Luminous Landscapes: Fireflies in the Heart of Texas – Williamson County Chapter Meeting, April 10
2025-04-10 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
[Update published to Zoom registrants and Wilco subscribers on April 9=> Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Zoom portion of this meeting was cancelled and the meeting was not recorded.]

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, April 10, 2025, when our featured topic will be “Luminous Landscapes: Fireflies in the Heart of Texas” with Ben Pfeiffer. Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM. The guest presentation begins after a short business meeting.

About our topic: This highly educational and fun talk will discuss the types of fireflies (Lampyridae) found in Texas and across the United States. Join Ben for a captivating exploration of Texas enchanting fireflies, where you’ll discover the diverse species that light up the Lone Star State’s wild landscapes.

Ben will present his research on Texas firefly taxa, highlighting the fascinating species found in nearby river basins and riparian areas. He will show you how to identify common firefly species and learn their flash patterns so you can recognize them in the wild. You’ll also discover why fireflies flash and how they use light to attract mates. Additionally, he will discuss specific threats that are causing fireflies to disappear in many areas of the United States. Ben will also explain how to certify your property as a firefly habitat, suggest native plants you can grow to help them, and share other ways you can contribute to saving these iconic insects.

Check out these resources:

firefly.org

firefly.org/certify

firefly.org/how-to-create-a-firefly-sanctuary

About our speaker: Ben Pfeiffer is founder of Firefly Conservation & Research (at firefly.org), a firefly conservation and educational organization working to conserve fireflies and their habitats through conservation, education and research efforts.

A recognized public speaker and science educator, Ben’s research work focuses on Texas firefly species. He is working to document the Texas and Southwest firefly diversity and its natural history regarding their life cycle, preferred habitat and unique flash patterns. His research is helping to illuminate much of this never before collected information about Texas’s incredibly rich firefly diversity so that others can work to preserve and enjoy it.

Ben is a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Firefly Working group. He recently completed the Red List Extinction Risk Assessments for Texas firefly species. Ben studied Biology at Texas State University and is a certified Master Naturalist. He is a lifelong 6th generation Texan and has spent most of his life working to understand Texas ecology and its unique diversity.

NOTE: this month’s in-person location is the Georgetown Public Library, 2nd Floor, 402 W 8th St, Georgetown, Texas 78626. Come early (6:30 PM) for expert advice, to check out the seed swap board, or just to visit.

==> To attend via Zoom, register at https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/lLoaYnV_Qe-23rxZ-8sVig#/registration

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

Heard Museum Native Plant Sale
2025-04-11 00:00 - 2025-04-13 23:59 (America/Chicago)
The Heard Museum’s Native Plant Sale is back! Join other North Texas native plant lovers on April 11-13, 2025, for a chance to stock up on beautiful Texas native plants that support local wildlife and pollinators. Like prior years, the first day is for members only and then the 12th & 13th are open to the public. More information coming soon. Mark your calendars!

Clear Lake Chapter Spring Plant Sale - April 11
2025-04-11 16:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Our spring plant sale is happening Friday, April 11, 2025, from 4–7 p.m. on the UHCL campus!

Cash and credit cards accepted.

Prices vary – Look for signs throughout the sale for pricing information.

Don’t forget to bring your wagon or cart.

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

Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP) - Level 1 in Boerne
2025-04-12 07:45 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
Boerne Chapter will be offering Level 1 – Introduction to Native Landscapes – Certification Class to be held April 12, 2025.

Location: Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium

NLCP / Level 1 Registration opens February 1st, 2025 at 8:30am.

Field Trip: Green Star Wetland Plant Farm
2025-04-12 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago)
Meeting Location: Green Star Wetland Plant Farm, 4646 County Road 181, Alvin, TX 77511

Things To Bring: Closed toe shoes and bug spray recommended. Please bring adequate hydration and other items you may require to be comfortable. I anticipate we will be in full sun the entire time, so dress appropriately.

Field Trip Overview: Mary Carol Edwards, Green Star Wetland Plant Farm owner, has graciously offered for us to come visit the farm. It will allow us to become more intimate with large scale plant growth from deciding which species to select for cultivation, propagation, and grow out. It will allow participants access to thinking about how wetland plants are used throughout the Houston area for maintaining natural communities, providing water filtration and chemical sequestration, and types of projects currently being implemented around the region. From a plant identification perspective, the farm typically has around 90 species in cultivation so we will have time to talk through plant morphology with an emphasis on adaptations plants utilize to grow in prolonged saturated or inundated environments. Additionally, we will have the opportunity to view ongoing prairie restoration on six acres adjacent to the nursery and view several old live oak mottes.

Plants will be available for sale afterwards, so keep an eye out for something that catches your fancy.

Additional Site Information: https://greenstarwetlands.com/

Additional Coordination Details: Please contact Bob Romero for any further coordination details atbobromero@gmail.com or by phone at 713.248.6030.

Second Saturday Workday, 9:00am - Noon
2025-04-12 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.

Invasive Plant Pull at Lick Creek Park
2025-04-12 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us at Lick Creek Park from 9 a.m.-noon to remove invasive plants, helping preserve the park’s unique ecosystems and demonstration gardens.

Invasive Plant Pull

Fredericksburg Member Plant Pickup
2025-04-12 09:00 - 13:30 (America/Chicago)
The culmination of the members’ Spring plant sale. Pick up your order today at Gilbriar; 208 Danos Dr., Fredericksburg.

Earth Day event at Landa Park
2025-04-12 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)

Trinity Forks Chapter 2025 Spring Plant Sale
2025-04-12 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Time: 10:00am-12:00noon or sellout

Location: Flower Mound High School, 3411 Peters Colony (for your GPS) – In the back parking lot at Sagebrush Drive and Old Settlers Road, at the Keep Flower Mound Beautiful Spring Trash-off and Environmental Fair – see Map

We’ll have:Over 2000 native plantsKnowledgeable volunteersLow prices

Bring your own flats or boxes and cash, check or credit card! We’ll see you there!

Glen Rose Garden Stroll
2025-04-12 10:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago)
The city of Glen Rose is Having a Garden Themed Event Downtown around and near the Courthouse Square. The participating merchants in the area are each offering a special experience for their visitors.

From 10:00 am to 11:00 am the Members of Prairie Rose will be at the Demonstration Garden next to the Museum to welcome visitors and answer any questions you may have about Native Plants, NPSOT, or our Chapter Meetings. Please come visit us Saturday while we are in the garden or take a self guided tour anytime.

Field Trip to Cedar Hill preserve- April 13th- depart at 8:15 am
2025-04-13 08:15 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
At Cedar Hill Nature Preserve, the mission is to restore and improve the land as a natural area that can be studied and enjoyed by many. Join Post Oak NPSOT for a nature walk in this unique habitat.

Post Oak NPSOT Field Trip to Cedar Hill Preserve

Exploration Green Phase 3A Pollinator Garden - Hybrid Clear Lake Chapter Meeting
2025-04-14 18:15 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
6:15 Doors Opens – UHCL Bayou Building, Garden Room (1510)6:40 Zoom Opens6:45 Business Meeting6:55 Plant of the Month7:00 Guest Speaker

Join us for an evening of delicious pizza, exciting door prizes, and the chance to connect with others while learning something new! Bring your own beverage.

The Exploration Green Phase 3A pollinator garden aims to change the expectations of the public and ways people interact with pollinator gardens. The 3A garden started with a grant from the Clear Lake Chapter of the Native Plant Society in September 2024 and is expanding this spring with an additional grant received from H-E-B/Texas Master Naturalist’s Pollinators for Texas initiative. It is a long-term pollinator habitat within the conservancy where volunteers and the public can observe a variety of native plants and their relationships with resident and migrant animals, as well as omnipresent environmental factors like heat, wind, rain, snow, and drought. Plant information is part of the design, and data is collected and evaluated. The aim of these data is to help this garden and others in our area evolve season by season and year by year. This presentation will highlight the challenges, successes, and surprises from the first six months and look ahead to the future with the hope of inspiring more members to create public gardens.

About the Speaker

After a lifetime in the Houston area spent toiling for oil and gas, Lynn Porfirio discovered a passion for green volunteer work starting with Trees for Houston, Galveston Bay Foundation, and SPLASh. In 2023, she became a member of Galveston Bay Area Texas Master Naturalist and Native Plant Society to learn about different volunteer opportunities and better understand the nature of the region. The following year, Lynn completed the Native Landscape Certification Program. She is the owner of Native Ideas Yard Care and designer and champion of the 3a pollinator garden.

