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In the News
NO JULY MEETINGS FOR Blackland, CenTex, Fort Worth & San Antonio Chapters. Monitor Houston NPAT Chapter’s site to…
Read more of this >>Saturday, 7:30am-12 Noon Come out to INDIANGRASS PRAIRIE PRESERVE DAY {encode="kmharms3@gmail.com" title="CONTACT KIRSTI…
Read more of this >>“3rd Saturday Prairie Restoration Workday” at Kirchoff Family Farm MAYBE NEXT MONTH!We hope you can meet us Saturday, August 18, 2018, for project…
Read more of this >>Prairie Facts
Past News & Events
MAY 19, 2018 - Floresville, TX
PLEASE RSVP by NOON Friday, May 18, 2018
San Antonio NPAT’s 3rd Saturday Prairie Restoration Workday Kirchoff Family Farm
Open this LINK - Sign Up - Volunteer - Learn on this BEAUTIFUL PRAIRIE Located Southeast of San Antonio, in Wilson County.
The Coordinates are: North 28.973611 West -98.108333.
• Please wear close-toed shoes or boots, a long sleeve shirt, hat, bandana, and gloves will be handy.
• Bring sunscreen, insect repellant, AND your CAMERA!
• We’ll begin at 9 am and work on our ‘to do’ list.
• You can leave whenever you’re ready.
• In appreciation of offering time and energy, and at no cost to volunteers, the Kirchoff Family will provide everyone’s lunch and plenty of water!
April 7, 2018 - Austin, TX
Saturday, from 8:30am to 12 Noon (Sorry for the late notice!)
We wanted to share an opportunity at Indiangrass Prairie
We hope you will be able to join us along with Austin Nature Preserve System staff person, Rene’ Barrera, at Indian Grass Wildlife Sanctuary and help restore this Blackland prairie remnant:
• Participants will work on native prairie diversity at recent prescribed burn locations.
• Native seeding and plantings will help improve habitat for monarchs and other pollinators.
• Click here for more information and to sign up!
• NPAT and Austin Nature Preserve System plan to begin a series of other work/survey days at Indiangrass in the coming months. Stay tuned!
JOIN US for Central Texas prairie activities! Your membership helps support our mission of prairie appreciation and conservation.
April 7, 2018 - near Colorado City, TX
Maddin Prairie Preserve Workday
Maximum of 12 participants! Only a few spaces left. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
• We’ve planned a Workday on this wide-open 1,114-acre western prairie! Horned lizards, prairie dogs, and abundant birds and deer. Spectacular sunsets and starwatching.
• It’s a 4-hour drive from 4847 W Lawther between Mockingbird and E Northwest Hwy Drive to the top of the hill and park.
• Staying Friday and/or Saturday night recommended—camping, travel trailer, or the Comfort Inn in Colorado City.
April 10, 2018 - Dallas, TX
Blackland NPAT’s Naturalist Walk at Flag Pole Hill Prairie Park
(replaces Blackland NPAT April Chapter meeting)
Tuesday, 6:30 to 7:30 pm: Meet at the picnic shelter. Amy Martin will lead the walk.
Flag Pole Hill Prairie Park is a 107.1 acre metropolitan park, established in 1929:
• Walk the Flagpole Hill prairie and learn about the rare gilgai soil formations: “unique soil micro-depressions called gilgai. These shallow basins provide microhabitat for moisture-loving native plant species and indicate that the soil has not been tilled” The Nature Conservancy.
• Get a close look at spring wildflowers.
• Listen for crepuscular birds.
• Witness a great sunset.
April 9, 2018 RSVP to TPWD’s April 13, 2018 Workshop
“Cattle, Quail and Corridor Workshop” - Friday, 3-6pm
Texas Parks and Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Federation
Please RSVP by April 9 by telephone or email to:
979-277-6212 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 
April 11, 2018 - Fort Worth, TX
Stella Rowan Wildflower Hike
Wednesday, 5:45pm
Meet at Stella Rowan Prairie Pavilion
RSVP with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Join us at Stella Rowan Prairie, located on the grounds of Tarrant County Resource Connection.
5:45 pm We will gather to sign Liability Release Forms,
6:00 pm Walk begins and will conclude about 15 minutes before dusk.
COME PREPARED:
• Bring your phone, tablet or camera to record iNaturalist observations, if you want to remember all the species you see!
• Be sure to wear appropriate clothing: long pants, closed toe shoes, etc.
• Please bring your own water bottle.
• Watch Facebook and the FWNPAT website for details on where to park and meet everyone.
