Get excited for our Texas Master Naturalist 2023 Annual Meeting – to be held Thursday, October 12th through Sunday, October 15th this year at the southernmost point of the South Texas Plains ecoregion, surrounded by mesquite and prickly pear brush country in McAllen, Texas. The Lower Rio Grande … [Read more...] about 2023 Annual Meeting
TMN Tuesdays
Join the TMN State Office each month for #TMNTuesdays Webinars! On the second Tuesday of each month at 12:00pm Central Standard Time, the TMN State Office will offer an hour-long virtual advanced training event – with fantastic new and returning guest speakers. Click the Button below to see … [Read more...] about TMN Tuesdays
Upcoming Trainings & Announcements
We have some great trainings scheduled for our upcoming chapter meetings. Mark your calendars and plan to attend! Sept. 12th - Riparian Areas w/ Kim Wagner Oct. 10th - Black Bears w/ Adrian van Dellen from the Texas Black Bear Alliance Nov. 14th - Carnivorous Plants w/ Mike Howlett … [Read more...] about Upcoming Trainings & Announcements
Making A Tea/Coffee Substitute From Yaupon Leaves
Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria, is the only Native American plant that contains caffeine, and drinking the tea is a lost art that is recently making a comeback. Yaupon tea is a tisane, or herbal infusion. It is not a true tea like that of the Chinese black tea, Camelia sinensis. Yaupon grows … [Read more...] about Making A Tea/Coffee Substitute From Yaupon Leaves
2nd Saturday Birding at MDJSP
Our expert birders, Fred Lyons and Philip Hight, lead a birding group every 2nd Saturday of the month at Martin Dies Jr. State Park. The bird species vary depending on the time of year. I went birding with them on October 9th, and we had a pretty good show! I set out at 8:00am with my … [Read more...] about 2nd Saturday Birding at MDJSP
Birding Field Trip – High Island
Our birding experts organized a trip on April 28, 2021 that gave our members a great adventure into the world of coastal bird wildlife viewing! Fred Lyons and Phillip Hight guided a group through the Houston Audubon Society - High Island Sanctuaries that serve as a landing for birds traveling across … [Read more...] about Birding Field Trip – High Island
Spring 2021 Community Events
The Longleaf Ridge Master Naturalists have a great relationship with other like-minded organizations in the Jasper County, TX community. For example, beautification efforts of Sandy Creek Park have included a wide range of entities (environmental, multiple levels of government, businesses, … [Read more...] about Spring 2021 Community Events
Adopt-A-Highway Trash Pickup with the Master Gardeners/Master Naturalists
March 13, 2021 The Jasper Master Gardeners and Longleaf Ridge Master Naturalists jointly care for a 2-mile stretch along Hwy 2799/W. Houston St. The last trash pickup was Feb. 8, 2020. So what you see here is a little over a year's worth of accumulated trash. Thanks to all the volunteers who … [Read more...] about Adopt-A-Highway Trash Pickup with the Master Gardeners/Master Naturalists
How to Stay Informed of Events
Due to the pandemic, Texas Master Naturalists (TMN) require that we try to the best of our ability to provide remote access to our meetings. We have tried our best to provide virtual meetings during the COVID-19 crisis and met with issues. Our Zoom volunteer did more than we can expect from her, and … [Read more...] about How to Stay Informed of Events
Groundhog Day – When Will It Warm Up Outside?
Traditionally, if the Groundhog sees his shadow when he comes out of his burrow on February 2nd, it means that the day is sunny and warm, and the opposite will be true for the remaining weeks of winter. However, if he does not see his shadow due to a cloudy, dreary day, then spring weather is just … [Read more...] about Groundhog Day – When Will It Warm Up Outside?