In-person – Parking Pass Required

If you have a pass, don’t forget it – you will not get another one if you picked one up previously. If you need a pass, arrive early enough to pick one up in the meeting room and place it in your car. DO NOT park in faculty/staff parking (enforced 24/7).

Map and Directions – The meeting will be held in the Bayou Building, Garden Room (1510) at UH-Clear Lake.

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
2025-04-14 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)

Habitat Workday @ EIH
2025-04-15 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-04-22 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

Fredericksburg Board of Directors plans for upcoming events.
2025-04-15 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
Plans for upcoming events and membership involvement is the focus for the March meeting of the Board of Directors. Included will be the dates for the Fall Plant Sale as well as the progress for the Spring sale. Field Trip plans. Members are invited. Ask a current board member for location.

Lindheimer Chapter Monthly Meeting with Guest Speaker: Susan James, "Ungardening"
2025-04-15 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
Location: Tye Preston Memorial Library, 16311 S. Access Road, Canyon Lake, Texas 78133. Social time 5:30 p.m., business meeting 5:40 p.m., Plant-of-the-Month 5:50 p.m., hour-long program 6:20 p.m. All presentations are available via Zoom and are recorded for our Youtube channel.

Susan James resides near Canyon Lake, TX and has had a lifelong interest in plants. In addition to extensive reading, personal research, and observation on the subject, she is a class of 2016 LMN graduate, past NPSOT Lindheimer chapter president and has worked as the gardener for grounds of the Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country. Past activities include plant surveys for Bracken Bat Cave, Canyon Lake Gorge and a variety of private properties in the area. Background includes a degree in microbiology from Michigan State University, graduate studies in electron microscopy at the University of Illinois, various articles, patented research at DuPont Dow Elastomers and sales and sales management for Fisher Scientific.

Boerne City Campus Natural Area (BCCNA) Workday
2025-04-17 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.

Chapter Leader Forum
2025-04-17 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
April Chapter Leader Forum Topic: Increasing Membership and Volunteerism

Description:

Meet the VP Chapter Liaison, Meade Leblanc, for an exchange of information about increasing Society membership and volunteerism.

How are chapters adding and keeping volunteers?

Did your chapter participate in the membership contest?

What has your chapter done to increase membership and/or volunteerism?

In this forum Meade LeBlanc will review materials available from the state to increase membership and volunteerism and facilitate shared ideas from chapters about what they do.

Chapter leaders and members come prepared to share ideas and questions about increasing membership and volunteerism.

Presenters:

VP Chapter Liaison, Meade LeBlanc

When: Thursday, April 17, 2025 (Third Thursday) 12 – 1 pm

Zoom Registration Link:

https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/eVW13ML5S86rzJAc5XuxzA

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 Chapter Meeting
2025-04-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Take the Level 1 Native Landscape Certification Program in 3 sessions plus a plant walk! Attend the Pines and Prairies Chapter Meetings on March 20, April 17, and May 15 and participate in the plant walk at Mercer Botanical Gardens on May 24 to qualify. More details will be posted as they become available.

In Person: Sam Houston State University – The Woodlands at 3380 College Park Drive, Room 236Via Zoom:

Why Native Plants? - April 17
2025-04-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us at our April chapter meeting where we take a fun look at the who, what, where, when, why, and how of native plants. We will grow your native plant vocabulary, cultivate some knowledge, and sow some seeds for the change we want to see in the world. Whether you are a native plant novice or a wildscaping whiz, this will be a great chance to ask questions all the questions you may have been afraid to ask before. If you stump the board member presenters, we can poll the crowd or add things to our list of future presentation topics!

One of our goals this year is to grow our membership, and this is a great opportunity to bring a friend, spouse, grandchild, or whoever wants to learn more about native plants.

About the Speakers – Doreen Gallevo and Josh Kelly

Doreen has been a board member for the Houston Chapter since 2023, and was elected chapter president this year. She has been a hard core native plant gardener for seven years, and is passionate about all ecological services plants provide like supporting declining invertebrate populations, flood mitigation, cooling, and carbon capture. Having completed NPSOT’s Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP), she is now engaging in native landscape design projects. Containing well over 100 native species, her yard is registered as a National Wildlife Federation habitat, Houston Audubon bird-friendly space, Texas Pocket Prairie, and Homegrown National Park.

