All Speakers

Delena Norris-Tull

Retired Professor of Science Education. 1990 Dissertation title: Tull, D. Elementary Science Students’ Conceptions in Biology: Their Language, Meanings, Classifications, and Interpretations of Scientific Concepts – An Ethnographic Study. Books:

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Diane Wetherbee

Diane Wetherbee is a Texas Master Naturalist, as well as a member of the Native Prairies Association of Texas and the Native Plant Society of Texas. She is a Certified

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Diane Williamson

When we moved to Texas from Tennessee I quickly realized that growing plants native to our ecoregion is the smartest path to success. Birds, insects, and wildlife depend on native

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Eric Johnson

My work background is in electronics manufacturing, and my education is focused on electrical engineering. My interest in native plants has been lifelong, and I began to actively seek out

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Erik Fritz

Erik Fritz is the Founder and Director of Edapho, a soil systems analysis and diagnostics firm focused on understanding soil as a living, functional system. His work centers on soil

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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

Howard Nemerov is a Texas Certified Master Gardener with Advanced Entomology certification. When he’s not researching, he’s out gardening; his yard is his laboratory. Through research, Howard has built a

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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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Jim & Lynne Weber

Both Lynne and Jim Weber are retired from 30+ year, accomplished careers at IBM. They are certified Texas Master Naturalists and Lynne is a past president of the Capital Area

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Julienne VanDerZiel

Julienne has lived in Dripping Springs since 2005. Having lived in the Midwest, and then the West, she quickly learned that she knew nothing about gardening in Texas. She bought

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Kim Conrow

Kim joined the Society in 1997 to learn how to garden with drought tolerant plants when moving into a new home in Crowley. Becoming active in the North Central Chapter

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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