Monday, September 8 • 6:15 p.m.
Hybrid Meeting
6:15 Doors Open – UHCL Bayou Building, Forest Room (1430)
6:40 Zoom Opens
6:45 Business Meeting
7:00 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.
As part of its mission to save the Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken from extinction, the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge (APCNWR) protects over 9,000 contiguous acres of Upper Coastal Prairie, second only to the core area of the Coastal Prairie Conservancy. Some of the best-quality prairie is accessible daily to the public, with 2.3 miles of hiking trails and a 3.4-mile auto loop, all within 2 hours of the Houston metropolitan region and about 20 minutes from the Sealy exit on I-10. APCNWR possesses a distinctive native flora adapted to dry, sandy soils, plus a variety of wetland species. A recently updated phenological plant list, based on iNaturalist observations and herbarium records, shows nearly 400 verified (research grade or herbarium) species of native forbs and vines and around 100 species of native grasses, sedges, and rushes. This presentation will feature about 40 species of native wildflowers characteristic of APCNWR, all seen within the last 5 years in the publicly accessible portion of the refuge.
About the Speaker
Charles Winker is a retired geologist residing on the Fayette Prairie near Brenham with his wife Susie and their blue heeler Elsa. A Chicago native, he has lived in Texas for 43 years, plus five years each in Georgia and Arizona. Upon retirement in 2016 he became interested in prairie conservation and field botany, joined Texas Master Naturalists and the Native Prairie Association of Texas, embraced iNaturalist, and began volunteering at the Coastal Prairie Conservancy, Winedale Historical Complex, and APCNWR. He is particularly interested in native Texas grasses, which he cultivates on their property.
In-person – Parking Pass Required
Clear Lake Chapter Members: New passes needed starting September 2025. If you have a pass, don’t forget it – you will not get another one if you picked one up previously. If you need your new pass, arrive early enough to pick one up in the meeting room and place it in your car.
Visitors: Non-members may purchase a pass for $5, or “rent” one — if returned at the end of the meeting, the $5 will be returned. Temporary parking permits may also be purchased at the kiosk in front of the Recreation Center or via T2 Mobile Pay.
DO NOT park in faculty/staff parking (enforced 24/7).
Bayou Building, Forest Room (1430)
University of Houston-Clear Lake
2700 Bay Area Blvd.
Houston, TX 77058
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: www.npsot.org.
Hosted by the Environmental Institute of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake.