Josh is a native Houstonian and recently became our chapter vice president. He is a commercial landscape construction project manager and is determined to change how our landscape industry functions from the inside. In his spare time, he can be found botanizing in prairies or volunteering his time on native landscaping projects. He loves not only Texas native plants, but also Texas critters, like longhorns and the majestic raptors he has rescued from prairies. He even likes non-native bees, who he helped tend as a teen/young adult with his father and brothers.

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.

The presentation will start at 7:00 pm, but 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

Chandor Gardens Nature Trail Bioblitz with Jeff Quayle, Cross Timbers Chapter Event (Weatherford)- Saturday 3/19/2025
2025-04-19 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us for the first-ever BIOBLITZ on Sat., April 19 to catalogue new species on the Nature Trail using iNaturalist with Jeff Quayle, an associate of Ft. Worth’s Botanical Research Institute of Texas.

Registration is required. Please register using the link below:https://www.tickettailor.com/…/npatfortworthcha…/1563667Please note a donation is not required to register. If you do not want to donate please enter zero when you sign up.

Meeting Details:

Come dressed to hike! Long pants recommended. We will be documenting as many species as possible. Please wear clothing appropriate to protect against insects such ticks and thorns, or any other things you might expect to find in the Texas wild! Water recommended.

Location: Chandor Gardens Nature Trail

8:45 a.m. Meet at the trailhead

9:00 a.m. Bioblitz begins promptly

Spring Native Plant Sale - Open to the Public
2025-04-19 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
The Boerne Chapter Native Plant Society of Texas will be back for our biannual Native Plant Sale at Herff Farm. Join us on Saturday, April 19th at the Herff Farm Teaching Barn, 33 Herff Road, Boerne TX 78006!

Spring is a great time to plant native flowers, plants, and trees. Take advantage of this opportunity to easily obtain native plants suited for our ecoregion. Along with making your space beautiful, you’ll be providing food and habitat for butterflies, birds and other wildlife. Many native plants even do well in containers!

NPSOT members will be on hand to answer your gardening and native plant questions!

Open to the Public.

Prairie Rose Chapter Spring 2025 Native Plant Sale
2025-04-19 09:30 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
Please join us at the Prairie Rose Demonstration Garden April 19, 2025 in Glen Rose. It is next to the Museum behind the Courthouse in Downtown Glen Rose. We will have another wonderful selection of Native Plants and some trees again this year.

Appointments by request at 9:30 am; just email us at prairierose.npsot@gmail.com to request time.

Open to the public 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Come and make a day of it. We have a nice River Walk Park at Heritage Square and several nice and new restaurants and shops for your enjoyment.

Prairie Rose Spring Native Plant Sale
2025-04-19 09:30 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
Located behind the Court House Square Next to the Somervell County Museum

Lake Mineral Wells State Park Pollinator Garden Work Day, Volunteer Opportunity, Cross Timbers Chapter, Mineral Wells, Saturday, 4/19/2025 at 10 a.m.
2025-04-19 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
🌿 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 or Vicki Brooks at vicki.brooks@icloud.com

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.

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! 🌿🌸

Volunteer hours count towards Texas Master Naturalist and Texas Master Gardeners.

Beaumont Chapter Meeting
2025-04-21 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.

Uncommon Wildflowers of the LBJ Grasslands, Cross Timbers Chapter Meeting (Weatherford)- Tuesday 4/22/2025
2025-04-22 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Joining us for April’s meeting of the Cross Timbers Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, will be Suzanne Tuttle presenting Uncommon Wildflowers of the LBJ Grasslands!

Suzanne Tuttle:Suzanne is a plant ecologist who retired from the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge in 2016 after a 23-year career, first as Natural Resource Manager and later as its Director. She implemented restoration projects in prairies, wetlands, and riparian gallery forests. Tuttle also oversaw the management of the Refuge’s bison herd, worked on several prairie dog reintroductions, and co-developed the feral hog control program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from UT Arlington and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Horticulture from Tarrant County Junior College (now TCC). She has taught classes for various chapters of the Texas Master Naturalist program since 1999 and is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth Chapter of NPAT and the John Bunker Wetland Center in Combine TX. Suzanne was a founding member of Texas Society for Ecological Restoration, and is a cofounder of the Cross Timbers Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist Program.

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. Bat Presentation

No Austin Chapter Meeting in April
2025-04-22 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Due to the plant sale in April we are not having our regular monthly chapter meeting.
