by lpmn member liz pullman - texas master naturalist · forestiera pubescens. please note that the...
TRANSCRIPT
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By LPMN member Liz Pullman There are other Forestieraspresent in or near our area. These areSwamp Privet ) with longersmooth leaves and Upland Swamp Privet( ) which blooms in latesummer. In the dry limestone hill countrywest of us is withsemi-evergreen leaves and summer flowers.Only Elbow Bush has pubescent (downy)leaves and the scientific name reflects thisfield mark. Forestiera pubescens. Please note that the genusLigustrum is a member of the olive familyand all four of ours are invasive exotics. Aninteresting study in Good vs. Evil existswithin the olive (Oleaceae) family in ourarea. The four species of Ligustrum wereintroduced, became aggressive and haveearned the label "Invaders of Texas". Theirrelatives, the four native species ofForestiera are non-invasive - very well-behaved plants. The plant lesson forMarch: "Avoid introduced plants. Choose anative instead.
Finally some signs of spring are showing up in the LPMN counties! A fewof the early blooming spring species such as Crow Poison, Missouri Violets,Anemones and Texas Redbud have emerged in scattered locations as well as theMarch targeted plant - - commonly known as Spring Heraldand Elbow Bush. The first mentioned common name stems from the earlyappearance of the flowers and leaves in late winter "heralding spring" while thesecond common name denotes the growth patterns of the branches and twigs whichare angular thus reminding folks of "arms akimbo" - Elbow Bush. This shrub iscommon along the trails of McKinney Roughs although strangely, it has not beenofficially recorded in Caldwell County. It should be here, y'all, so start looking. Blooming frequently starts in February and extends through mid-Marchbut is somewhat late this year. Research on Elbow Bush flowering time uncoveredseveral "Ifs, Ands and Buts". For instance, bloom time can be before, during orafter the emergence of the leaves depending on which reference is consulted.Another interesting note is that the shrub is "usually" dioecious. One source notedthat the branches can grow out very long and "vine-like". In any case, male andfemale flowers are easily identifiable although both forms are unspectacular inappearance lacking showy colorful flowers. Yet, an Elbow Bush in full bloom willgrab your eye as you walk by. The nectar is valuable to early flying insects and theyoung leaves provide browse for other wildlife. After blooming, Elbow Bush fades into the background and only becomesnoticeable again as the clusters of 1-seeded drupes begin to turn a purple black.Being a member of the olive family (Oleaceae), the fruit resembles the Ligustrumprivets in size, color and shape and is utilized by birds and other wildlife.
Lost PinesMaster Naturalist
Volume 11, Issue 3 March 2011 edited by Jeannie Jessup
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
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There will be work weekend on Saturday and Sunday March26th and 27th. Trails need to be cleared of brush and stumps, inva-sive plants need to be removed, and some erosion con-trol work needs to be done. The proposed west loop ofthe Dragonfly Trail needs to be laid out and marked.While there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, you’llhave time for hiking, bird watching, and socializing.
We have some new power tools, and there willbe a training session on tool safety. Camping is avail-able on Saturday night - no water or electricity, butthere is a toilet. Bring lunch, water, gloves, insect repel-lant, and wear sturdy shoes. Coffee and donuts will beavailable both mornings and some food will be providedfor campers.
Meet at the Recreation Trails parking lot at9:00 am. From Highway 71, take Tahitian Drive southuntil it dead ends at Riverside Drive. Turn right and drive past thegolf course. Stay on Riverside past the golf course where it becomes agravel road. Turn left into the large parking lot.
If you plan to camp, let Dale Morrison know so he can planSaturday evening’s food. You can also contact Dale if you have ques-tions. His phone number is 512-629-3345.
Image by LPMN member Paulette Boudreaux
Bastrop State ParkWildflower Walks
For the past few years, LPMN volunteershave led visitors to Bastrop State Park on interpre-tive walks in a part of the park normally closed tothe public, the Alum Creek area. This section of thePark has a distinctly different feel than the original,central area of the Park, where we lead the 1 mileinterpretive walks at 10 AM Saturdays.
