Fredericksburg Chapter

Day Family Scholarship

The Day Family Scholarship is a $2500 one-time award, established in 2024 in memory of Katie Gibbons Day, a lover of the native ecosystems of Texas. Katie was a long-term member of the Fredericksburg chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT). She was also a special education teacher for over 20 years. The scholarship will be awarded to a high school senior who shares Katie’s love of the natural world and plans to major in ecology, conservation, land stewardship, or similar field.

 

Scholarship Requirements
The applicant must be
     1.  A high school senior in Gillespie County, accepted into an accredited college or university in Texas;
     2.  Majoring in biology, botany, horticulture, landscape design or related fields, with an emphasis on Texas native plants or their ecosystems;
     3,  Planning a career related to conservation and habitat restoration of Texas native plants;
     4.  Have a cumulative high-school GPA of at least 3.0.

Application Materials
     1.  Completed application form
     2.   High-School Transcript through mid senior year
     3.  Year-end transcript
     4,  College acceptance letter
     5.  Letter of recommendation emailed directly from a teacher, addressing the applicant’s academic abilities and intended career path.
     6.  500-word essay about the ecosystems in Texas and applicant’s desire to work in this field.

Submission Directions
Submit application materials via email to

         npsotfredpres@gmail.com

with a copy to

        dbday8241@yahoo.com


Deadline: Application forms and materials must be received on or before May 15.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason