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.
Current News
🐦 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.
Move over chiggers, there is a new ITCH in town!
Picture source: Wikipedia, Pyemotes herfsi
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.
Snow Wonder It Works: The Magic of Winter Sowing 🌱
Winter sowing is the ultimate budget-friendly hack for growing native plants, allowing you to turn recycled milk jugs into mini-greenhouses without any expensive indoor equipment. This method relies on nature’s natural freeze-thaw cycles to stratify seeds outdoors, producing hardy seedlings that are ready to thrive in the spring. Read the full post to master the simple milk jug method and learn how to boost biodiversity in your own backyard for pennies.
Blackland Prairie Chapter Book Club Details – 2026 Dates
Blackland Prairie Chapter Book Club Details for the 4th Tuesday in January, March and May, from 6-7 p.m. Attendees should arrive a few minutes early and bring their own drinks, as no food or virtual attendance option will be provided.
Experiencing Nature through Eco Explorers
Guiding Girl Scouts through our Eco Explorer program creates “Aha!” moments through hands-on discovery. From tracking wildlife to tasting sumac, BPTMN volunteers help youth earn badges while fostering deep conservation values. With registrations filling fast, your help “ices the cake” for these new environmental stewards.
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New Study Reveals Central America’s “Five Great Forests” Are Lifelines for North America’s Migratory Birds
Submitted by Donna Cole, Class of 2006: New Study Reveals Central America’s “Five Great Forests” Are Lifelines for North America’s Migratory Birds.
From LocalProfile: Grassroots Revival: Frisco’s Monarch View Park Becomes A Beacon For Native Restoration
In Northwest Frisco, the Blackland Prairie Restoration Project is transforming Monarch View Park from manicured turf into a thriving native landscape. Over the past year, a partnership between Play Frisco, H-E-B, and the Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalists has united volunteers to plant over 5,000 native plants across nearly 100 species. This community-driven effort is not only rebuilding soil health but serving as a new model for future habitat restoration throughout the city.