The Alum Creek hikes are easy 2.6 milewalks through mixed forest and open meadows. Inaddition to a chance to see spring wildflowers (if therains cooperate), deer and wild turkey are common inthe area. Highlights along the trail include a largenumber of flowering dogwoods and the biggest lob-lolly pine known in Bastrop County. Hikes this springare scheduled for Saturdays on March 12, 19 and
Dragonfly Trail Work Weekend
are scheduled for Saturdays on March 12, 19 and
26; April 2, 9 and 30; and May 7 and 21. They beginat 2 PM and take 2-2.5 hr. If you'd like to come outand enjoy an afternoon walk in a seldom-visited cor-ner of the park, bring water and good walking shoes.Meet your volunteer leader in the parking lot be-tween the swimming pool and refectory. From thereit is a short car pool to the trailhead. Volunteer hikeleaders this spring are Caroline Easley, Gene Mould-en, Louise Ridlon, Andy Butler and Sue Arcy.
Image by LPMN member Andy Butler.
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they appear to hug the topogra-phy like a blanket. With almost 1million hectares (unit of areadefined as 10,000 squaremeters) of Ireland covered byblanket bog, it is far more com-mon than the smaller-scaleraised bogs. The cutting of peator 'turf' for fuel began in the 17thcentury and continued at an in-creasing rate until the mid 20thcentury. About 15% of blanketbog in the Irish Republic, and50% in Northern Ireland, hasbeen destroyed by cutting.Since the turf from blanket bogsis not the same quality as theturf from raised bogs, blanketbogs have escaped the destruc-tion.
Irish Blanket bogs are al-so being drained to convert theminto grassland for grazing orplanting of conifer plantations.Ireland has the lowest percent-age of forested land of anycountry in Europe, and the largescale development of coniferplantations has been an attemptat resolution. I think I need toplan another trip to Ireland as Ihave yet to visit one of the Coni-fer Plantations.
Private turf cutters contin-ue to use blanket bogs althoughthe blanket bogs are not used somuch by industry as in the past.Thus these important sites willbe preserved for future genera-tions.
Starting in the 1700’s, theraised bogs of Ireland were uti-lized as a cheap source of fuel.Most of this was cut by hand,and laid in the sun to dry beforebeing burned. My mother-in-lawtalked of “footing-the-bog”. The
My mother-in-law, BridgetGrogan King wasborn and raised inCounty Mayo, Ire-land. She hadmany stories to tellof her childhoodincluding thoseabout choresaround the farmwhere she wasraised.. WhenJeannie asked forIrish submissionsfor the newsletterin honor of St. Pat-rick’s Day, I had totell you a bit aboutthe bogs. It is oneof those things Isort of knew buthad never put intowords and I mustadmit, I had to doa bit of research.A lot of what I havewritten here camefrom Travel
Through Irelands “Irish Peat Bogs”.Bogs have been used for the past few centuries as a
source of fuel in Europe. While many of the bogs in Europe arenow gone, Ireland's bogs now have an increased importance tothe scientific community, as well as the tourist industry.
Although most bogs appear similar, there are in fact twovery distinct types. Blanket Bogs are expansive, generallyformed in wet or upland areas. (Refer to Figure 1) RaisedBogs (Figure 2) are smaller, generally formed in lowland areas.
Blanket bogs are formed where the rainfall is high. Thisis typical of western and mountain regions of Ireland. Referringto Figure 1, you can see why they are called blanket bogs as
By LPMN member Lisa KingBy LPMN member Lisa King
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Grogan siblings would follow the men cutting theturf and use their toes to tilt the pieces of turf onend to allow them to dry. After World War 2, thegovernment set up Bord na Móna (to cut peat bymechanical means and this simply acceleratedthe process. In 1969, there were just 100,000hectares of raised-bog left in Ireland, of whichBord na Móna owned 45,000 hectares. Most ofthis will be exhausted by the middle of the comingcentury.
In recent years, there has been increasedawareness of the importance of raised bogs.
Today in Northern Ireland, almost all raisedbogs are being preserved as Areas of SpecialScientific Interest. It has been noted that theremoval of large areas of bog is leavingbehind a new landscape for which some usewill have to be found. Most of the cut-overareas are being carefully restored to blend inwith the local environment.