VERY IMPORTANT: Absolutely NO parking on the side of the road (i.e., not in a designated parking lot), as this really is a pet peeve of the property managers, and doing so could get us uninvited from being able to use the prairie for future group visits! Sorry about this strict rule, but the property managers have been kind enough to allow our group to use the prairie, so we need to abide by their guidelines.
April 12, 2018 – Plano, TX
Urban Wildlife Workshop
Thursday, 9a-3p
Plano Environmental Education Center
Workshop Focus: educational presentations on hogs, bumblebees, raccoon, opossum, and rats in our urban wildscape and how we can live with these critters.
• Registration cost: $25 Register HERE Proceeds go to the Texas Master Naturalist Program.
• Coordinator: Sam Kieschnick, Urban Wildlife Biologist, DFW, Texas Parks and Wildlife, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
• NOTE: All Advanced Training Opportunities must be pre-approved by your local chapter’s board before attending and earning credit.
WHERE TO SEE THE BEST BLUEBONNETS IN 2018
The Best Bluebonnets in Texas,
PLEASE .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and share locations where we might drive to enjoy TEXAS WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM. We’ll post sightings on Our Blog.
Source: February 7, 2018 Article by Jason Weingart, Photographer:
He listed a few Texas cities and areas where bluebonnets flourish:
• Ennis, (Muleshoe Bend) Spicewood, (Wildseed Farms) Fredericksburg, (Turkey Bend Recreation Area) Marble Falls, Tx Hwy 29 from Mason to Burnet, Kingsland, (The Bluebonnet House) Marble Falls, and Brenham.
• You’ll want to MARK YOUR CALENDAR: MID-FEB, 2019: In case you are willing to make the drive toward Big Bend National Park you can see our earliest-blooming ‘bluebonnets’ between Alpine & Terlingua (Hwy 118). These are a different species which grow more sparsely and can reach 3 ft in height! This site posts photos and descriptions of the Park’s varied species of wildflowers!
April 21, 2018 - Floresville, TX (Kirchoff Family Farm)
“3rd SATURDAY WORKDAYS”
ENJOY THE OUTDOORS!
Celebrate our 1st Monthly Prairie Restoration Workday, Kirchoff Prairie Restoration Site (*)
Sponsored by the San Antonio Chapter of NPAT. PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE by NOON, Friday, April 20: Guests are welcome!. Lunch will be provided!
SPRINGTIME IN TEXAS CAN BE STORMY!
RAIN OR SHINE!
We’ve extended the registration period in case you want to wait to register according to the local forecast. Be assured, we will be monitoring weather forecasts; if the weather looks to be severe, we will contact each registrant and notify you if ‘activities are cancelled’.)• Work tasks may be hampered, but the prairie is beautiful to explore after rain showers! Bring wet weather protection (e.g. rain coat and mud boots). There is rain shelter in the tractor shed and hay barn during showers. OTHERWISE, PLEASE COME PREPARED FOR THE ‘GREAT OUTDOORS’: Protect yourself from sun & more: bring sunscreen, insect repellant, hat, long-sleeve shirt, bandana (or soft cloth), and gloves. WEAR closed-toe shoes/boots & long pants. Binoculars and camera are always good to have at hand; we will have MANY opportunities to observe wildlife!
• Monthly workdays begin at 9:00am, we’ll break for lunch (provided), and continue into the afternoon or until you want to leave.
(*) Kirchoff Family Farm is SE of San Antonio at: 1444 County Road 210; Floresville, TX 78114. Coordinates are: North: 28.973611; West:-98.108333.
WE’VE PLANNED THESE WORK ACTIVITIES for April 21:
• Transplant 45 Antelope Horn Milkweeds currently growing in trays (see Don’s photo above).
• Cut & treat stumps; stack invasive woody plants (huisache, baccarus, etc).
• Review today’s workday and plan activities for future activities, e.g.:
1.Prepare Tall Grass Windrows for fall planting event
2.Harvest prairie seeds
3.Repair Burrowing Owl Roost Sites
4.Repair Diversity Plots
5.Establish Wildflower Seed Increase Plot
WE WILL PROVIDE: Drinks and a light lunch (sign up for it when you register online and be sure to note dietary restrictions).
Questions? Contact: Don Kirchoff: (cell) 713-562-7681 or email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
April 21, 2018 - Dallas, TX
WORK MORNING at White Rock Lake
Sponsored by North Texas Master Naturalists
Saturday, beginning at 9:30 am
Meetup at “Boy Scout Hill” at the SW corner of Mockingbird and Buckner.
Plant identification, pulling of invasive Queen Anne’s lace, clean up trash as needed.