in them. You’ll be glad you did!

The link to register is https://bit.ly/WaterTalkMarch2025

Clear Lake Chapter Education Committee Meeting
2025-03-05 14:00 (America/New_York)
Education Committee meeting. New members welcome. Request Zoom meeting information at clear-lake-chapter@npsot.org.

Agenda

Review grant applications for the spring cycle.

Lakes & Pines Chapter Meeting - Landon Garrett, NRCS Urban Conservationist - "Programs to Help Establish Native Plantings in an Urban Setting"
2025-03-05 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
“Programs to help establish native plantings in an urban setting”

Workdays at the Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country Demonstration Garden
2025-03-06 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Chicago)
We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming Demonstration Garden Workday! This is a fantastic opportunity to get your hands dirty, learn new gardening techniques, and contribute to the beauty and sustainability of our community garden. The garden is located at 4831 FM 2673, Canyon Lake, TX. Contact Mickey Riviere, mr0752@gvtc.com, for details.

What to Expect:

Hands-On Learning: Gain practical experience in planting, pruning, and maintaining a variety of native plants.

Expert Guidance: Our knowledgeable gardeners will be on hand to share tips and answer your gardening questions.

Community Spirit: Meet fellow garden lovers, share stories, and enjoy the camaraderie of working together.

What to Bring:

Comfortable clothing and gardening gloves

A hat, sunscreen, and water

Your boundless enthusiasm and love for gardening!

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this workday is for everyone. Let’s come together to make our demonstration garden a thriving, beautiful space for all to enjoy.

Dana Austin, Native Grasses and Sedges in the Landscape, North Central Chapter Meeting
2025-03-06 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Dana will review native grasses and sedges and their characteristics and growing conditions. She will also discuss reasons to incorporate these native plants into home and commercial landscapes. Photographs of native grasses and sedges will be shown to encourage attendees to use these beautiful and conservation-friendly plants in their projects.

Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Orchid & Iris Room

3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas 76107

6:30 pm socializing and snacks

7:00 pm 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.

Pines and Prairies Board Meeting
2025-03-06 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Details will be emailed to members.

NPSOT Plant Sale at SAWS Spring Bloom 2025
2025-03-08 08:30 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
For a third year, the San Antonio Chapter will have a plant sale booth at the SAWS Spring Bloom. We will need set-up volunteers for a couple of hours on Friday, March 7 to unload plants and set up the booth. The time on Friday is TBD. On Saturday, there is only one shift, running 8:30 am until 1 pm (or we sell out). Need cashiers for check out and plant associates to assist customers in plant selection.

To register, click here.

NPSOT Spring Symposium
2025-03-08 08:45 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
In-Person Registration is full but the Virtual Event Registration is still open: see below.Event Overview: https://www.npsot.org/our-work/symposium/2025-spring-symposium/

Live from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Symposium 8:45 am – 3:00 pm | Tours from 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm (pre-registration required)

Hybrid Event: Recordings available to both in-person and virtual attendees approximately two weeks after the event.

Second Saturday Workday, 9:00am - Noon
2025-03-08 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Cibolo Nature Center Demonstration Gardens

Please bring gloves, hat, water, sun and insect protection, and your favorite gardening tools.

Contact Veronica Hawk, veronica.hawk@gmail.com for more info.
