Austin Chapter

Field Trip: Shield Ranch – April 29

Join us for a Field Trip to Shield Ranch in Dripping Springs.

At Shield Ranch, stewarding and protecting the Hill Country ecosystem is their solemn purpose. Located 18 miles southwest of downtown Austin, it’s a 6,400-acre historic district and protected wildland. It is home to a mosaic of habitats, a diverse community of native plants and animals, and over six breathtaking miles of Barton Creek.

Through an evolving program of land management, unique nature immersion experiences, and conservation easements with the Nature Conservancy and the City of Austin, Shield Ranch offers something exceptionally rare in our rapidly urbanizing community—a truly wild place. Join us in making sure it stays that way.

We’ll walk the trails of Shield Ranch with well-known botanist Bill Carr and see firsthand the native plants and associated ecosystems in this very rare view of this non-public ranch. We’ll experience what land stewardship can do for native species in this Edwards Plateau oasis.

Register for the Shield Ranch field trip here

Limited to 24 participants

Cost $17.85

Saturday, April 29 from 8:30am to about 12 noon  (3 hours plus lunch).

Address 10417 Crumley Ranch Rd, Dripping Springs, TX 78620

We will be hiking a 1.6 mi route

Bring water and bag lunch.  There are no trash cans so we must carry our trash out with us. Wear good hiking shoes and bring sun screen, hats, water bottle etc. They have water bottle filling stations where we can fill bottles before and after the hike.

We’ll email additional logistics information before the event.

If you have questions you can email us at Austin NPSOT

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason