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All Speakers

Abbie Ince-Hendrickson

I was originally born in the dusty plains of Lubbock, TX. For my undergraduate degree, I attended Texas A&M University in College Station, receiving a B.S. in Microbiology, with emphasis

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Beth Erwin

NPSOT Williamson County Chapter President 2021-2023 Louisiana native with a B.S. in Horticulture. Charter member of the Louisiana Native Plant Society. Retired in 2017 as curator of a private nature

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Bob Dailey

Writer and lecturer on native plants, water conservation, soil conservation, and organics.  He grew up on a farm in South Louisiana and spent his time as a youth wandering through

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Carol Clark

Carol Clark is an amateur botany enthusiast, a Texas Master Naturalist, a longtime member of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a Conservation Specialist with Monarch Watch. She

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Charlotte Reemts

Charlotte Reemts is an ecologist and science project director with The Nature Conservancy’s Texas Chapter where she has studied ecosystems across Texas since 2005. She works with natural areas and

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Cherie Colburn

A professional landscape designer and native Texan, Cherie has designed hundreds of low-maintenance commercial and residential landscape designs since 1994 through her company, Nature’s Tapestry. She’s also helped create schoolyard

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Cheryl Hamilton

Cheryl has been a member of the San Antonio Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas since 2008 and has also been an Alamo Area Master Naturalist since 2007.

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David Will

B Sc. Agriculture Ed. Texas A&M University; M A Agriculture Sam Houston State University; Texas Certified Landscape Professional #2.; Native Plant Society of Texas member over 30 years receiving the

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Deedy Wright

Deedy Wright is a life-long Texas gardener. Her particular interests are native plants, xeriscape, and invasive plants. She has been an active member of the Native Plant Society of Texas

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George Diggs

George Diggs is an evolutionary biologist and botanist who has taught for more than 40 years at Austin College in Sherman, and a Research Associate at the Botanical Research Institute

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Glenn Olsen

Glenn leads natural history and birding tours with GOBirding Ecotours to the hottest birding locations in the U.S. He organizes, manages, and co-guides tours to exotic locales such as the

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Howard Nemerov

About this presentation: As part of his entomology research, Howard Nemerov reviewed dozens of recent peer-review papers addressing Monarch butterflies, their migration, and how tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) impacts both.

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Jake Mowrer

Dr. Jake Mowrer is a soil chemist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. He works with all aspects of soil management where growing plants is the goal. His research focus is

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Jane Tillman

Jane Tillman is a retired University of Texas lecturer in Nutritional Sciences whose twin passions are birds and native plants. She is an active member of the Travis Audubon Society

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About the Region

New Braunfels, the location of our Fall 2024 Symposium, straddles both the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion and the Blackland Prairie ecoregion. Interstate 35 divides the city of New Braunfels; its path through the city closely parallels the boundary of these two ecoregions, with the Edwards Plateau on the west side and the Blackland Prairies region to the east. 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 four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason