BPTMN Grant Program Update Spring 2026

Gina McKnight, Grant Committee Chair

Our Blackland Prairie chapter’s grant funding supports the McKinney Monarch Gardens and Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve with native plants, wildflowers, and tools. Grant funds also assist the bird banding station at the Heard Museum, youth outreach supplies for the Eco Explorers and YES Committee, and vital public education materials for the Community Outreach team and local Monarch initiatives. Additional funding empowers pollinator gardens at Leadership Prep School and the Plano Baha’i Center, provides acoustic software for Texas Bat Acoustics, delivers growing supplies for the Native Perennials Grow-Out, and supports prairie restoration alongside new climate control units at the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center

McKinney Green Gardens, now known as McKinney Monarch Gardens:

Green Gardens of McKinney is a 40,000 square foot demonstration garden located within Gabe Nesbitt Park in McKinney. It is a cooperative program with BPTMN and the City of McKinney to create an engaging environment for residents to learn about Native and sustainable gardening practices. BPTMN grant funds support the purchase of native plants and tools.

BPTMN Project Leads: Paulette Platko & Mary Abercrombie, [email protected]

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: Weekly on Thursday mornings from 9am-11am, Summer hours

Migratory Bird Banding:

The bird banding station at the Heard Museum in McKinney started in the early 1980s and is currently supported by several BPTMN members. Bird banding contributes vital knowledge of habitat use and monitors the flow of migrant songbirds during spring and fall migration each year. More than 25,000 birds have been banded at the Heard since the station’s establishment in 1978 and has provided information to evaluate habitat breeding quality. BPTMN grant funds supported the purchase of replacement mist nets, calipers, and a net holding stick.

BPTMN Project Leads: Laura Schnell

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: Special training through the Heard Museum must be completed. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

Eco Explorers: 

BPTMN volunteers meet with Girls Scouts ages K-18 to guide them on nature walks while they complete their badge work.  BPTMN members develop the educational program with the nature oriented outdoor badges in mind and help the girls meet all the badge requirements through hands, cooperative learning. This immersive program introduces girls and their supervising adults to nature, specifically, the Blackland Prairie ecosystem. BPTMN grant funds support program supplies and materials, badges, snacks for participants.

BPTMN Project Leads: Kathy Boys [email protected], Randy Boys [email protected], Vicki Sanders [email protected].

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: BPTMN volunteers are needed to help lead or assist at events. E-mail Kathy or Vicki (emails listed above) to find out more.

BPTMN Community Outreach

Each year, members of the BPTMN Community Outreach team educate hundreds of adults and children through hands on presentations, special programming, and guided nature excursions. Public education is a cornerstone of BPTMN’s mission to develop a corps of trained volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their North Texas communities. BPTMN grant funds supported the purchase of outreach materials, branded table clothes, tent canopy, and beaver pelt.

BPTMN Project Lead: Tina Burke, [email protected]

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: BPTMN community outreach events can be found on BPTMN’s monthly calendar. Additionally, members can e-mail Tina to get put on the monthly sign-up genius for events.

Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve: 

The Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve in Allen is a 72 acre natural oasis in the midst of sprawling urban development. The Preserve exists to create opportunities for visitors to learn about and enjoy the importance of nature and biodiversity.  BPTMN grant funds supported the purchase of native wildflowers and grass seed. BPTMN volunteers can be found working the preserve six days a week.

BPTMN Project Lead: Bob Mione, [email protected]

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: BPTMN members can volunteer six days a week doing invasive species removal; Sunday – Friday from 9am-12pm.

Pollinator Gardens at Leadership Prep School: 

The 5^th grade club at Hope Leadership Prep in Frisco, led by BPTMN chapter member Lynda Delsol, is using grant funds to create a pollinator garden. Students are learning the importance of pollinators and their host plants while showcasing the beauty of native plants accessible to students, families, and the surrounding neighborhood.

BPTMN Project Lead: Lynda Delsol,[email protected]

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: BPTMN members are invited to volunteer through plant native plant donations or to help educate students. Contact Lynda for more details.

Plano Baha’i Center Native Plant Project:

At the Baha’i Faith Center in Plano, it is the belief that we are all citizens and caretakers of one planet. The native plant restoration project, led by BPTMN member Valarie Atwood, includes gardening, plant and tree maintenance, invasive and non-native plant and grass removal, bed and grounds prep, installation of plants, shrubs, grasses and seeds. Additionally, it includes upkeep of the Monarch Waystation, pollinator gardens and pocket prairies and trash pick up. BPTMN grant funds were awarded for purchase of native seeds and gardening tools.

BPTMN Project Lead: Valarie Atwood, [email protected]

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: BPTMN members are invited to take a tour of the natural space and assist with planting. E-mail Valarie to schedule a visit.

A chapter focus in 2025 was the expansion of its youth outreach initiative. The Youth Engagement and Stewardship Committee (YES Committee) was created for the purpose of building lesson plans, activities, and staffing outreach events aimed specifically at engaging and educating North Texas youth. BPTMN grant funds helped purchase educational and craft supplies to be used at outreach events.

BPTMN Project Lead: Lisa Travis, [email protected]

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: BPTMN members are invited to join the committee and assist at various outreach events. Contact Lisa for more information.

Blackland Prairie Raptor Center

Blackland Prairie Raptor Center’s campus sits on 66 acres of land along the shores of Lavon Lake. Before commercial and housing development and agriculture initiatives, the land was pristine Blackland Prairie. BPRC is committed to restoring the 66-acre campus to its original state, supporting local and migratory raptors and all other wildlife. BPTMN grant funds have supported BPRC with funding for tool purchases to support prairie restoration. Additional grant funds were awarded to replace failing AC units necessary for providing climate control to the raptors and staff.

BPTMN Project Lead: Cody Hoya, Conservation & Restoration Manager (volunteer role), [email protected]

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: BPTMN members Chapter members can email Cody to coordinate joining BPRC’s prairie conservation and restoration efforts.

Monarch Information Sheets:

Each year, BPTMN member Carol Clark distributes thousands of assorted educational handouts while volunteering at educational booths. Monarch Watch and Monarch Joint Venture used to sponsor the printing costs but discontinued that service when their budgets suffered cuts. BPTMN grant funds have filled in the gap with printing costs.

BPTMN Project Lead: Carol Clark, [email protected]

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: Members who have access to printing in bulk are encouraged to contact Carol.

Texas Bat Acoustics:

In partnership with Texas Nature Trackers and Texas Parks and Wildlife, BPTMN supports the acoustic monitoring of bats in our service area. The program has three metrics: find sampling site, deploy acoustic monitors, analyze the data recorded. Reports are prepared and submitted to homeowners informing them of the types of bats likely on their property. This is part of a statewide survey of bats. BPTMN grant funds purchased the state required software needed to analyze the recordings.

BPTMN Project Lead: Linda Nixon, [email protected]

BPTMN Volunteer Opportunity: BPTMN members are needed to help deploy acoustic monitors and learn how to work with data analysis software. E-mail Linda for more details.

Native Perennials Grow-Out:

Each year, BPTMN member Jean Suplick provides Chapter garden projects with hundreds of native forb plants, ground-ready with robust root systems. These plants are free to the projects, reducing their need to raise funds for plants. The plants can also be used as door prizes and the like at Chapter community engagement events. Plants also become diploma plants for the graduating class in May to help kick-start their efforts for growing natives at home. BPTMN grant funds provided purchase of grower’s mix, potting soil, biological fungus gnat control.