native plant society of texas · web viewfield trip leader and/or co-leader. 2007 presentation on...

Native Plant Society of Texas Tyler Chapter Newsletter

http://www.npsot.org/Tyler/

March 2011 Newsletter

Next Chapter Meeting

MondayMarch 7th @ 7:00 PMTyler Nature Center

11942 FM 848Tyler, TX

5:00 Dinner at Posados, 6:30 Workshop at Nature Center, 7:00 Meeting at Nature Center

Directions: In Tyler take Loop 323 to SH 248 (southeast of Tyler). Go east on SH 248 past the UT Tyler Campus to FM 848 (about 3 miles). Turn right on FM 848 and travel 0.7 mile. The Nature Center is on the right.

This Month’s Program

Dr. Herb Jarrell - Botanical Déjà vu- -a Travelogue of the Pacific Northwest

Future Programs

April 4th 2011 (joint meeting w/Audubon) Mr. Glenn Olsen -- Certified Texas Master Naturalist

“ The Importance of Native Plants to the Birds of East Texas”

http://www.npsot.org/Tyler/


Mr. Olsen’s Biography

A life long interest in nature, the environment and ecology.

A self taught amateur naturalist with special interests in Birds, Native Texas Plants, Insects and their ecology. A passionate student of birds and their habitat for twenty years.

Instructor : Rice University School of Continuing Studies Various classes, some repeated since 2005, including Bird Identification, Butterfly Gardening, Flora and Fauna of Texas, and Organic Gardening. Current Course is Birding on the Upper Texas Coast. Begins March 2011. visit www. gscs.rice.edu. Approved for Advanced Training for Texas Master Naturalists.

Instructor : Rice University School of Continuing Studies . Course Butterfly Identification and Gardening For Texas September 17, 2008. Approved for Advanced Training for Texas Master Naturalists. The first course of its kind offered through Rice’s Continuing Studies Department. http://www.scs.rice.edu

Instructor : Rice University School of Continuing Studies . Course The Flora and Fauna of Texas. February28, 2008. In conjunction with Houston Audubon Society, Texas Parks & Wildlife, The Native Plant Society of Texas, and The Texas Master Naturalist Program. Approved for Advanced Training for Texas Master Naturalists. The first course of its kind offered through Rice’s Continuing Studies Department. http://www.scs.rice.edu

Gardening With Native Plants to Attract Birds and Butterflies. In conjunction with Houston Audubon Society, Texas Parks & Wildlife, The Native Plant Society of Texas, and The Master Naturalist Program. Approved for Advanced Training for Texas Master Naturalists.

The first course of its kind offered through Rice’s Continuing Studies Department. Begins Oct 04, 2007. http://www.scs.rice.edu/scs

Birding On The Upper Texas Gulf Coast. The first course of its kind offered through Rice’s Continuing Studies Department. Sept 2006. Classes and field trips. Approved for Advanced Training for Texas Master Naturalists.

Instructor: Houston Audubon Society. Beginning and Intermediate Birding Classes. Fall 2004 to current. Classes and field trips. Approved for Advanced Training for Texas Master Naturalists

http://www.houstonaudubon.org/ Home Page

http://www.houstonaudubon.org/index.cfm?MenuItemID=598&MenuGroup=Home

Instructor: Introduction to Bird Identification Classes Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens 2005 to 2007. Classes and field trips. Approved for Advanced Training for Texas Master Naturalists

http://www.hcp4.net/mercer/

http://www.hcp4.net/mercer/

http://www.houstonaudubon.org/index.cfm?MenuItemID=598&MenuGroup=Home

http://www.houstonaudubon.org/

http://www.scs.rice.edu/scs

http://www.scs.rice.edu/

http://www.scs.rice.edu/


Rockport/Fulton Hummingbird Festival 2010 Presentations; Hummingbirds of Ecuador, and Lasagna Gardening For Hummingbirds. Invited back for 2011.

Galveston FeatherFest 2007 to 2011 Presentations on Gardening to Attract Birds. Field Trip Leader and/or co-leader. 2007 Presentation on Gardening to Attract Birds

Board of Houston Audubon Society as V.P. Education 2002-2004 . In addition to Board activities, organized nine educational programs related to birds and habitat for community outreach.

President 2001-2002 of the Native Plant Society Of Texas, a statewide organization with 32 chapters and 1850 members throughout the State. President of Houston Chapter 1998-2000. Served on the State Board in various capacities 3 years. Served on Houston Chapter Board various capacities 12 years

Certified Texas Master Naturalist: Served on the steering committee to bring the Master Naturalist Progam to Housotn and establish the first chapter here, Gulf Coast Chapter

Completed the program with the Heatwood Master Naturalist. Chapter. Have been and instructor in various chapter’s instruction for new participants.

Co-founder of the “WildScapes WorkShops". A partnership between the Houston Chapter of the Native Plant Society and Texas Parks and Wildlife to sponsor an annual event hosting speakers to educate individuals about ecology, habitat, native plants, and landscaping to attract and benefit wildlife. Now in the twelfth, year this all day educational event includes a native plant sale, seed sale, and book sale that attracts 150 to 200 attendees per year from over 30 communities surrounding Houston. I have advised two other chapters which have started similar events in other parts of the state.

