Nature at its Best

Our annual FREE Nature Festivals are the highlight of the year, not only for our chapter members and many volunteers who work around the year to make it a success, but for all those visitors from Milam County and surrounding areas.  Our “First Annual” was held June 11-12, 2010 at Wilson-Ledbetter Park in Cameron and the “Second Annual” was also held there on Saturday April 9, 2011.  Come and visit our beautiful park and Bird Sanctuary anytime. (click here for map to Cameron and Wilson-Ledbetter Park)

We will hold our next two annual Festivals, 2012 (April 14) and 2013 (TBD), at the equally beautiful Rockdale Fair Park in Rockdale Texas.   Bookmark this web page, so you can keep up with our annual plans.  Mark your calendar now for Saturday April 14, 2012 so you won’t miss out on all the fun!

Visit our chapter’s photo website on picasaweb to see all the fun everyone had in previous years!  We have albums there for both the 2010 and 2011 Festivals, and their Photo Contest results.  Your welcome to enjoy all our other albums there as well.

[All photos were uploaded in a reduced size for speed of web viewing.  If you want to have an original to make prints, view an album and click on the photo you want to open it in full screen.  On the right side properties, click the little down arrow on Photo Information, then note the filename and send it in an email to ElCaminoRealMasterNaturalist@gmail.com.  We will return email you the original high quality photo.  All our photos are available for public non-profit and non-commercial use under Fair Use Policy.]

2012 – 3rd Annual Milam County Nature Festival, April 14th
This year’s festival will be the first to be held at the Rockdale Fair Park, 200 Walnut Street, Rockdale, TX 76567. And it will be held rain or shine.

The United Nations has declared 2011-2012 as “The year of the Bat”, and we named it our Festival Mascot for 2012.  We have several activities featuring this amazing flying mammal. For lots of great Bat information, and how to get more involved, go to Bat Conservation International’s web site.

We’ll have lots of events and activities enjoyed in previous years, and have added a number of new ones this year for your family’s enjoyment.  Come early and stay late…9am – 3pm…and enjoy nature with us!

Click here to download out 2012 flyer.

 

Welcome and Chapter Information Booths – brief sign in sheet; pick up map, schedule of events and backpacks for kids and their goodies; general information on Nature and Master Naturalists.

Nature Photography Contest

  • Deadline for submissions has been extended to Wednesday April 4, 2012.  See our photo page for entry information.
  • View all entries during the day, and come to Awards Ceremony at 2:15pm in New Salem building

Inside Presentations in the New Salem Building:

  • 9:15 am – 10:15 am — Bats and Bat Houses, by John Byrd – learn how to attract and house thousands of bats from the guy who has just about eliminated insects and insecticides from his pecan orchard and now has a bat population that would rival many bridge populations
  • 10:30 am – 11:30 am — Lasagna for Hummingbirds and Butterflies, by Mark Klym, Information Specialist on Wildlife Diversity at TPWD – learn how to set up your own buffet to attract these beautiful and useful creatures in your own backyard, you’ll be glad you did
  • 11:45 am – 12:45 am — Wildflower Legends and Folklore, by Flo Oxley, Adjunct Professor, Austin Community College – hear some fascinating and humorous tales regarding the ancient Indian,  Greek and other mythological origins on the naming and historic use of many wildflowers.  Don’t miss this topic!
  • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm — Impacts of Drought on Fish and Wildlife Resources, by Clayton Wolf, Wildlife Division Director TPWD, and Rockdale native and H.S. graduate – hear his insight and wisdom on this important topic
  • 2:15pm – Award Ceremony for Nature Photo Contest Winners

Nature exhibits and demonstrations

  • Bats – come and be a little “batty” with us, and learn all about their benefits, local sighting places, as well as the White Nose Syndrome endangering some species
  • Bees and beehives – from a local bee keeper and honey maker – see if you can find the queen bee
  • Birds – how to attract birds; field guides and lots of information; wren and bluebird houses and other items for sale
  • Bryophytes and lichens – examine these interesting life forms with provided eye loupes, and learn about features from the Curator of A&M’s S. M. Tracy Herbarium, Dale Kruse
  • Backyard Wildlife – examine TPWD’s collection of pelts and skeletons of familiar animals
  • Texas Crawdads – see and learn about their unique “volcano looking” homes and habitats
  • Firewise landscaping – what to plant and not to plant to reduce fire hazards
  • Jams and Jellies – organic of course
  • Knapping – (no, not sleeping), learn how the Indians made arrowheads and more.
  • Pollinators – what they do, their importance to life cycle of all plants, how to attract them
  • Prairie Dogs – from the Austin Zoo, alive and cute, but not the adopting kind of dog
  • Native Grasses – learn about your favorites and their unique value, how to ID and to plant your own
  • Nature Bracelets – buy your favorite
  • Toads – The Houston Zoo presents the endangered Houston Toad, see toads master a maze, and listen to amphibian love calls
  • TPWD Hunting and Fishing Trailer – see some great trophies, and learn right from wrong
  • El Camino Real National Historic Trail – learn about this “Kings highway” used by early explorers and settlers, which goes right through Milam County and perhaps even your own backyard.
  • Exhibits and information by the 4-H Club, Girl Scouts, the American Legion, Milam County Retired Teachers and TRIAD, and more.
  • And Smokey the Bear will be wondering about, with handouts and personal interaction with children on fire prevention

Hands on activities specifically for the kids (of any age!):

  • Angler Education / Fly Casting – learn and practice safe casting with different reels in one on one training
  • Animal Track Molds – make your favorite wild animal foot print molds using plaster
  • Archeology Digs – learn techniques used by experts, and do your own “dig” to find some ancient artifacts
  • Birds – learn to ID nests and about preferred nesting materials, make your own bird feeders using pine cones, peanut butter and seeds
  • Binocular crafts – make your own with tissue tubes, coloring and a little creativity
  • Bats – make your own “bat” to wear proudly
  • Pollinating bees – make a bee house and solve pollination puzzles
  • Insect collecting – the Jr Master Gardeners will teach a live insect collection method, and build your own collector to take home.
  • Wildflowers -  learn seed planting skills and make seed starter eco-pots out of newspaper, learn the parts of wildflowers
  • Face Painting – get a butterfly on your cheek, a snake on your bald head, a spider on your nose, or you name it anywhere you want it

And good breakfast (breakfast tacos, biscuits and gravy); lunch (hot dogs, chili, nachos, frito pies); and drinks and desserts provided by the New Salem Club – come hungry, leave satisfied.

See you all there!!


2011 – 2nd Annual Milam County Nature Festival, April 9th, 2011

Another beautiful day in the Park was enjoyed by about 1200 visitors this year!  Under the capable leadership of Sue Taylor and Donna Lewis, co-coordinators for this years festival,  a lot of last years great activities were enhanced and repeated, and a lot of new ones were introduced.

The Horned Lizard was selected as this years Festival Mascot, and we had a little extra attention given to these neat creatures and their habitats.

You can download and print off a pdf version of our Nature Festival 2011 flyer that was posted around the county and elsewhere.  And also get a copy of our Agenda / Map Brochure that was given out at the Festival.

These are the list of activities, exhibits  and presentations that were held:

  • Welcome Tent—sign in, days schedule of events, free backpacks for kids, neat nature items for sale
  • Photography Contest
    • March 31 submission deadline – see our photo page for details.
    • Awards Presentation 2pm at Ladies Auxiliary Building
  • Inside presentations in the American Legion Building:
    • 9:30 am “Snakes alive, the reptiles of Central Texas”, by Bill Brooks
    • 11:00 am “The Spirit of El Camino Real”, by Lucile Estell and Joy Graham, and
    • 1:00 pm “Horned Lizards in Texas, our state reptile”, by Carolyn Todd
  • “Wildflower Treasures” Presentation, at 10am and noon
    • At the Wildflower Patch, by Flo Oxley, Director Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
  • Nature Presentations on the hour from 9am-2pm, at booths around the lake, with ongoing exhibits.
    • Bees and Pollination
    • Horned Lizards
    • Snakes and Reptiles
    • Native Grasses
    • Texas Parks and Wildlife
    • AgriLife Extension Service
  • Ongoing Nature Exhibits around the lake
    • Bats
    • Birds
    • Harvester Ants
    • Knapping
    • And special visitors from Cameron Park Zoo
  • Kids hands on activities
    • Archaeological Dig
    • Pollinators
    • Animal Track Molds
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Junior Master Gardener
    • Wildflowers, and
    • Face Painting
  • Wildlife Control—by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
  • Fire Prevention with Smokey the Bear—by Texas Forest Service
  • Wonderful Food vendors
  • Wildlife products vendors

The photography contest was again a great success.


2010 – 1st Annual Milam County Nature Festival, June 11-12, 2010.

And now, here’s a little about our recent 2010 Festival including some great photos, and lots of details on the Festival content.

Our First Annual Milam County Nature Festival was a great success, thanks to our many volunteers, presenters, financial contributors, vendors and most of all everyone who came to enjoy Nature at it’s Best!

We have some great photos of the event capturing the highlights and showing everyone having a fantastic time. Please visit our photo website to view two albums, one labeled “Nature Festival 2010″ and our winning photo contest entries are in the “Nature Festival Photo Contest 2010″ album. You’re welcome to view all our other albums there as well.  Enjoy!

This chapter owned event was held on Friday afternoon / evening and Saturday daytime, June 11 and 12, 2010 at Wilson Ledbetter Park in Cameron.  Planning for it took almost a year for many dedicated volunteers and based on feedback from many attendees, it was extremely well received, and appreciated by visitors from Milam County and many surrounding areas.

Key concepts of the 2010 Festival are described in the following two pages, and down-loadable files are here:

Below are the details on 2010

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Take a look at other Festivals at My Fairs and Festivals