Become a Citizen Scientist! 🌊 Join Crystal Flannery-Bachicha and Lauren Kraus for Texas Stream Team training on April 5th (9 AM – 2 PM). You’ll learn to monitor local water quality and collect vital data used by the TCEQ and EPA to protect our waterways.
🐦 Upcoming Event: Great Backyard Bird Count 2026 🐦
Spend time in your favorite places watching birds—then tell us about them! In as little as 15 minutes notice the birds around you. Identify them, count them, and submit your counts to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. If you already use eBird or Merlin, your submissions over the 4 days count toward Great Backyard Bird Count 2026!
Cooper’s Hawk
Remember the ‘white aliens’ of 2020? 👽 For this week’s Flashback Friday, we’re revisiting John Garbutt’s wonderful chronicle of a Cooper’s Hawk family—from incubation to the surprise discovery of ‘Thing 5.’ It’s a beautiful reminder of the magic we find when we slow down and observe.
Deep Dive on From Backyard to Blackland: Raising Natives for Restorations with Heather Fell and Katelyn Miller
Join us on Wednesday, February 25th at 7 PM CST for a Deep Dive with Heather Fell and Katelyn Miller, presenting From Backyard to Blackland: Raising Natives for Restorations, online via Zoom.
Community Engagement 2026 Events
Ready to make an impact? 🦋 Community Engagement Director Tina Burke has already lined up a season full of outreach, from McKinney plant swaps to “Night on the Prairie” in Lucas. We’re looking for volunteers to join the team and help us share our love for the Blackland Prairie. Dive into our spring calendar (so far) and find your fit!
BPTMN Newsletter – January 15, 2026
Hello Blackland Prairie Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists, Welcome to 2026! We’re kicking off the year with a fascinating look at nature’s “living opals” brought to life through the eyes… Read More →
🌱 Upcoming Event: “Getting to Your Roots: The Soil Food Web”
Join the Friends of LLELA on Saturday, January 17, 2026, for our annual Native Landscape Seminar: “Getting to Your Roots”. This year features keynote speaker Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Microbes, along with a panel of local experts including John Sackett, Dr. Vanessa Corrisher-Olson, and Dr. Jane Duke.
2026 February Chapter Meeting with Laura Johnson | Raptors in North Texas
We are talon you—you won’t want to miss our February 10th meeting! 🦅 Join us as we welcome Laura Johnson, Executive Director of the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center.
TPWD 2026 Texas Waters Webinar Series
Texas Parks and Wildlife present the 2026 Texas Waters Webinars, which are part of the certification process to become a Texas Waters Specialist. However, you do not need to be involved in the certification program to participate in these FREE webinars.
Focus on the Future!
Is your old pair of binoculars feeling a little “out of focus” on your shelf? Give your retired gear a second life! We’re collecting gently used binoculars to help the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center teach the next generation of birders how to spot their first hawk. Your “old” glass could be a kid’s “new” favorite hobby.