Contributing Author 2004-2009 Houston Chronicle Real Estate Homes Section on behalf of Urban Harvest. Contributed articles on plants and birds for the Houston Chronicle, various garden clubs and nature related organizations, newsletters and the Houston Audubon Society.

Field Trip Leader Over the past fifteen years have acted as leader and/or co-leader for numerous field trips for various organizations such as Galveston Featherfest, Texas Ornithological Society, Stepehen F. Austin College Regional Plant Conference, Houston Ornithology Group, , the Native Plant Society of Texas Houston, and Texas Master Naturalist’s

Served as a speaker to the Entrance Landscaping Committee at the University Of Houston to improve the landscaping image of the campus, resulting in a designated Native Texas Plants landscape project and future use of Native Texas plants in other areas of the campus.

Served as a speaker on Native Texas Plants and or Birding for various Master Gardener certification classes, the WildScapes Work Shop, Texas Master Naturalist meetings and Training, Houston Ornithology Group and other educational events.


Instrumental in the establishment of "butterfly and bird habitat gardens" at several Houston elementary schools one of which, The Branch School received special recognition at the Houston Audubon Society’s Gala in 2005

Served as a warden for the National Audubon Society monitoring colonial nesting birds in Rockport, TX.

Served in various volunteer capacities for the Rockport Hummingbird Festival 2nd through 9th years.

Served with the Nature Conservancy’s pilot project to introduce captive reared endangered "Attwater's Prairie Chicken" to their preserve near Texas City, TX.

Member of American Birding Association, Houston Audubon Society, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, Texas Ornithological Society, Houston Ornithology Group, Native Plant Society of Texas and the Outdoor Nature Club.

Bachalor’s Degree in Philosophy. Self studies in ecology, birds, and plants.

Professionally, an Independent Benefits Planner who works with individuals and small business owners to establish retirement, medical and other benefit plans.

Guide for Birding, Nature & Photography Tours. Self Employed. Organize and lead tours for groups or individuals covering all regions of Texas and key Birding and Natural History areas of other states. Have organized and lead Special Tours to the Galapagos Island, the Rain and Cloud Forests of Ecuador, the Andes Mountains of Ecuador and several areas of Costa Rica.

May 2nd 2011 - waiting for confirmation from Speaker

President’s MessageHello everybody,

Spring is here, though we may still have a late freeze or two. But some flowers are here already. And I find it interesting that most of the earliest ones are naturalized here—not native. As far as the little wildflowers that are blooming now, only Crow Poison and Dandelions are native. Most of the mustards and chickweeds and even the pinky-purple Henbit, Lamium amplexiaule, that is every yard, are originally from Europe and Asia. The pretty bulbs in your flower beds—the hyacinths, grape hyacinths, narcissus and daffodils—are all from the Mediterranean region. Crocus are from a bit more north in Europe. Ron and I saw them growing wild in Switzerland. Tulips are from the Mediterranean region and on into Asia Minor. Even all our fancy pansies and violas are developed from the European Viola tricolor. On the other hand, our earliest flowering yard shrubs are from China—forsythia, flowering quince, camellias and winter honeysuckle. And the earliest flowering trees are also from China—Tulip Magnolia and Callery Pear, from which Bradford Pear is developed. Our natives will be coming along soon—the


redbuds, dogwoods, plums, and the phlox, paintbrush, ragwort, coreopsis—the list goes on and on. But we have to thank the rest of the world for most of our earliest spring color.

Talking about plants brings to mind the NICE! (Natives Instead of Common Exotics) program that Elizabeth Parks, Jim Showen and I are working on. We should have signs out at Blue Moon Gardens this month and maybe in others. Our first “featured native” will be Louisiana Phlox, Phlox divaricata. And we have picked out other natives to feature every other month. This is a worthwhile project that can show the Tyler area what the Native Plant Society is trying to do. I hope we can keep it up.

My thanks to all the people that helped at the Spring Garden Conference. Sonnia was nice enough to write it up. I hope we can sell a few more of our trees at the rest of our meetings.

One last thing—if you are asked to be an officer for next year, please say yes. Our chapter has been going for twenty years, now, and we want to keep it going another twenty. The jobs aren’t that difficult. Anyone can do them; and they don’t require a lot of time. So, please say yes.

Ruth Loper

President, Tyler Chapter, NPSOT

HELP WANTED

We have a chance to sell some of our little potted trees at the Earth Day Celebration at Camp Tyler on Sunday April 17, from 10:00 until 3:00. But I have to register by March 4, which is next Friday. So far I have found no one that can man our table there. If we don’t sell our trees there, we may have to wait until the Fall Garden Conference. If you can help on Earth Day, please give me a call THIS WEEK at 903-839-7695. Our meeting is after the registration deadline.

