One of the many benefits of joining the Native Plant Society of Texas is participating in special state and chapter events. The Lakes and Pines Chapter took a field trip on May 18 to Julie Mattox’s Yantis Prairie in Yantis, Texas. Those members participating witnessed first-hand that Julie is truly an artist working with Mother Nature’s flora and fauna. We saw how she has taken an old dairy farm and turned it into a fabulous restoration and educational project. The Yantis Prairie & Northeast Texas Prairie Community Classroom are dedicated to the stewardship of our native prairie ecosystem and the promotion of conservation-based educational opportunities for Northeast Texas. The Yantis Prairie is surrounded by a tallgrass prairie and pollinator friendly habitats that are uniquely managed by incorporating a small herd of cattle into the prairie restoration process.