Blackland Prairie Newsletter

☀️ 🌼 May Magic in the Blackland Prairie – Celebrating New Horizons 🦋 🌿

May has arrived with a flourish, bringing a season of celebration and fresh opportunities to our chapter! This month, we are bursting with pride as we officially congratulate the Texas Master Naturalist Class of 2026—our newest stewards of the land.

From the upcoming 40th Annual Spring Wildflower Tour at Clymer Meadow to the highly anticipated Mural Reveal at the Monarch Gardens (formerly Green Gardens in McKinney) in June, there is much to look forward to. Take a gander at the events coming up; our VHAT calendar is a testament to the growth and vibrancy of our community and prairie.

Whether you’re mothing at the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center or the Shoreline Trail, walking the Clymer Prairie this Saturday, helping with “Lights Out, Dallas!” bird surveys, or joining the call for our Accessibility Team, your dedication ensures that the spirit of conservation continues to thrive across North Texas.

We are also thrilled to introduce the Interactive Trees of North Texas Digital Key from Lisa and Rick Travis—a fantastic new web app that makes identifying Trees of North Texas on your smartphone easier than ever!

This May is packed with fantastic Community Engagement events across North Texas—from pocket prairie presentations to evening mothing events—and while volunteers are already stepping up to share the love of nature, there are still a couple of spots left to fill!

Be sure to check out the latest “Rick’s Picks” post to see some of the most fascinating iNaturalist finds documented during this year’s BioBlitz with results from the City Nature Challenge 2026: Dallas/Fort Worth event.

Dive into this edition to catch up on member submissions, upcoming opportunities, and the many ways you can contribute your hands and heart to the prairie we call home!

This month’s newsletter highlights:

• 40th Annual Spring Wildflower Tour on May 16th – Vicki Sanders
  
• Congratulations to the Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalist Class of 2026!. – Nancy Casillas
  
• SAVE THE DATE: June 4 for the Mural Reveal at the Monarch Gardens (formerly Green Gardens) at Gabe Nesbitt Park – Paulette Platko
  
• Introducing the Interactive Trees of North Texas Digital Key – Lisa Travis
  
• The Accessibility Team Needs You! – ED Burke
  
• Rick’s Picks from the iNaturalist City Challenge BioBlitz event, April 24-27 – Rick Travis
  
• Community Engagement 2026 Events – May Update – Tina Burke
  
• High-Fiveing Nature: “Leaf” it to Lisa for the Best Tips! 🖐️ – Rick Travis
  
• TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to Join us as a presenter in 2026 Annual Meeting! – State Program List Serv
  
• Lights Out, Dallas! Spring 2026 Survey – Mei Ling Liu

Highlights from our VHAT Calendar:

To find out more details and see all the volunteer opportunities check out our calendar, click on the following link.
https://txmn.org/bptmn/calendar/

Save the Date –

• September 1: Texas Master Naturalist 2026 Annual Meeting Contests Deadline (read more under program updates)
• October 22 – 25: TMN Annual Meeting in Waco

You can access our latest 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 newsletter will provide:

• Next Month’s Chapter Meeting – Chapter Meetings
• Shaking the Trees Member Submissions – Shaking the Trees Newsletter
• Past Meetings Recordings – Chapter Meetings
• Past Deep Dives Recordings – Deep Dives
• Upcoming Advanced Training & Volunteer Hours Opportunities – Member VHAT Calendar.
• TMN State Program Updates
• Chapter Advisor
• Chapter Partners

If chapter members need to share information in the monthly newsletter that drops after the chapter meeting, or want to provide feedback, or want to help! Please send your emails to [email protected].


Michelle Connally
Communications Director
Blackland Prairie Chapter