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Native Plant Society of Texas

Big Bend Chapter

Madera Canyon Trail Hike – Sunday, November 14, 2021

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Sunday, November 14th, 2021 is the Madera Canyon Trail hike and picnic, which will be for members only, as trail capacity is limited. An email with details will be sent to all members the weekend of October 30/31.

Here is a little “background” information on the history of the trail itself from The Texas Highways Magazine. “The trail opened to the public in October 2007 with help of almost 2,000 hours of volunteer labor. Colin Shackelford was the Stewardship Director of the Davis Mountains Preserve at this time. With little trail building experience, he relied on expert stonemasons with technical rock work experience and direction from an expert on trail layout borrowed from Big Bend National Park.”

An important part of the success of the Madera Canyon hiking trail was the volunteers. Volunteers are needed for our Big Bend Chapter programs like this one. It’s as easy as checking off names from a list of program participants, helping set up for an indoor presentation and greeting guests, writing an article for the monthly Chapter News on our website, helping with snacks and refreshments. We all have busy schedules, but without volunteer help the burden is placed on a few. Do your part and show your appreciation of our Big Bend Chapter by helping out. Teamwork really works!

If you are not a member yet and are interested in this hike, please join soon so that you can get the forthcoming email regarding details of the event and how to reserve a spot.

Becoming a Member
To join, please go to the Become a member page on the statewide site. From here you will be able to apply via the New member online application, or print out an application that you can mail in. If you wish to join the Big Bend Chapter of the Society specifically, please choose Big Bend from the “Chapter” dropdown menu at the bottom of the online form, or write it on the print form where it requests, “Please name your primary chapter” (or 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, if you so choose).

Phyllis Kennedy
Newsletter, Communications

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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