Kerrville Chapter

Speaker Series – Texas Hill Country: Past, Present and Future – January 16 at 6:30 pm

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Join us at Riverside Nature Center on January 16, 2023 at 6:30 pm for an important presentation about our local natural resources – “Texas Hill Country: Past, Present and Future” by Rachael Lindsey from Hill Country Conservancy.

Rachael Lindsey is a born researcher and explorer who spent her formative years chasing wildlife in the hills and hollers of Tennessee and Kentucky (often barefoot).  Rachael’s feral-esque childhood instilled a deep-rooted passion for the outdoors with a special affinity for water and caves. Eventually, Rachael turned a love of nature into her life’s work, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management with a Forestry minor, followed by a master’s degree in Wildlife Management. Throughout her career, she has prioritized connecting people and communities to nature through ecological education, land conservation and stewardship.  Rachael dreams of millions of acres of protected, connected, and stewarded Hill Country. Rachael describes herself as a Lorax—she speaks for the trees.

Rachael is the Director of Science and Stewardship at Hill Country Conservancy where she works closely with partners and landowners to steward and perpetually protect our Hill Country paradise. Rachael serves on the Executive and Steering Committees for the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network and is the Chair of the Network’s climate change committee.

RSVP @ 830.257.4837 or RNC.Kerrville@gmail.com.

Suggested donation $5.

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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