During a trip to Ireland in 1982, wevisited Ballyhaunis where the Grogan kidswere raised. An old schoolmate of theirs wasin the process of building a new house. Theoutside walls were being constructed ofmasonry blocks instead of wood studs. Thehouse was to be heated with water heatedusing ‘turf”. A return visit in April 1986 provedit worked well during one of those 26 blanketnights!
I have to share the next picture as wehavesuchgoodmemories ofthis trip.In2006,we tooka trip toIrelandwith
Paulette and Henry Boudreaux. We visitedall the famous tourist attractions and at oneparticular castle we found the ancient roomswere being heated by burning peat in thefireplaces. Outside the back we discovered ahuge pile of ‘turf’. Henry, keen on having apiece as a souvenir, grabbed a piece as weall quickly piled into the vehicle and spedaway like common thieves. We had a goodlaugh, but the fact is, the Irish people aresuch lovely and welcoming folks, all you needdo is ask for a piece of ‘turf’ and they will giveyou someJ
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The United Na-tions has called Bam-boo, the plant that willsave this Planet andChinese, call it a mysti-cal plant.
Bamboo is agrass, but with a woodystalk; a group of woodyperennial evergreenplants in the grass fami-ly Poaceae, sub familyBambusoideae withabout 1200 members.
There are over1250 species of bamboogrowing from sea levelto 13,500 feet, with va-rieties found on everycontinent but the frozenpoles. Bamboo has be-come a hot "green" commodity used in everything from fiber toflooring to fabric. However, few understand its unmatchedabilities to sequester CO2 to help fight climate change.
Two growing habits: running (R) , clumping(C). All have underground stems called rhizomes by which theplant colonizes - or spreads into an area. Clumpers stay in oneplace. Runners don’t; they make a grove.
Rhizomes can extend some distance, are jointed withnodes at which a culm or another rhizome can grow; some areinvasive; if unrestrained, can lift sidewalks and driveways, entera neighbor’s yard unwanted, sometimes giving bamboos a badreputation. Rhizomes stay near soil surface - top 12 inches -unless soil is very loose. Then they may go deeper. Constrainwith concrete walls, plastic barriers, or keep in containers. Rhi-zome tips push their way to new territory. New culms cancome up some distance from original stand -more than 10 ft.for larger varieties.
Rhizomes are short. New shoots, called culmscome up close to parent culm.
Clas-sification of a bam-boo species dependson observation anddescription of all itsparts: rhizome,culm, culm sheath,branching habit,leaves, and finallyflowers - and conse-quent seeds - whichare most difficult toobserve becausemost bamboos flow-er very infrequently -20+ years. Further,mature plants canoften look quite dif-ferent from juvenileor just-out-of-thecontainer nurserystock.
Bamboo is used as a living fence for privacy,noisecontrol in residential areas as a decorative plant in landscap-ing, or as soil remediation, revitalizing dead soil and soil ero-sion control by conservationists.
The United Nations has introduced bamboo as a re-placement for cutting valuable trees and deforestation in Afri-ca and areas of India . Up to 25% of bamboo culms can beharvested each year and the roots will happily send newshoots up. Bamboo will live and produce up to 100-120years. Thus the sustainable name . Taking what our environ-ment has excess of, namely CO2 and Sunlight, and produc-ing Organic Matter + Oxygen + Raw Material.
South America is in the forefront of Bamboo Archi-tecture ,the research done by the Bali group is worth lookinginto www.bamboocentral.org is the site. For more informa-tion on locally grown bamboo, please go to:www.texasbamboosociety.org .
Image of rare flowering specimen from Florida from the Wikipedia site:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ArundinariaGiganteaMar03.jpg
Sustainable BambooBy Minoo Sherkat LPMN member in training and Education Coordinator, Texas Bamboo Society
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Claytonia_virginica_2_Radnor_Lake.jpg
(Picture above.)Volunteer request to help in a pollinator moni-toring program. Duties are to observe localpollinators of spring beauty (Claytonia virginicaand Claytonia caroliniana) - which is found inour area as one of our spring wildflowers. Thegoal is to document changing pollinator popu-lations to determine how pollinator communi-ties change depending on the year, thelocation, and the season. Only 2 hours of ob-servations over the course of three weeks arerequired. For more information, go to:http://springbeauties.wordpress.com/.
Speakers are needed dur-ing the day to give 10 - 20 minute longpresentations on topics such as native plantlandscaping, organic soil amendment orsimilar natural resource topics. Sharedbooth space will be available for free duringthe day for all scheduled speakers. Pleasecontact Jill Strube [email protected] or go tohttp://smithvilleemptybowl.com/ for moredetails about the project.
..
The spring 2011 series of Saturday morn-ing interpretive hikes has been led by ourchapter since 2000 and TPWD depends onus to do this. The hike starts at 10 am, isabout 1 mile long (a loop) and takes aboutan hour. Please contact Sue Fischer [email protected].
. 2 pm Saturdays, 2. 6 mile hike that in-
. There is a small native garden whichhas a sign depicting the species planted there.Most of the plants have died or are in poor con-dition. Upon speaking to Linda Greene wholives across the street and is keeper of the keys, Ilearned that they would be happy to have MasterNaturalist volunteers come and plant some newnatives there. Maybe a butterfly garden.? Theyhave quite a bit of land in that neighborhood sowe might be able to do more planting on theproperty. Please let me know if you are interest-ed in pursuing this project. Carol [email protected]
– Kathy McA-leese is coordinating a long-term project to sur-vey trails through the burned-out areas ofMcKinney Roughs. Plans call for at least twosurveys per month, one during the week and oneon a weekend. Actual days and times will varybased on the weather and Kathy’s schedule.Please contact her at (512) 718-1313 [email protected] if you are interested inleading or participating in either weekday orweekend surveys, or both.
Last Saturday of every month, 9 am - 1 pm.Combining volunteer work with learning aboutlocal ecology, the Ecological Literacy Day atHornsby Bend begins with several hours of out-door work - ranging from trail maintenance tohabitat restoration to work in the native plantnursery - and ends with at least an hour of learn-ing about local ecology – birds, bugs and more!Wear boots and work clothing and bring yourbinoculars. For more information, contact KevinAnderson at [email protected] or512-972-1960.
– SecondSaturday of each month. Meet at the Center forEnvironmental Research at 7 am for the morningsurvey (coffee and donuts at 6:30 am) and 4 pmfor the afternoon survey. All levels of birders arewelcome – the survey is a great way to improveyour skills since we form teams matching experi-enced and novice birders. For more information,contact Eric Carpenter at [email protected].
cludes great dogwood groves and lots ofwildflowers. Contact Andy Butler at :[email protected].
.Volunteers needed to assist the McKinneyRoughs staff in the festival activities.Details to come. If interested, contact Ly-nette Holtz atl [email protected].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Monarch_In_May.jpg
is requesting sightings of! For
more info, go tohttp://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/index.html
Bill Brooks is really needing volunteersin order to continue the great fishing pro-gram at Bastrop and Buescher State Parks.This is a free event for families with chil-dren ages 5 and older where they aretaught how to fish. Experience not re-quired. Contact Bill if you can help [email protected].
. As in past yearswe will be plotting the swifts' movementsnorthward over the next few months.Please contact the folks at the followingsite when you see the first ones!http://www.concentric.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ChimneySwift23.jpg
Volunteer Opportunities
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10:30 tonoon.Taught by Tommie Clayton,Certified Master Gardener.Registration not required.
[email protected] formore information.
9 -12 pm. Save natural resources andmoney using water-wise landscap-ing plants suitable for the CentralTexas climate. Learn how to selectand place native plants for a waterconserving landscape. Focus onplant choices right for your site,attracting wildlife, harvesting rain-water and use of dry creeks forslowing down water runoff and ero-sion.http://www.lcra.org/parks/parks_calendar.html
Trainingwill provide participants with theskills and knowledge they need totag monarchs, monitor milkweed formonarch life stages and contributeto international monarch research.Cost is $30 and pre-registration isrequired by calling (830) 249-4616. http://www.cibolo.org/.
, 7 pm atthe
. Kim Bacon will intro-duce you to a variety of TexasNative Bees and how to encouragethese mega-pollinators to visit yourgarden. Part of the Austin ButterflyForum monthly chapter meeting.http://www.austinbutterflies.org/
Each walk will last 1hour, with at least a half hour ofthat being outside - so dress for theweather. Cost is . For moreinformation, go to:http://www.lcra.org/parks/earthdayfestival/index.html
byMargie Crisp. Please bring yourfavorite sketchbook andpencil/pen/colored pencils. Smallsketchbooks (4” x 6”) and mechan-ical pencils recommended.
by native plantexpert Matt Warnock Turner.
