Michelle Connally, Class of 2018
Good evening, Blackland Prairie Chapter Members,
You can access our latest bi-weekly newsletter from our Chapter’s Home Page at bptmn.org, click on the “Blackland Prairie Newsletter” image OR by direct link – https://txmn.org/bptmn/newsletters/
This bi-weekly newsletter will provide:
- Upcoming Advanced Training Opportunities
- Including Vicki Sander’s Eclipse 101 Online Deep Dive
- Upcoming Volunteer Service Hours Opportunities
- Review of the President’s chapter business portion of the recent meeting
- Eclipse Information Page and Links to Local Events
- Welcome new Members!
- Significant Milestone Achievements, Initial & Re-certifications
- Mark your calendars!
- Help Wanted
- New VMS Opportunities
- Field Badges Available
- Last Chapter Meeting Recording & After meeting note on his personal Pocket Prairie & list of books.
- Next month’s Chapter Meeting information
- Shaking the Trees Member Submissions
- Project Spotlight – Clymer Meadow & their Spring Tours Information
- Plano Park Project Update
- TMN State Program Updates
- #TMNTuesday
- Chapter Advisor
- Chapter Partners
If chapter members need to share information in the bi-weekly newsletters,
please send your requests to communications@bptmn.org.
Michelle Connally
Communications Director
Blackland Prairie Chapter
Upcoming Advanced Training
Check out our chapter’s calendar for current opportunities and additional details.
Member VHAT Calendar (txmn.org)
Saturday, March 23rd 10:00 AM – Amy Martin presents North Texas Ecotones with a Spring Equinox walk.
Monday, March 25th 6:00 PM – Zoom Deep Dive with Vicki Sanders – Eclipse 101
Upcoming Volunteer Service Hours Opportunities
Check out our chapter’s calendar for current opportunities and additional details.
Member VHAT Calendar (txmn.org)
Ongoing Spring 2024 Lights out Bird Survey
Sunday – Friday – Connemara Meadow Preserve Restoration
Tuesday, March 19th 9:00 AM – Oak Point Park and Native Preserve
Wednesday, March 20th 9:00 AM – Clymer Meadow – 3rd Wednesdays
Wednesday, March 20th 9:00 AM – Frisco Work Day – Grand Park
Wednesday, March 20th 10:00 AM – Plano Oak Point Park Trail Guide
Thursday, March 21st 9:00 AM – Wylie Prairie Restoration Project
Sunday, March 24th at 9:00 AM – Frisco Work Day – Commons
Monday, March 25th at 9:00 AM – Erwin Park Prairie Restoration
Wednesday, March 27th at 9:00 AM – Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
Thursday, March 28th 9:00 AM – Wylie Prairie Restoration Project
Friday, March 29th 9:00 AM – Frisco Work Day – Northwest Community Park
Review of the President’s chapter business portion of the recent meeting
CLICK HERE OR ON THE PHOTO ABOVE FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS
- Welcome New Blackland Prairie Members transferring from the Bluestem Chapter
- Karen Glen
- Amber Grubb
- Zena Wood
- Bob Wood
- February Re-Certifcations
- Pat Crone
- Jean Higgins
- Sue Makuta
- Linda Nixon
- Nancy Riggs
- Laurie Sheppard
- Liz Tipps
- Lisa Travis
- Rick Travis
- Milestone Achievement – 250 Hours
- Liz Tipps
- Milestone Achievement – 4000 Hours
- Karen Spalding -Wright
- Lisa Travis
- Rick Travis
- Mark your Calendars!
- iNaturalist City Nature Challenge
- Observations: April 26 – 29
- Identification Period: April 30 – May 5
- iNaturalist City Nature Challenge – Chapter Outings
- Fri., April 26:
6:30pm – 8:30pm, Bethany Lakes Park, Allen - Sat., April 27:
- 3pm-6pm, Grand Park, Frisco (Special Guest Sam Kieschnick)
- 8pm – 10:30pm, Grand Park, Frisco (Black Light/Mothing Event with Special Guest Sam Kieschnick)
- Fri., April 26:
- 2024 Annual Meeting
- Location: San Marcos, TX
- Dates: Thursday, Oct. 24 – Sunday, Oct. 27
- iNaturalist City Nature Challenge
- Help Wanted
- The Blackland Prairie Raptor Center needs logs and branches!
- Hardwood branches only, please
- Minimum 1 inch diameter, 4 feet long
- If you can help, Contact: Karen Mitchell
- The Heritage Farmstead Prairie Garden has a Wish List!
