[from Tom Kennedy, Acting Program Director; Treasurer]
The January program for the Big Bend Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas was held at the Alpine Public Library on January 13. Tom Kennedy, Acting Program Director, kicked off the meeting by giving a preview of the chapter program schedule for the spring. Tom invited chapter members to suggest topics for the fall programs by sending their ideas to big-bend-chapter@npsot.org. Also, volunteers are needed to assist with chapter operations. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Tom at big-bend-chapter@npsot.org.
The topic of the day was “Native Plants for Native Birds in the Trans-Pecos”. It was presented by Dr. Maureen Frank, a Bird Conservation and Research Scientist from the Borderlands Research Institute. She began her presentation by defining the essence of a habitat and why birds need native plants in their habit, illustrating this through several examples. For those interested in creating a habitat for desired birds in their yard, Dr. Frank described several ways to identify the birds in your habitat, including field guides, apps, the eBird website, local birders and local events. Particularly impressive was the eBird website, which provides a means for searching for birds using a plethora of criteria.
Once you determine the birds you want to attract to your habitat, you can use the Audubon Native Plant Database or the Native Plant Finder web sites to identify native plants that are compatible with your desired birds.
In addition, Dr. Frank discussed providing supplemental food, water and shelter for your fine feathered friends in their native habitat.
The presentation enjoyed a full house and was well received. Thank you, Dr. Frank, for your enthusiasm and fact filled presentation.
Tom Kennedy, Acting Program Director; Treasurer