Blackland Prairie Master Naturalists

Blackland Prairie Chapter

“Education, Restoration, Preservation”

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The mission of the Texas Master Naturalist program is:

To develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas.

The Texas Master Naturalist program is a partnership between the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and other local partners.

To receive information from the TPWD Listserv sign up here: TPWD Listserv

2018 Monthly Meeting Topics

June 12: “From the First Quark to You – We are all in this together“ – Ernie Stokley

What we know today about how our universe came to be makes an amazing 13.8-billion year story. We will cover the highlights of how the universe evolved, and how that development led to our solar system, our planet, and eventually to life itself. We will zoom in on North Texas and see how its geology produced the backland prairie we know today. Life on earth is all interrelated, and our species as a very latecomer to the on-going evolution of the planet plays a dominant role in that process. Our impact on planet Earth has often not been positive.

– Ernie earned a BS in electrical engineering from Mississippi State and an MS and PhD in biomedical engineering from a joint SMU-UT Southwestern Med School program. Most importantly, Ernie was member of the BPTMN class of 2015 and is an active volunteer.

July 10:  “Sex in the Garden” – Janet Smith

This entertaining and educational talk describes what really goes on in our gardens: pollination.  Become a voyeur and see  how flowers lure insects to help with their reproduction and how they reward the pollinators. You will never look at the garden in the same old way again.

– Janet is a recovering plantaholic who considers the Master Naturalist and Master
Gardener training as her 12-step program. She now has a special interest in
native plants and restricts her selections to heat and drought tolerant plants that
she can water from her rain barrels and plants that multi-task by attracting
pollinators like butterflies, bees, hummingbirds as well as lizards and interesting
insects.

August 14: “Dragonflies” – Omar Bocanegra

Omar is a local expert on dragonflies and damselflies and will be providing a presentation entitled “An Introduction to Dragonflies and Damselflies.”

– Omar coordinates the Branch of Environmental Review, Classification, and Recovery for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arlington, Texas Field Office.  He has worked for the Service for over 18 years on endangered species issues, as well as fish and aquatic insect studies, coordination of terrestrial wind energy projects, and development of national guidance on compensatory mitigation under the Endangered Species Act.  He received both his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology and Master of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington.  His Master’s research focused on sexual selection in the desert firetail damselfly.  The Arlington Field Office serves 112 counties in Texas and is the lead office for the lesser prairie-chicken, black-capped vireo, and endangered sharpnose and smalleye shiners.

2018 Past Speakers:

May 8: “Fundamentals of Forest Ecology” – Chris Ebling

April 10: “Citizen Science” – Marsha May

March 13 : ”What’s New in the World of Monarch Butterflies?” – Carol Clark

February 13 : ”Light Pollution – More Than a Barrier to Sky Gazing” – Tom Fleming

January 9 : ”Open House. Welcome Back to Members, Come Join Us to Visitors” A Review of chapter and state, exciting and vital information about the Future and Recognitions. (no AT)

– Mike Roome, President

2017:

December 12: “This Badlands Tortoise is 34 Million Years Old and at The Heard” – Pat Kline, Lead Project Preparator

November 14: ”Prairies in Old Cemeteries” – Candace Fountoulakis, Master Gardener and member of the Plano Garden Club. A board member of The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc.

October 10: “The Urban Harvest: Foraging in the City” – Daniel Cunningham, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Extension

September 12: “Reptiles with a particulare emphasis on Texas ” –  David Mead, Class of ’17

August 8: “Past Climates: Putting the Climate Puzzle Together with Models” – Dr. Angela Osen; University of Texas Arlington, Tarrant County College

July 11: “13 Things You Need to Know About the Poison Oak and Ivy Rash” –  Amy Martin – Author of Itchy Business: How to Treat the Poison Ivy and Poison Oak Rash, Prevent Exposure and Eradicate the Plant (www.Itchy.biz).

June 13 : “Frogs! ” –  Scott Kiester, Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter

May 9: “Dead Zones in Rivers and the Gulf of Mexico and Their Causes” – Donald Harper, Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M Galveston

April 11: “Zika and Other Issues” – Daphne Lynch, Epidemiologist for Collin County

March 14: “New Frisco Wetlands in the Hackberry Creek and Stewart Creek Drainages” – Corp of Engineers, Jon Loxley and Jim Frisinger; Jayce Proctor, UNT

February 14: “Texas Wild Cats” – Monica Morrison

January 10: 2016 Successes and 2017 Opportunities – Where our members volunteer and why.