Ruth Loper

NPSOT Presence at 2011 Master Gardner Spring Conference

In preparation for our booth at the East Texas Spring and Landscape Conference on February 12th, Ron and Ruth Loper went to Haughton, LA, just past Shreveport, to pick up the 50 assorted and labeled seedlings sold to us for $40 by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. On January 29th Lynn Sherrod, Ron and Ruth Loper, Dennis Minor, Kay Jenkins, Jim and Laquita Showen and Sonnia Hill met at Kay's house to put the seedlings in pots. Ron and Ruth had bought 7 large bags of potting soil and we got to work potting the seedlings and labeling them for sale.


The Conference was held at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. It was well-attended and we appreciate all the help we had from Ron and Ruth Loper, who set up the booth before 8:00 am, Kay Jenkins, who brought the seedlings, Bonnie Pride, who came all the way from Alabama to help, Fran and Clyde Mc Kinney and Sonnia Hill. Laquita was attending the conference and pitched right in to help us bring in the trees. We also had some wildflower and garden flower seeds for sale. There was a large bag of potting soil that was left over so we donated it as a door prize (my husband sarcastically asks, "So, the much-anticipated grand prize was a sack of dirt?").

It was quite a successful money-raising event for us. Between the wildflower seeds and the trees we made $188. We sold out of the cherrybark oaks and the loblolly pines but still have quite a few seedlings left in case anyone is interested in purchasing some.

Following is the list and price of the trees that are still available for purchase. Please preorder any trees you wish to buy by emailing Kay Jenkins at [email protected] or leaving a message at 903-566-1624. She will bring them to our March meeting. Thank you.

Tree Size PriceAmount

Eastern Redbud 1 ga $3.00 7

Green Ash 1 ga $3.00 1

Nuttall Oak 1 ga $3.00 3

Overcup Oak 1 ga $3.00 2

River Birch 1 ga $3.00 1

Shortleaf Pine 1 ga $3.00 7

Water Oak 1 ga $3.00 3

White Oak 1 ga $3.00 1


Willow Oak 1 ga $3.00 4

Subtotal 29

Green Ash 3 ga $5.00 2

Native Pecan 3 ga $5.00 3

Overcup Oak 3 ga $5.00 1

Subtotal 6

NPSOT BOOTH


SEEDLINGS

Sonnia Hill

Biological Assessment Team Members Needed in East TexasTexas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Diversity Program is looking for knowledgeable individuals interested in joining an East Texas team of plant or herp enthusiasts to participate in a biological assessment on private property near Ben Wheeler, TX, Van Zandt County. The goal for this pilot project is to get professionals and hobbyists in the field for some fun botanizing and herping, as well as looking at the feasibility of putting together biological assessment teams for future projects. Another important goal for this project is to help fill the gaps in the Texas Natural Diversity Database. This database, maintained by TPWD, tracks rare species throughout the state and data is greatly needed. For this pilot project there will be two teams, one surveying herps and one surveying plants.

The project begins Friday evening on May 13, 2011 and runs through Sunday, May 15, 2011. The location is private ranch near Ben Wheeler, TX. Exact directions will be given out upon registration.

Agenda:

May 13th - 7pm - Project Overview then amphibian survey for herp team May 14th – Plant and herp surveys at two or more properties (times will be

determined by teams)


May 15th – Continue surveys

There are plush cabins with internet at the ranch but space is limited so please contact me as soon as possible and I will reserve a spot for you.

Future projects may also include bird and mammal survey teams, if herps and plants aren’t your thing. We also plan to expand this project throughout the state, so projects such as this may soon be available in your area.

If you would like join us on May 13th and be a member of a plant or herp team in East Texas, please contact me at:

Marsha E. May Texas Nature Trackers Wildlife Diversity Branch Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744(512.389.8062) [email protected]

Photo SectionRemember to visit: Spot, Snap, Send, & Share on our web site.

http://www.npsot.org/Tyler/Album.html

Announcements

Caddo Wildflower Chapter NPSOT: meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are held in Atlanta at Horn Enterprises located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Texas Hwy. 77 and Texas Hwy. 43. (Just off U.S. 59 on the southwest side of Atlanta.) The old Texas National Guard armory sits diagonally across the same intersection on the southwest corner. The Atlanta ISD Junior High School is across the street.

Lake Country Chapter NPSOT: meets at 7:00 p.m. the first Tuesday at the Titus County AgriLife Extension building, 1708 Industrial Road (FM 1402), Mount Pleasant.

Four Corners Chapter NPSOT: meets at 7:00 p.m. the first Thursday at Williams Memorial United Methodist Church parlor, 4000 Moores Lane, Texarkana.

Northeast Texas Organic Gardeners: meets at 10:00 a.m. the 1st Wednesday at Wildwood Eco-Farm in Kilgore. For directions call Carole Ramke at 903-986-9475

Cypress Basin Chapter Texas Master Naturalist: meets at 6:30 p.m. the 3rd Tuesday most months. For information on location email the president, Ted Barrow, @ [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



mailto:[email protected]

native plant society of texas · web viewfield trip leader and/or co-leader. 2007 presentation on...

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