The Lost Pines chapter serves primarily Bastrop and Caldwell counties of Central Texas (click here to find a statewide list of chapters). These counties are predominantly in the Post Oak Savannah and Blackland Prairie Ecoregions. In addition, our area includes the unique “island forest” of the Lost Pines, the westernmost extent of the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), separated by about 100 miles from the pine forests of East Texas. Species in the Lost Pines are particularly adapted to the drier conditions here, and provide unique habitat for varied flora and fauna that can be seen in Bastrop and Buescher state parks and other nearby natural areas. You can learn more about what makes these parks so special and see pictures of them by visiting our “State Parks & Natural Areas” page; you can also find many links to information about the native plants, animals and ecology of the Lost Pines region on our resources page.
- Making Friends
For me, plants are like people at the mall. As the multitudes shuffle by, I accept them only in the most general way; they share my space, but I have no idea who they are as individuals. At Bastrop State Park, I often pass by a dominant stand of bracken ferns while walking my dog—without… Read More → - Back Roads Nature, Old Tunnel State Park
Sometimes things are not what they seem. An illusion. A trick of the mind. Driving from Fredericksburg to Old Tunnel State Park requires that you impose on the privacy of gentle country folk—people who seek solitude and are uncomfortable in crowds. The winding road is lonesome as it ribbons through scattered roadside farms offering up… Read More → - There’s So Much More Than T-Rex
On a glorious spring morning last March, I met a remarkable boy who was so inquisitive and observant that I’m convinced he’ll be the next John Muir or maybe Albert Einstein. It was the first time I’d assisted a hike at Buescher State Park, and I didn’t know what to expect. At the appointed start… Read More → - My Worst Nightmare: A Roadrunner!
It wasn’t that long ago (in geological time) that reptiles ruled Earth. They were the masters of their environment. On a recent hot Texas afternoon, a modern-day dinosaur was foraging for food. The sky above was thinly clouded as if by a trail of wood fire smoke. At nine-inches from head-to-tail, this six-lined racerunner was… Read More → - Thanks to the MentorsHello friends! I was thinking about how much having a true Master Naturalist mentor actually meant to me while I was in Basic Training and I want to send a special thank you to my mentor and all of the chapter members who have mentored trainees over the years. It’s one of those things that doesn’t… Read More →
- Marathoners of the American WestThe column moves languidly, dust clouds swirl above like trailing woodsmoke. Twenty cowboys driving 2,000 head of cattle on the trail from Texas to New Mexico slowly disperse into their overnight encampment. The summer breeze blows lightly, fragranced with the smell of prairie grass. Thunderheads gather on the horizon like great floating avalanches. Near the… Read More →