Kathy Boys, Class of 2023 – In April 2020, while in the midst of the pandemic shut down, like many nature lovers, we spent an abundant amount of time in our back yard. One day a stray plant appeared growing in our pot of colorful snapdragons. Being curious, we let it grow, and grow, it did, flowering a dusky pink cluster in late summer. It actually looked ridiculous towering above the snapdragons, but numerous insects fought over this cluster of flowers, so we let it be. While we had no idea what it was, we assumed it was a native plant and had arrived by the wind or via a bird.
Current News
Eco Explorers: Girl Scout Program with the Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalists
Vicki Sanders, Class of 2022 – Eco Explorers is an excellent opportunity to interact with and encourage Girl Scouts to get outside and learn more about the Blackland Prairie and all its components.
Class of 2025 Week 4 – Topic: Mammalogy Speaker: Bryon Clark
Cali Bakker, Class of 2024 – What a great class! Our Topic for week 4 was Mammalogy taught by our chapter’s own, Bryon Clark.
A Vulture Valentine: Petunia’s Sweet Treat
Tina Burke, Class of 2024 – Happy Valentine’s Day! I had the honor of making Valentine’s boxes this week at the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center.
New ‘little blue bee’ species discovered in Texas and Oklahoma
Photo courtesy of James Hung
Class of 2025 Week 1 – Topic: Ecology Speaker: Sam Kieschnick
Cali Bakker, Class of 2024 – And we’re off to a fantastic start for the 2025 training class! On Wednesday, we met for our first class of the year – Ecology, taught by Sam Kieschnick.
Great Backyard Bird Count
We are a few weeks away from the Great Backyard Bird Count, our annual four-day birdwatching event! Let’s get ready, together.
Monarch Butterflies ‘Train the Trainers’ with Carol Clark – Zoom and In-Person Workshop
Training opportunity with monarch butterfly expert, Carol Clark. This workshop is designed to give participants the knowledge and confidence they need to teach about Monarch Butterflies in outdoor and other low-tech settings using just two waterproofed posters.
Blackland Prairie Chapter Library – New Additions
Linder O’Rourke, Class of 2023 – Check out the new additions to our chapter’s library.
Winter Tree Walk at Chalk Hill Farm in McKinney
Learn to ID native trees in winter with three master naturalists: Sharla Stack, Melanie Schuchart, and Fran Woodfin. They will lead a walk emphasizing how to identify native trees in the winter using shape, fallen leaves, bark, buds, twigs, thorns, and more.