Bring your cameras and join Brianand Shirley Loflin for photographyhints.
Meet theauthor of
Andrew Price, for a quick intro-duction on how to be safe andaware in venomous snake country.
Sponsored by Use-ful Wild Plants. Scooter Cheatham& Lynn Marshall will teach thispopular class. Space is limited.Minimum age is 18. $425- perperson. 512.928.4441 (ask forLynn) or [email protected].
9 - 12 pm. Edible wild plants areeverywhere, abundant, local, free,and a sustainable source of varietyin the diet. Learn about the manycommon, renewable, edible andmedicinal wild plants growing inyour neighborhood. There arethousands of species of edible andmedicinal plants in the world, yetfewer than 20 species provide 90percent of our food. There arehundreds of less well-known deli-cious and nutritious edible plantsthat live in our back yards andfields. Registration re-quired.http://www.lcra.org/parks/parks_calendar.html
.First National Bank, . Partof the Bastrop County AudubonSociety Chapter meeting.http://www.bastropcountyaudubon.org/
“It‛s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you‛vegot it, you want – oh, you don‛t quite know what it is you do want, but
it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”-Mark Twain
Advanced Training
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9- 12:30. This fills up fast, reg-ister now. additional informa-tion for all programs at theranch can be found athttp://www.bambergerranch.org/tours/#tour
Ranch biologist,Steven Fulton, will lead thisovernight workshop on thebirds of Selah. Night hike tofind screech owls and othernocturnal critters. Lodging willbe at the Center. Rise early onSaturday for a birding tour thatwill cover several importanthabitat types. Space is limitedto 20 participants, so registerearly. Cost - $150 per person.http://www.bambergerranch.org/tours/#overnight
Visit lakes and dams and learnabout their design and function,and how they were construct-
– WaterfowlManagement, Jim Cathey
– Aquatic WeedControl, Billy Higginbotham
– DoveManagement, Dale RollinsThe other topics and datesare listed on the website list-ed to the left.
These programs been approved for
advanced training both fromthe state level and our localchapter. Go forth and webi-nar!
ed. Identify soils, and learntheir potential use in dam andpond construction, and alsohow to identify sites on yourland that can hold water whenponds are properly construct-ed. Inexpensive projects, somethat you can do yourself, tohelp you develop hidden waterresources.
.http://www.bambergerranch.org/tours/#water
provide sound, science-basedwildlife management optionsdelivered by experts to you inthe comfort of your own homeor office. It’s Easy! All youneed is a modern computerwith a quality Internetconnection and a bag lunch.Just point your browser tohttp://forestrywebinars.net,click on the “Wildlife forLunch” link in the “UpcomingWebinars” section, and followthe instructions.
(all times are Noon to1:00 pm Central Time)
With all of the yellow pine pollen coating everything thesedays, it begs the question - are pine trees flowering plants?The answer is NO! Pine trees are gymnosperms and by defi-nition evolved before flowering plants, or angiosperms, did.The key difference that separates the two is whether or notthe ovule is “naked”. The word gymnosperm comes from aGreek word meaning “naked seed” as their ovules, and laterseeds, are exposed on the bracts of cones. Angiosperms have
Advanced Training
March 15 - June 15.Sponsored by Ladybird Johnson
Wildflower Center.
http://www.wildflower.org/photocontest/
ovules which are hidden away in the recesses of floweringparts, resulting in a need for stigmas and styles and otherflowering organs. These parts are what make up the flowerand have resulted in the co-evolution of pollination via in-sects and other animals and very often wind. Gymnosperms,lacking such an encumbrance, rely only on the wind andgravity for the pollen to find an ovule and thus result in seedcreation. There are other basic difference between the twogroups, but the basics are there in all of that yellow powderyglory.
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Join the fun Friday evenings this spring at
Nature Nights are fun explorations of plants,animals, and the ecology of Central Texas.Each evening features interactivepresentations, hikes with experts in theirfields, and nature crafting for kids of allages. :Wildflowers & Pollinators.
