You’re invited to the 3rd Annual NatureFest. This week-long event is dedicated to learning about and celebrating the unique natural setting of Concordia University Texas.

There will be tours of our nature preserve, guided bird watching, campus clean-ups, and more!

On April 9th, please join us for the Grand Opening of our new Tornado Trail! Tornado Trail is not part of the preserve and can be accessed without a guide!

Most importantly, we encourage everyone to get outside for classes, meetings, prayer, leisure, etc.!

For more information, contact Zach Stark or Sam Whitehead.

Naturefest Schedule

Further information about each event can be found below the table.

	Monday, April 9	Tuesday, April 10	Wednesday, April 11	Thursday, April 12	Friday, April 13
9:00	Long Loop (1.5 hrs) Birding (1 hr)	Long Loop (1.5 hrs) Birding (1 hr)	Long Loop (1.5 hrs) Birding (1 hr)	Long Loop (1.5 hrs) Birding (1 hr)	Long Loop (1.5 hrs) Birding (1 hr)
9:30
10:00
10:30	Tornado Trail Grand Opening (2.5 hrs)	Friesenhahn Cave Video (1 hr)	OES Coffee & Community (30 min)
11:00	Short Loop (45 min)	Short Loop (45 min)	Short Loop (45 min)	Short Loop (45 min) Speaker – Nate Blakeslee, Author of American Wolf (1 hr)	Off-Grid Living Demo (1 hr) Short Loop (45 min)
11:30	Tornado Trail + Refreshments (1.5 hrs)
12:00				Environmental Project Fair (1 hr)
12:30		Metal Detecting on Tornado Trail (1.5 hrs)
1:00	Environmental Stewardship Focus Group (2 hrs)	Wildflower Seed Bombs (3 hrs)	Outdoor Chapel (30 min)	Raptor Viewing (1 hr)	Wildflower Photos (1 hr)
1:30
2:00	Short Loop (45 min)	Short Loop (45 min)	Short Loop (45 min)	Short Loop (45 min)	Short Loop (45 min)
2:30		Campus Cleanup (1 hr)
3:00	Sustainability Club Gardening (1 hr)		Campus Cleanup (1 hr)
3:30

*ALL DAY, ALL WEEK: Tornado Trail Recreation, Outdoor Classes, Outdoor Meetings, Wildflower Seed Bombs

Further Information and Locations

1. Birding Outings: 50-minute bird watching tours of campus and Tornado Trail with Carl and Carol Trovall and the Texas Master Naturalists. Online sign-up. Meet at the Pier.

2. Campus Clean-Up by Service Learning: Work with Service Learning and the Office of Environmental Stewardship for two afternoons of campus clean-up, with an emphasis on trash in and around the Preserve. Meet at Building A by the Martin Luther statue.

3. Environmental Project Fair: Join the Office of Environmental Stewardship and Environmental Science and Conservation Department to learn how to get involved in environmental stewardship projects on and around campus. Location: outside between Buildings C and D.
4. Friesenhahn Cave Video and Fossil Display: View the Science Channel’s recent episode of Secrets of the Underworld that features Concordia’s world-famous Friesenhahn Cave. Visit a display of Friesenhahn Cave fossils available in the Building A Reception area. Video is in the Chapel.
5. Long Loop Preserve Tours: 90-minute guided tour of the Concordia Preserve via the Long Loop. Online sign-up. Meet in the Building B Student Center.
6. Metal Detecting at Tornado Trail: Join the Austin Metal Detecting Club and the Office of Environmental Stewardship to explore an old homestead site on Tornado Trail and look for artifacts using a metal detector. Online sign-up. Meet at the Tornado Trail trailhead.
7. Office of Environmental Stewardship (OES) Coffee & Community: Join Zach Stark, Director of Environmental Stewardship, for Coffee and Community after chapel to discuss environmental stewardship on campus.
8. Off-the-Grid Living Demonstration: Join students from the Environmental Science and Conservation Department’s Zombie Apocalypse class for a demonstration of self-reliance and survival techniques. Meet near the big oak tree near the Martin Luther statue.
9. Outdoor Chapel: Enjoy a short, nature-themed devotional outdoors with Drs. Carl Trovall, Larry Meissner, and Paul Puffe. Meet at the Building A Annex Lawn.
10. Outdoor Classes and Meetings: Have your classes and meetings outside all week. Contact Zach Stark or Sam Whitehead for a map of the best spots, or simply find a spot on your own.
11. Photos in the Wildflowers: Have your Polaroid picture taken in a lovely wildflower meadow. Meet at the Martin Luther statue.
12. Raptor Demonstration by Sky Kings Falconry: See a hawk and other birds of prey in action. Meet at the stormwater pond between Parking Lot C and Killian Road.
13. Short Loop Preserve Tours: 45-minute guided tour of the Concordia Preserve via the Short Loop. Online sign-up. Meet in the Building B Student Center.
14. Speaker – Nate Blakeslee: Hear Nate Blakeslee, the author of American Wolf,speak in the Chapel on Thursday, April 12th from 11am-noon.
15. Stewardship Surveys: Join the Honors students enrolled in Honors Environmental Science Lab in a focus group discussion of environmental stewardship on campus. Results will be used to guide environmental stewardship policy and planning on campus. Contact Sam Whitehead if you would like to participate. Refreshments and snacks provided. Participants will be entered into a drawing for Amazon gift cards.
16. Sustainability Club Gardening Activity: Help the Sustainability Club expand and improve the vegetable garden next to Building C. Meet at the northwest corner of Building C. Tools and gloves provided.
17. Tornado Trail Open Access: As of April 3 at 11:00, Tornado Trail is officially open for use by students, faculty, and staff. Certain rules and regulations apply. Visit the Office of Environmental Stewardship for a map and more information.
18. Tornado Trail Opening Ceremony + Refreshments: Grand opening of Concordia’s new Tornado Trail, a multi-use open-access trail for the Concordia Community that is not part of the Preserve (no guide required). Followed by refreshments at the trail’s end about ½ mile from the dorms. Meet at the Tornado Trail trailhead by the picnic area in front of the dorms.
19. Wildflower Seed Bombs: Visit the Library to get some wildflower seed bombs and plants some wildflowers in open, grassy spaces all over campus.