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GeneralMembersShaking of the Trees PostShaking the Trees

Deborah Canterbury – Dedication Behind the Curtain

See those two faces in the back of this class photo? The ones with arrows above their heads? Well, they are still in the back row, so to speak, taking care of the tribe by posting and creating. Linda Nixon, Communications Director (R), is responsible for keeping you in the know about lectures, courses, opportunities and Zoom magic codes to keep us thinking and learning. Michelle Connally, Webmaster (L), has worked directly with the state in transferring our website to new codes, apps, organizing historical data and what-not – making plans to ever improve our internet footprint. Not an easy task. She is also the designer of Shaking the Trees. When we get to see each other again, thank them and give them a real hug!

thanks for the shout out Deborah!  I have enjoyed developing a system to get information out to members about all the new online opportunities for both VH and AT.  It’s keeping me busy and safe at home in front of my computer! 

Linda N.

awe, thank you, Canter! Very grateful to share these stories from our organization. It is a wonderful way to feel connected through each other’s photos, videos, stories, poems & experiences. Great idea! You are one amazing lady!

Michelle C.
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GeneralMembersShaking of the Trees PostShaking the Trees

Just Another Day in the Life of Tribe Member Joyce

Just for grins. Today started out as pretty normal, but it’s 2020, so nothing is normal.  I woke up early to do the Senior Hours shopping. I’m not a morning person.  We mostly just needed milk.  Anyway I picked up quite a bit, mostly frozen/refrigerator items, and half way thru self check-out, the power goes out in the store.  Register stops.  Some registers were still working, and in the dark, I followed a cashier to her register, and I unpacked my groceries, and she gets about half way thru, and her register stops.  A security alarm is ringing, they take my phone number and groceries, and I have to leave the store.  Driving out there are police cars and fire engines coming to the store.  On my way home, I stopped at Walgreens, so I at least have milk.  I’m thinking about going back to bed and starting over, but meh, it’s just 2020.😝

Chapter MeetingsFlora and FaunaMembers

Mike Sills presents Forest Health: The Advance of the Emerald Ash Borer

The emerald ash borer is a destructive non‐native wood‐boring pest of ash trees. Native to Asia, the emerald ash borer beetle (EAB) was unknown in North America until its discovery in southeast Michigan in 2002. Since then, the invasive pest has spread to 35 states including North Texas. EAB is responsible for killing millions of ash trees across much of the country. Ash trees are widespread in Texas and all native ash species are susceptible to attack. Mike will review actions being taken by the Texas A&M Forest service and Texas Department of Agriculture and provide updates on community responses from area municipalities. 

Mike Sills has been a Regional Urban Forester for the Texas A&M Forest Service’s Dallas Region for three years.  He graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1995 with a B.S. in Forestry and has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 1997. Mike can fly…he has been a Private Pilot since 1997.  He enjoys flying and working on his classic vehicles.  He and his wife of 19 years, Ginny, also enjoy traveling and being at home with their pets.

Emerald Ash Borer Handout
Mike Sills EAB Slides

Texas A&M Forest Service Invasive Species – Emerald Ash Borer – (Agrilus planipennis)

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BRITMembersPlantsPrairie Partner Newsletter

Janice James – BRIT volunteer trip February 22, 2020


The Botanical Research Institute of Texas, or BRIT, is located in Fort Worth, adjacent to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. The sleek, LEEDS-accredited building has been in operation since 2011.  Herbaria are the places that plant specimens are compiled and maintained. Collecting and keeping specimens of plants, which are pressed, dried, labelled, and mounted on sheets of paper, is of scientific value for several reasons. Having a plant specimen provides an example of a species in a particular time and place, which is important for recording the occurrence, range and distribution of plant species. It allows us to document any changes in those same attributes over time. It can also illustrate such important information as flowering period and, as such, any changes in seasonal development. Such information is important in documenting the effects of climate change, for example. More recently, genetic information from specimens has become another important resource for study. By comparing genetic information from past specimens with current, it is possible to investigate changes, such as losses, in genetic variability over time. To make plant specimens from the herbarium readily available for study to scientists globally, the pressed samples at BRIT are in the process of being digitized (scanned) and uploaded into a searchable database more useful for scientific research. As the plant specimens are individually labelled, the information from the labels has to be transcribed, one at a time, into the database along with the scanned photo, by humans. The handwriting on the labels varies widely, as specimens are from the 1700s onward, and is not readly legible to computer-aided input systems. Herbarium collections are therefore valuable scientific resources. The BRIT in Fort Worth is one of the top ten largest Herbaria in the United States. It is an amalgamation of the original collections from SMU (Southern Methodist University), Vanderbuilt University, Louisiana State University, along with BRIT specimens. Recently, Dr. Nelson Rich from Collin College has donated his personal collections to BRIT as well. These most recent specimens have to be sorted and prioritized before they can be incorporated into the main collections.

BPTMN members volunteer at BRIT
BPTMN members volunteer at BRIT
BPTMN members volunteer at BRIT
BPTMN members volunteer at BRIT
BPTMN members volunteer at BRIT

ATGeneralMembers

Trip to Botanical Institute of Texas

Group Photo of BPTMN Member Trip to BRIT

BPTMN Chapter event to Botanical Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth

Members of our BPTMN Chapter visited the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (aka BRIT) in Fort Worth.  BRIT houses several herbariums (collection of dried plants), seed bank,  botanical art collections, children/ adult classes, educator programs and more.

Visit their site to learn more and support this valuable resource.
http://www.brit.org/

Chapter MeetingsiNaturalist

Sam Kieschnick “How iNaturalist Influences Land Management and Guides Public Policy”

For our May 2019 Chapter meeting, come listen to Sam Kieschnick discuss “How iNaturalist Influences Land Management and Guides Public Policy”

Sam Kieschnick is an urban wildlife biologist with TPWD serving the east side of the DFW metroplex.   

He previously worked as: 

  • A nature educator with the City of Mansfield at Oliver Nature Park  
  • A naturalist at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge  
  • A science interpreter with the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History 
  • A botanist with BRIT, and as an instructor at Weatherford College.  

He has a master’s degree from Tarleton State University studying the genetics of pocket gophers.   

As an urban wildlife biologist, Sam’s focus will be on three a’s:  

  • AWARENESS, APPRECIATION, and ACTION.