$7 entrance fee.http://tinyurl.com/4kegwmc
9:30 - 11:00 pm. Fourth Friday ofthe month through August. Explore the gal-axy together as our astronomer takes you ona tour of the Milky Way that's truly out ofthis world! Learn about the constellationsand marvel at the beauty and mystery of theuniverse in this spectacular program forthe whole family. Program will be canceledin the event of inclement weather.http://www.lcra.org/parks/parks_calendar.html
Lots of topics including the festival mascot,the Horned Lizard, bees, native grasses andsnakes by our very own Bill Brooks! Formore info, check out the website at:http://txmn.org/elcamino/naturefest/
. Aus-tin. This will include gardens that featurerain-water collection systems, drip irriga-tion, xeric and native plant selections, raingardens, shade gardens, and water-conserv-ing practices. Each garden will feature edu-cational sessions throughout the day. Cost is$10 for the entire tour or $5 for an individu-al garden.http://www.tcmastergardeners.org/what/gardentour.html
At the Wildflower Center's Spring PlantSale and Gardening Festival you can choosefrom over 300 species of Texas native plants.The event also features artists and authors sign-ing their works in the store, guided walks andtalks and tips for your garden from experts. Ad-mission is $8 for non-members.http://wildflower.org/plantsale/
has completedphase one (of three)for opening a newchapter! Serving theareas of Jasper andNewton counties, theyplan to begin their firsttraining class as earlyas April 2011, pendingapproval of their PhaseII application.
- a wikipe-dia type guide on theinternet with over 23%of the spider and insectspecies represented!Everyone from univer-sity experts to buggeeks are contributing,making this a greatplace to check out yourfavorite critter.http://bugguide.net
has aCheck out the Febru-ary and March editionsat the TMN website viaitunes at:http://txmn.org/podcast-2/
! Thanks to for filling
that position! If youhave any need of hos-pitality, she’s the ladyto go to. :)
A book about the mysti-cal Monarch Butterfly! A bigportion of the sale of the book maybe designated to go to MonarchWatch. For the book, go to:http://www.forlymonarch.com.For more information about theMonarch Watch program, go to:http://monarchwatch.org/blog/.
National Public GardensDay is a national day of celebrationto raise awareness of America’spublic gardens and their importantrole in promoting environmentalstewardship and awareness, plantand water conservation, and educa-tion in communities nationwide.http://nationalpublicgardensday.org/
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Cedar Creek Park ButterflyDiscovery Garden
Plans are underway to developa Discovery Butterfly Gardenat the new Cedar Creek Park onFM 535 near SH 21 in CedarCreek. The Lost Pines MasterNaturalists have been asked tohelp with the planting phase ofthe garden. Plans are for a ded-ication ceremony on Sunday,April 10, so the planting shouldbe completed by March 27.Park Administrator RickBreare shared the plans and hisvision for the development ofthe garden. He anticipates hav-ing students from Cedar CreekElementary and Cedar CreekMiddle Schools come to helpwith the planting, thereby giv-ing them ownership and a stakein seeing the garden thrive.The garden will include a sit-ting area with center table, acouple of small courtyard ar-eas, a large entry sculpture, anInsectary where the metamor-phosis process can be ob-served, and plaques identifyingcommon native species of but-terflies.
