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Native Plant Society of Texas

New additions to state board

NPSOT Archive

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Jan Hanz  and Mary Horn were appointed to vacant positions on the state board during the first board meeting of 2019 in Hillsboro.

Clockwise from from top left: Kathryn Berck, Jan Hanz, Kimber Kaushik, Mary Horn.
Photo by Bill Hopkins

They join Kathryn Berck and Kimber Kaushik who took positions in November, along with six returning board members.  Jan is a member of the Austin Chapter and will be VP Finance, overseeing financial reporting and procedures, including the Financial Oversight Committee. Mary is from the Clear Lake Chapter and will be developing cooperative relationships with environmental organizations with compatible missions. Kimber, who is a teacher in Houston, is VP Education and will oversee the grants and scholarship programs. Kimber is also organizing a new Education Committee which will look for additional ways to provide native plant education to young people as well as adults.  Kathryn is a former president of the Guadalupe Chapter and is now VP Administration.  She is already immersed in her new job, having been involved in filling vacant positions in the state office.

In addition, Susan Austin will become the new editor of our member magazine starting with the Spring 2019 issue. Susan is a member of the Cross Timbers Chapter, where she has been editor of the chapter newsletter, and is also a staff member of the College of Fine Arts at Texas Christian University.

 

 

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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins

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