- The garden is in need of:
- A sturdy bench
- A bee house
- If you can help fulfill either (or both) of these wishes, contact:
- LuAnne Ray: lray.bptmn@gmail.com
- Community Speakers Needed
- Do you have a nature talk you would be willing to share with community organizations?
- If so, join the BPTMN Speaker’s Bureau!
- If interested in joining, contact Crystal Flannery-Bachicha at crystalfb@bptmn.org and provide the following info for addition to the Speaker Bureau Catalog:
- Name
- Topic/Title
- Short Summary
- Email address
- Lights out Dallas – CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
- Trail Guides Needed for “Blooms on the Prairie” Event at Erwin Park
- When: Saturday, April 20
- Trail walks are scheduled for 9am and 10am.
- Contact: Dave Powell
- Email: powell1217@yahoo.com
- Phone/Text: 469-450-3712
- The Blackland Prairie Raptor Center needs logs and branches!
- Other Chapter Business
- New Opportunities for use in VMS
- Texas Waters Specialist Field Research
- For regular water testing outside of the Texas Stream Team activities.
- BPTMN: Youth Public Outreach
- For youth activities and education.
- AT: BPTMN: Chapter Deep Dives
- Texas Waters Specialist Field Research
- Field Badges Available – CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
- New Opportunities for use in VMS
Shaking the Trees Member Submissions
Project Spotlight – Clymer Meadow with Eclipse details and Spring Tour Dates
Plano Park Project Update
Last Chapter Meeting information and recording
Be sure to check out Dave’s post below he made an update with a photo of his personal pocket prairie and the request for his list of books.
2024 March Chapter Meeting with Dave Powell | Blackland Prairie and Prairie Restoration
Next Month’s Meeting
2024 April Chapter Meeting with Dwight Wilson | Learning to read tracks and signs
2024 May Chapter Meeting with Jeff Witt | Wild Frisco!
Michelle Connally, Class of 2018
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 – 7:00 PM
Click here to view our Calendar.
Come and hear about the activities and sites that await you in the “wilds” of Frisco! You will learn about the how the city balances the demands of development with the protection of its natural resources and what the future looks like for this fast-growing community.
Speaker – Jeff Witt
Jeff Witt is the Natural Resources Manager for the City of Frisco’s Parks and Recreation Department. He has been with the City for 25 years. Jeff previously worked in the Development Services and Engineering Departments. During that time he has served as a resource to the City on matters of an ecological nature, long range planning and right-of-way acquisition.
He has a Masters degree in Geography from East Tennessee State University. Prior to coming to the City of Frisco, he worked for the City of Plano. Before entering public service, he served as a consultant to the Corp of Engineers, Air Force, Navy, Department of Energy and Department of Justice on environmental planning and natural resource preservation issues.
Physical Meeting Location: Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary,
1Nature Place, McKinney TX 75069, Science Resource Center (SRC) building.
Directions to SRC: Drive through Heard gates; go past parking lot and museum building; continue until the road ends at the large white SRC building.
Online Zoom Meeting Registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqc-yrqT4rHtzVMlNaWFk_mL0NlAjq0Lpj
Please register ahead of time for this meeting using your Zoom Account Email address.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.
Online Meeting Host: Heather Fell – heatherf@bptmn.org
Logging AT: The monthly meeting presentation will allow members to earn 1-hour of AT. Log as AT: BPTMN Chapter Monthly Meeting Only (1 hour) with the speaker’s name and topic in the description box.
For any additional questions, please contact.
Chapter Meeting Host: Stephanie Cleveland – stephaniec@bptmn.org
TMN State Program Updates
#TMNTuesday
Go to https://txmn.tamu.edu/tmntuesdays to view past recordings or register for future webinars!
Chapter Advisor
Dr. Curtis Jones, County Extension Agent
825 North McDonald Street Suite 150
McKinney, TX 75069-2175
curtis.jones@ag.tamu.edu
972-548-4233
Chapter Partners
Blackland Prairie Raptor Center
volunteer@bpraptorcenter.org
https://bpraptorcenter.org/
Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve
Bob Mione | info@connemaraconservancy.org
connermaraconservancy.org/wordpress/meadow-nature-preserve
Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary
Laura Ragan | volunteers@heardmuseum.org
www.heardmuseum.org/volunteer
LLELA Nature Preserve
Erin Piper | epiper@cityoflewisville.com
https://www.llela.org/research-restoration/volunteering