I’m writing this the dayafter we returned home from atrip to California to celebratemy mother’s 90th birthday. Ihad two or three false starts try-ing to write a column aboutTexas while in another state—itdoesn’t work! We returned tofind the landscape, so winter-worn when we left, beginning towake up. Henbit and crow poi-son adorn the yard with blos-soms. A row of daffodils I’dforgotten I planted greeted mewith yellow blooms. A quicksurvey found the winter birds—yellow-bellied sapsucker, Amer-ican goldfinch, yellow-rumpedwarblers, pine siskins, chippingsparrows, and the lone rufoushummingbird-- were stillaround. But where I had beenin a winter-induced. lethargy(“It’s too cold”: “I’ll just sit andenjoy the sun”), now I felt anenergy to get out and work. Onour first day home Frank and Ifilled feeders, raked out flower-beds, cleaned the pond, cut outdead shrubs, anything to get usoutside. The reward was notonly a cleaner yard, but hearinga flock of sandhill cranes noisilyheading north. I’m sure wehaven’t seen the last of the coldweather, but the natural worldaround us has wakened and ledus into a new season. Hopefullythe energy that comes withspring will translate into actionwith many of our volunteers. In anticipation of thatrenewed energy, the Pines and
campfire that evening. Some food will be provided. Bring tents,camping trailers, vans, or whatever, and spend the night campingalong the Colorado with members of our chapter and other volun-teers. Tools will be provided; just bring your work gloves, insectrepellent, lunch, and water, and your initiative. I’m sure you’ve all noticed the news about state and federalbudget cuts. Unfortunately, one of the proposed cuts is to the StateWildlife Grants programs. This would directly impact the TexasMaster Naturalist program. As a private citizen, you are encouragedto voice your concern to your senators. Remember, though, not tospeak in the name of the Texas Master Naturalist program. This iscontrary to the state program’s bylaws, and could result in dismissalfrom the program. To receive updates on matters involving theTMN, sign up for the TMN listserve: send an email [email protected] with the message “Subscribe tmn”. You won’tusually receive more than two or three emails a week, and it helpsyou keep up on the activities of the state organization. Our newest trainees have already been involved in volunteeractivities. Dale reports new helpers with the Dragonfly Trail bridge-building projects. A number participated in the Great Backyard BirdCount in February. Others ensure that snacks and refreshments areavailable at training sessions. Once again, I have been impressed bythe enthusiasm and eagerness of the trainees. It’s been enjoyable torevisit the curriculum while attending the training classes. A fewyears’ experience provides a different perspective from which toview the presentations. I hope many veteran members will attend atraining class or two.
The speaker for our March 21 chapter meeting, Paul Yura,received rave reviews from last year’s class for his presentation onweather and climate. We’ll meet at 6:30 at the Lockhart State ParkRecreation Hall. This is a joint chapter/training meeting. We’ll seewhether March is showing its lion or lamb character by then!
Prairies Land Trust is sponsoring aSpring Cleanup weekend at the Col-orado River Refuge and RecreationTrails. Trailmaster Dale Morrisonhas compiled a list of projects thatrequire more than two or threehours. The plan is for volunteers toattend a training session on toolsafely on Saturday morning, spendthe day working on projects, thenenjoy the camaraderie around a
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STATE PROGRAM CONTACTS
Website: http://txmn.org/
State Coordinator: Michelle Haggerty,[email protected]; (979) 458-2034.
The Texas Master Naturalist program is sponsored bythe Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the TexasParks and Wildlife Department.
SPONSOR CONTACTS
Caldwell Co. Extension Office: Jeff Watts;[email protected]; (512) 398-3122.
Bastrop Co. Extension Office: Rachel Bauer, CEA-AG/NR; [email protected]; (512) 581-7186.
Bastrop/Caldwell Co. TPWD Wildlife Biologist:Meredith Longoria, 804 Pecan, Bastrop,[email protected]; (512) 332-7280.
Newsletter DeadlineDeadline for the next issue is March. 27, 2010. We welcome relevant
contributions, photos, announcements, or other material relating to the
mission of the Texas Master Naturalist program, particularly those
pertaining to our local area. Please send information to Jeannie Jessup:
Lost Pines Master Naturalist
Monthly Meeting Schedule 6:30 PM. Recreation
Hall. Paul Yura will speak about weather and climate (joint
meeting with 2011 training class).
. 6:30 PM. Bastrop State Park Refec-
tory. Flo Oxley, director of plant conservation, will
give a talk. (Joint meeting with 2011 training class.)
All pictures in thisnewsletter from Wikipe-dia are released underCC-BY-SA.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Cedar Creek Park Butterfly DiscoveryGarden
LPMN volunteers were involved in planting this newgarden on March 5! Pictured above is Anna Stal-cup digging a hole for honeysuckle (the native typewe hope!) - eventually there will be a trellis forthe vines, too. Also involved in the fun were Tam-my Vickery and Louise Ridlon. An additional plant-ing date was on March 12 that included more ofour volunteer family… we‛re still awaiting picturesfrom that event.
The Butterfly Discovery Garden is currently beingbuilt in the center of the circle drive around thesenior domino pavilion. The plan is for a smooth,wheelchair accessible walking trail. For more in-formation on the garden, go to:http://cedarcreekpark.org/thegarden.htm